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Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless
Using intimidation to try to convince your dog to eat the food you laid out for it, or to convince it to go get your mail from the mail box or else, probably requires animal empathy.
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Definitely. Both threats require the dog to somehow understand that bad consequences await if it doesn't perform some act, as opposed to just stopping what it's currently doing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless
Using intimidation to say, "I will hurt you if you don't back off or back down" I would argue doesn't require empathy of any kind, or understanding your targets motivations in any way, or even really the ability to speak, and is a pretty universal language.
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Of course, the "universal language" breaks down if one of the parties doesn't understand the warning signs that the other party is willing to use violence. This might be a problem if you're dealing with alien or unfamiliar animals. (E.g., Native American creatures generally understand the threat implied by a rattlesnake's rattle, a skunk's raised tail, or a porcupine's raised quills. Invasive/ imported creatures like cats and dogs sometimes don't get the message.)