Question Posted Wednesday February 4 2015, 1:21 am
At home there is a small drawer with a razor blade that we use to scrape crud of the stove. One day I was getting some dishwasher capsules and I was holding said razor blade. A little later, I saw my dog and he was growling at me and once I put the razor blade back in the drawer, he stopped. Can my dog be telling me something?
Cardigan answered Wednesday February 4 2015, 3:27 pm: Maybe the scraping noise bothers him and he doesn't like it when people use the razor blade to scrape the stove. [ Cardigan's advice column | Ask Cardigan A Question ]
rainhorse68 answered Wednesday February 4 2015, 7:24 am: I can't imagine the dog (any dog for that matter) knows what a razor blade is. Can't see why the dog would be agitated at the sight of you holding one either. And then calm when you put it back in the drawer. I would not think the dog felt threatened. Animals can certainly 'detect' our feelings. When we are stressed or anxious we instantly sweat. A dog could detect the scent, their noses thousands of times more sensitive than human noses. The saying about all predatory animals 'smelling fear' is quite right. (Dogs are directly traceable to wolves of course, which are supreme predators). So are YOU nervous/anxious/stressed when you hold a razor blade? Could the dog have 'picked up'your fear? Bit of a tenuous link, maybe? Could the dog associate something unpleasant with an object which it has seen taken out of, and then put back into a drawer? Medication from a vet springs to mind. Say, stuff which was used to dress and treat a wound? The experience would perhaps have been painful? That might do it. Try opening and shutting the drawer when the dog is around. Otherwise I'd tend to put it down to coincidence. I mean razor blades can be dangerous if used carelessly, but it's rather far fetched to imagine a dog could know this. And even more unlikely to, for instance, be warning you to take care with it. They're wonderfully intuitive animals and there's such a strong bond between dog and owner. If somebody say, attacked you with a knife your dog certainly WOULD see you threatened and in danger, and would do all it could to defend you. Just can't see it 'recognising' a razor blade, in your own hands as a threat though. [ rainhorse68's advice column | Ask rainhorse68 A Question ]
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