[MD] A dog's reality

[plattholden at gmail.com]

All:

Several days ago I opined that reality is different for different creatures. 
Today there's review of book entitled, "Inside of a Dog: What Dogs See, 
Smell and Know" by Alexandra Horowitz. She illustrates the difference 
between reality for us and for a dog with an example of a rose:

"A human being experiences a rose as a lovely, familiar shape, a bright, 
beautiful color and a sublime scent. That is the very definition of a rose. 
But to a dog? Beauty has nothing to do with it; the color is irrelevant, 
barely visible, the flowery scent ignored. Only when it is adorned with 
some other important perfume -- a recent spray of urine, perhaps -- 
does the rose come alive for a dog."

The S/O division is not only assumed by the author, but considered 
essential.  

"Anyone who wants to understand the life of an animal must begin by 
considering what (is) called the umvelt ..: the subjective or 'self-world.' "

Predicably, that dogs and humans both find quality in their respective 
realities isn't on the author's radar.  

The full review is at:

http://www.aldaily.com/

Platt