For centuries dogs were dogs, and cats were cats. They did things like bark and drink water and lay down and sit on command. Actions that pet parents didn’t need a translator to understand. Now they are so much more in our lives and we know every little thing they do that makes them special and sets them apart from the pack. Or we’d like to think so!
The word derp isn’t limited to cats and dogs. It can also be a stand-in for such expressions of stupidity as “duh” or “dur.” In recent years the term has become associated with clumsy, clueless, or silly-looking cats and dogs. A pet with a tongue perpetually hanging out of its mouth or a pet that does something goofy or derpy. Derpy dogs and cats make funny faces, their tongues hang out, they run into walls, fall off the bed, trip over their own feet, and fall asleep in strange places. But why do we love these dopey, uncoordinated, silly pets so much? The answer may be partly rooted in science.
According to Scientific American, we find humor in physical misfortunes like tripping or running into a wall because of the Play Frame. The “play frame,” puts a real-life event in a nonserious context and allows for an atypical psychological reaction. It’s also important that we see these derpy occurrences as holding a certain element of incongruency. We expect our dog to successfully navigate through the kitchen doorway, so when he runs smack into the wall, it’s incongruous with our everyday expectations, and we find it funny (as long as he’s not hurt).
Let us see your best Derpy pet? Tag us on Instagram or Facebook to show us your pets’ best sploot! Check out our derpy kitty Butters trying to sleep in a cat bed, her own style!
