When a witch or wizard transforms into an animal, we know they can still think and listen, like Pettigrew did when living as a pet. But according to Sirius it can alter one's emotional state. Could the simplicity of an animal's emotions be a benefit to someone trying to defend against Legilimecy?

In PoA, Sirius Black explains he was able to escape the dementors by transforming into a dog.

"They feel their way toward people by sensing their emotions... They could tell that my feelings were less human, less complex when I was a dog...

I slipped past them as a dog... It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused."

This implies a lack of emotional complexity might be used as a defensive measure against certain magical creatures. In OotP Harry learns from Snape that Occlumency is the ability to close oneself off from certain emotions and that it protects against Legilimency.

"[Legilimency] is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind...

...The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories which contradict the lie."

He implies that being in a state of high emotion makes someone an easier target for Legilimency. During these lessons, Snape seems to expect that Harry's defensive Occlumency will mostly consist of mental and emotional control, and the extent to which magic is necessary for this is unclear. Since an Animagus likely can't cast spells while transformed, would they be an easier target? Or does the simplicity of an animal's emotional state make them harder to examine?

I realize there isn't a definite answer in canon so I am looking for a plausible answer.

When a witch or wizard transforms into an animal, we know they can still think and listen, like Pettigrew did when living as a pet. But according to Sirius it can alter one's emotional state. Could the simplicity of an animal's emotions be a benefit to someone trying to defend against Legilimecy?

In PoA, Sirius Black explains he was able to escape the dementors by transforming into a dog.

"They feel their way toward people by sensing their emotions... They could tell that my feelings were less human, less complex when I was a dog...

I slipped past them as a dog... It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused."

This implies a lack of emotional complexity might be used as a defensive measure against certain magical creatures. In OotP Harry learns from Snape that Occlumency is the ability to close oneself off from certain emotions and that it protects against Legilimency.

"[Legilimency] is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind...

...The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories which contradict the lie."

He implies that being in a state of high emotion makes someone an easier target for Legilimency. During these lessons, Snape seems to expect that Harry's defensive Occlumency will mostly consist of mental and emotional control, and the extent to which magic is necessary for this is unclear. Since an Animagus likely can't cast spells while transformed, would they be an easier to 'read' via Legilimency? Or does the simplicity of an animal's emotional state make them harder to examine?

I realize there isn't a definite answer in canon so I am looking for a plausible answer with support from canon.

When a witch or wizard transforms into an animal, we know they can still think and listen, like Pettigrew did when living as a pet. But we also know it can alter their emotional state. Could the simplicity of an animal's emotions be a benefit to someone trying to defend against Legilimecy?

In PoA, Sirius Black explains he was able to escape the dementors by transforming into a dog.

"They feel their way toward people by sensing their emotions... They could tell that my feelings were less human, less complex when I was a dog...

I slipped past them as a dog... It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused."

This implies a lack of emotional complexity might be used as a defensive measure against certain magical creatures. In OotP Harry learns from Snape that Occlumency is the ability to close oneself off from certain emotions and that it protects against Legilimency.

"[Legilimency] is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind...

...The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories which contradict the lie."

He implies that being in a state of high emotion makes someone an easier target for Legilimency. During these lessons, Snape seems to expect that Harry's defensive Occlumency will mostly consist of mental and emotional control, and the extent to which magic is necessary for this is unclear. Since an Animagus likely can't cast spells while transformed, would they be an easier target? Or does the simplicity of an animal's emotional state make them harder to examine?

When a witch or wizard transforms into an animal, we know they can still think and listen, like Pettigrew did when living as a pet. But according to Sirius it can alter one's emotional state. Could the simplicity of an animal's emotions be a benefit to someone trying to defend against Legilimecy?

In PoA, Sirius Black explains he was able to escape the dementors by transforming into a dog.

"They feel their way toward people by sensing their emotions... They could tell that my feelings were less human, less complex when I was a dog...

I slipped past them as a dog... It's so much harder for them to sense animal emotions that they were confused."

This implies a lack of emotional complexity might be used as a defensive measure against certain magical creatures. In OotP Harry learns from Snape that Occlumency is the ability to close oneself off from certain emotions and that it protects against Legilimency.

"[Legilimency] is the ability to extract feelings and memories from another person's mind...

...The Dark Lord, for instance, almost always knows when somebody is lying to him. Only those skilled at Occlumency are able to shut down those feelings and memories which contradict the lie."

He implies that being in a state of high emotion makes someone an easier target for Legilimency. During these lessons, Snape seems to expect that Harry's defensive Occlumency will mostly consist of mental and emotional control, and the extent to which magic is necessary for this is unclear. Since an Animagus likely can't cast spells while transformed, would they be an easier target? Or does the simplicity of an animal's emotional state make them harder to examine?

I realize there isn't a definite answer in canon so I am looking for a plausible answer.