Among animals that notice human sexuality and gender at all (like some pet dogs), how do they respond to trans individuals? Does it matter if it’s an owner they’ve lived with for a while vs a stranger they’re encountering for the first time?
I’m thinking more things like hormonal changes causing differences in voice pitch, scent, etc., but also things like name/pronoun changes (“go find mommy/daddy!”) or even behavioral differences if someone starts acting differently during or after a transition.
Have there been any notable studies on the topic? Anecdotes welcome too.
WAG: you can’t change your aroma and certain mannerisms are ingrained and your dog picked up on those 30 seconds after you adopted him/her. They’ve got your number.
I dunno; dogs can sometimes react to very superficial features, as well. I’ve met dogs who based their opinion of someone on whether they wore glasses, or had a beard. So they might be going by smell or pheromones, or they might be going by things like “wearing a skirt”. Or probably, different cues for different dogs, among those who even care at all.
I don’t think dogs understand “mommy” and “daddy” to have any meaning at all, beyond a name for a specific individual. It’s no different from “Go find Alex”.
