读者文摘:宠物们在想什么(2)（在线收听）

7 Your nervousness might set me up for a fight too.

你的紧张可能会让我们打一架。

When an insecure dog owner approaches an unfamiliar dog, the owner might pull back on the leash, causing the dog's front legs to leave the ground.

当一只缺乏安全感的狗主人接近一个不熟悉的狗时，他可能会向后拉绳子，使狗的前腿离开地面。

This stance is threatening to other dogs, which is why many react with hostility.

这种姿态对其他狗来说是一种威胁，这就是为什么许多狗会做出敌意的反应。

Over time, an overly restrained dog will come to expect these reactions from the dogs she meets, and she'll approach them with aggression herself.

久而久之，过度拘谨的狗会预料到她遇到的狗会有这些反应，她自己也会用攻击的方式接近它们。

8 I may have a mood disorder.

我可能又情绪障碍。

Eight percent of dog owners and 6 percent of cat owners have given their pets medicine for anxiety and other mood disorders, according to a study by the market research firm Packaged Facts.

根据市场调查公司Packaged Facts的一项研究，8%的狗主人和6%的猫主人给他们的宠物服用过治疗焦虑和其他情绪障碍的药物。

The FDA has approved pet variations of human medicines for separation anxiety, noise aversion, and cognitive dysfunction, the Washington Post reports.

据《华盛顿邮报》报道，美国食品和药物管理局批准了用于治疗分离焦虑、厌恶噪音和认知功能障碍的人类药物的宠物品种。

9 I can be compulsive. Dogs chase their tails for lots of reasons:

我可能会有强迫症。《犬类杂志》表示，狗会因很多的原因来追逐它的尾巴：

They're itchy or have bowel irritation, they are indulging their predatory nature, or they're just bored, according to Canine Journal.

他们发痒或者出现了肠道刺激，他们纵容自己的捕食本性，或者他们只是觉得无聊。

In certain cases, though, tail chasing can be a sign of canine compulsive disorder.

但是，在某些情况下，追逐尾巴可能是一个犬强迫症的表现。

The condition can develop when a dog is frequently stressed or frustrated, veterinarian Stephanie Liff told petmd.com.

兽医斯蒂芬妮·里夫告诉petmd.com网站，当狗狗经常感到压力或沮丧时，就会出现这种情况。

Once the stressor is removed, the dog will likely stop his odd behavior.

一旦紧张性刺激消除了，狗就可能会停止他的奇怪行为。

10 I don't feel guilty—ever. Like their intelligence, dogs' emotional maturity is similar to that of toddlers.

我从不会感到内疚。就像他们的智力，狗的情感成熟度与幼儿相似。

"The average two-to-three-year-old has all the basic emotions, like joy and sadness and fear and anger and disgust and surprise," Coren says.

“一般两到三岁的狗都有基本的情感，比如快乐，悲伤，恐惧，生气，厌恶和惊讶。”科伦说。

"But they don't have complex social emotions like guilt, shame, and pride."

“但是他们没有复杂的社会情感，比如内疚，羞耻和自豪。”

When you come home to find that your dog has made a mess and she tucks her tail and looks ashamed, she's really just afraid of your anger.

当你回家发现你的狗弄得一团糟，她摇着尾巴，看起来有些羞耻时，她只是害怕你生气。

She's smart enough to associate the mess with your being upset, but guilt isn't part of her repertoire.

她足够聪明，知道弄一团糟会让你生气，但是她不会感到内疚。

11 But I do get jealous. Did your dog snap at you when you petted another pooch at the park? He could be jealous.

我有时会嫉妒。你去公园溜其他的杂种狗时，你的狗会朝你猛咬吗？他可能嫉妒了。

Researchers compared how dogs reacted when their owners were paying attention either to a stuffed dog or to another inanimate object such as a pail or a book.

研究人员让狗主人关注一只填充玩具狗或者一个静物，比如一个提桶或者一本书，并比较了狗的反应。

Nearly three quarters of the dogs exhibited jealous behavior about the fake canine,

近四分之三的狗对这只假狗表现出嫉妒行为，

but only 42 percent and 22 percent reacted badly to the pail and book, respectively.

但只有42%和22%的人对提桶和书反应糟糕。

Scientists suspect that canine jealousy dates back to the days when dogs competed for food and other resources.

科学家表示，犬类嫉妒可追溯到狗为食物和资源竞争的岁月。

12 My hearing may be worse if I have light-colored fur.

如果我有浅色皮毛的话，我的听力可能会更差。

Dogs that have predominantly white coats have a higher chance of being born deaf in at least one ear.

主要是白色皮毛的狗有更高的几率在出生时至少有一只耳朵是聋的。

In fact, 30 percent of dalmatians are born with this condition, according to Coren.

实际上，有30%的达尔马西亚狗出生时都有这种情况，科伦表示。

The gene that causes a dog to have a white coat just happens to be associated with deafness- as well as with blue eyes.

导致狗有白色皮毛的基因碰巧和耳聋有关-还和蓝色眼睛有关。