# How do we know that dogs can't conceive of a future? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 15, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149 "2005-11-15T13:17:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 1:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/1 "2005-11-15T13:17:51Z")
or any species? I know that only homo sapiens can articulate his visions of 2010 or 2100 or whatever, but I’m talking more about awareness, consciousness that such a thing as the future exists. How is it that we’re sure that we’re the only species to have a conception of a future, mortality, etc.? Since squirrels save nuts to eat in future months, why is that no indication that their consciousness stops short of conceiving of a future? A corollary of this question is: what is LIKE to have no conception of a future? At what point does this awareness arise in humans? How is this arising measured? Do we have some test that tells us that this 2-year-old has no awareness of a future but this three-year-old is starting to work it out? ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/2 "2005-11-15T14:27:40Z")
\ I’m foreseeing a bright future for this thread in IMHO. See? I’m psychic! \ ---
**Author:** ![Zebra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/c0e974/32.png) [@Zebra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zebra)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/3 "2005-11-15T14:57:48Z")
Many people don’t save for their future or seem to put any planning into it so maybe humans aren’t completly capable of ‘thinking ahead’. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/4 "2005-11-15T17:47:29Z")
Wouldn’t surprise me a bit if many species thing about more than getting laid or where they’re gonna do lunch. Problem is, until they start working on their abysmal communication skills, we’ll never know what they’re thinking. It’s this inability to pass on any detailed information that lets many _Homo sapiens_ suppose that there in an infinite qualitative difference between themselves and other critters. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/5 "2005-11-15T20:00:42Z")
> [@](#): > > Many people don’t save for their future or seem to put any planning into it so maybe humans aren’t completly capable of ‘thinking ahead’. On the other hand, many animals (some dogs included) _do_ save for their futures. What do you think a dog’s doing when he burries bones? ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 8:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/6 "2005-11-15T20:14:49Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > On the other hand, many animals (some dogs included) _do_ save for their futures. What do you think a dog’s doing when he burries bones? “Acting instinctively” is one possible answer. ---
**Author:** ![Ethilrist](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ethilrist/32/4604_2.png) [@Ethilrist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ethilrist)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/7 "2005-11-15T20:20:47Z")
[far side dog] Oh, boy! I get to poop again tomorrow! [/fsd] ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/8 "2005-11-15T20:27:47Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > “Acting instinctively” is one possible answer. But what circumstances led to that becoming an instinct. . .something in the dog’s past (royal dog, here) that indicated burying that bone might come in useful in the future. I read something once along the lines of this: if you had 10 dogs in a circle, and you sequentially killed each dog, the next dogs wouldn’t be able to extrapolate, “oh, he’s going to kill me” and run away. 1. Whether that’s true or not, I don’t know. 2. Whether it sheds any light on the original questions, I don’t know. But, it’s a thought experiment you can try. I said THOUGHT experiment. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/9 "2005-11-15T20:45:53Z")
“Why does the muskrat guard his musk?” ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/10 "2005-11-15T21:37:10Z")
How do we know that dogs can’t conceive of the future? Easy. Ask a dog what’s on TV this Friday. I guarantee he/she won’t tell you. This conclusively prooves that dogs have no concept of the future. Either that, or there’s nothing good on Friday. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Ponder\_Stibbons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponder_stibbons/32/343_2.png) [@Ponder\_Stibbons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponder_Stibbons)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/11 "2005-11-15T21:38:13Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > “Why does the muskrat guard his musk?” While we’re on the classics: “Why does the porridge bird lay its egg in the air?” ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2005, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/12 "2005-11-15T22:48:23Z")
I can prove that dogs have a concept of the future, beyond acting instinctively. When my dog was a puppy and being house-trained, she would occasionally leave little poops around the house. Upon discovery, she would get a healthy dose of guilt and shame. After a while, I stopped finding them around. But not long after, I figured out (don’t ask how) that she was _eating her poops before I came home_ so she wouldn’t get in trouble!!! QED She knew there was future in which she would get in trouble and consciously acted to prevent that future. Of course she is The Smartest Dog in the World, so maybe it’s just her. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 3:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/13 "2005-11-16T03:47:09Z")
