Interspecies connectivity and emotional exchange within canine-human communication. The role of emotion from a zoosemiotics perspective
Abstract
This contribution puts reflections on the issue of interspecies canine-human communication, on signs (verbal and non-verbal) of communicating and translating emotions. An interdisciplinary approach is beneficial to provide an understanding of an intersemiotic translation between human and animal, especially in the case of domestic or companion animals which have adapted to human-animal communication so far.
Understanding the role of emotions in shaping knowledge and behavior represents an increasingly important part of Human-Animal Studies. Increasing involvement into this specific interspecies communication have also amplified cognitive skills of domesticated species.
We will discuss theoretical frameworks of the interspecies communication issue and it will highlight the role of emotions. Also, specific examples of interspecies translation tools such as dog talking buttons will be introduced.
Throughout domestication, dogs went through a process of selection of skills for interacting and communicating with humans, which may have contributed to the development of their cognitive resources. Dogs can produce specific calls with distinct meanings.
They might be also capable of combining multiple meaningful calls into syntactically ordered sequences. Communication with the motive to inform others has been seen as a unique feature of human communication so far.
We will discuss dog's behavioral repertoire when communicating with humans, differences in conspecific and heterospecific communications between dogs and humans and its implications. Because dog communication shows mainly emotional states, unlike humans that communicate mostly specific intent or actions, the messages that are shared across species tend to be more general in nature or can be missed or misinterpreted.