I have witnessed just the dogs I've had display so many kinds of intense emotions that the suggestion they're devoid of them isn't a matter of me ignoring empirical evidence, but of citing it. My father once had two dogs from the same litter who were inseparable, and when one of them died (I forget how; before my time) the other crawled up under the house refused to eat and didn't come out for the week it took him to die, too. The dog I recently lost had a similar bond with the dog my mom got shortly before I moved back here the first time; I had to physically restrain him to keep him from humping the other each time we brought him back from the vet, but if watched he'd content himself with going over and just lying with his head on him. And after he died his companion periodically and obviously looked around the house for him for weeks after the fact. And of course both of those dogs and one we got in between getting each of them worshiped me, although to my regret I didn't realize until after he was gone how true that was for the last one. The first one had to be where I was or as close as possible at all times, and that wasn't simply a security issue, because my mom took him in but I think he decided he was "my dog" before I even made it back here. To say nothing of the preternatural way each of them knew when I was feeling down and would try to come cheer me up however they could. I've seen joy, fear, sadness, excitement and Love as clearly in their eyes and faces as any humans, so when, as I often have, I hear the "scientific consensus" the higher animals lack emotion I can't help wondering if those stating it have ever spent time with an animal outside a clinical environment.

Glad to see ya made it here though, and hope all is well. Might keep your eye out 'cos I know draggie and Loto have been around on Skype recently, though whether studies will permit a group with them (so to speak... ) soon I can't say, but I am off tomorrow, so if something develops I'm certainly down for it.