She’s the smartest dog in the world because she eats her own shit? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 1:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/14 "2005-11-16T13:14:40Z")
> [@Ghanima](#): > > I can prove that dogs have a concept of the future, beyond acting instinctively. > > When my dog was a puppy and being house-trained, she would occasionally leave little poops around the house. Upon discovery, she would get a healthy dose of guilt and shame. After a while, I stopped finding them around. But not long after, I figured out (don’t ask how) that she was _eating her poops before I came home_ so she wouldn’t get in trouble!!! > > QED She knew there was future in which she would get in trouble and consciously acted to prevent that future. Of course she is The Smartest Dog in the World, so maybe it’s just her. There are other reasons dogs eat their own poop beyond “getting in trouble”. Sorry if I was whoooshed here. But it sounded like you were serious when you concluded “so she wouldn’t get in trouble”. ---
**Author:** ![BJMoose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/5fc32e/32.png) [@BJMoose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BJMoose)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/15 "2005-11-16T16:35:36Z")
And therein lies the problem with this whole line of inquiry: we can never _know_ what the dog was _thinking_ (unless Berlitz finally gets around to finishing its Dog-English Dictionary). [My WAG: she was thinking “Hmmmm. Needs a little salt.”] ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/16 "2005-11-16T17:05:57Z")
> [@BJMoose](#): > > And therein lies the problem with this whole line of inquiry: we can never _know_ what the dog was _thinking_ (unless Berlitz finally gets around to finishing its Dog-English Dictionary). > > [My WAG: she was thinking “Hmmmm. Needs a little salt.”] Reminds me of a story on NPR a few years ago about someone developing a dog-English dictionary. I was driving along listening to this, and it was one of those earnest NPR type stories, so it took me a couple of minutes to realize Wait a second, what’s today? April 1st? 😉 ---
**Author:** ![pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@pseudotriton\_ruber\_ruber](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pseudotriton_ruber_ruber)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 5:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/17 "2005-11-16T17:31:46Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Reminds me of a story on NPR a few years ago about someone developing a dog-English dictionary. I was driving along listening to this, and it was one of those earnest NPR type stories, so it took me a couple of minutes to realize Wait a second, what’s today? April 1st? 😉 I KNEW this topic wouldn’t be taken seriously when it got migrated from “Great Questions” but I didn’t think we’d descend to “dog eating own shit” musings quite this fast. ---
**Author:** ![Ghanima](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/9e8a1a/32.png) [@Ghanima](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ghanima)\ **Post date:** [November 16, 2005, 7:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/18 "2005-11-16T19:39:44Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > She’s the smartest dog in the world because she eats her own shit? :dubious: LOL…that’s exactly what I’m saying! And while I can’t prove that her motivation was to not get in trouble, I can say that she didn’t do it before the scolding started, and she stopped as soon s she was house-trained, so if she had some other motivation to eat her own poo, it was short-lived and happened to coincide with that time frame. ---
**Author:** ![Sleel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Sleel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sleel)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 3:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/19 "2005-11-18T03:05:05Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Reminds me of a story on NPR a few years ago about someone developing a dog-English dictionary. I was driving along listening to this, and it was one of those earnest NPR type stories, so it took me a couple of minutes to realize Wait a second, what’s today? April 1st? 😉 If you speak Japanese, there **is** a [gadget](http://www.time.com/time/2002/inventions/tra_bow.html) that translates dog to human. ---
**Author:** ![devilsknew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/4da419/32.png) [@devilsknew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/devilsknew)\ **Post date:** [November 18, 2005, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149/20 "2005-11-18T17:07:38Z")
You can watch a dog anticipate future actions all the time. Ever play fetch with a dog? They watch and anticipate the future throw so much that you can fake them out. They return the ball with what I think is an indication of hope and dreams, they hope and imagine you doing the same thing again… Oh Boy, Oh Boy, throw it again! My dog can think ahead to what the indicator “Vet” holds in store. She knows it isn’t fun and responds with fear and a desire to hide. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-we-know-that-dogs-cant-conceive-of-a-future/331149.md?page=2)