Dogs are people too?

[Jason78]

I'd like to see the same study done on rats.  Mostly because they are ridiculously smart.

Dogs and cats are one thing, but rats are awesome at figuring things out and learning.  My rats seem to really enjoy the time spent working out how to get to the treats inside puzzles I've given them.

[Mermaid]

Jason, do you have pics of your rats? I think they make great pets.

[MmmAtlas]

I hate dogs, i just don't like abusing them. :D

[Cocoa Beware]

While this is not surprising a bit, I cannot help but think of zoophiles who exploits the nature of these animals -also this information- and claim that they are having 'romantic relationships' with their pets.

It makes me angry that people who are not able to have relationships with species which have mental fortitude to make a choice and use an animal sexually, claiming it's 'love', because of their great capacity for giving affection.

I didn't expect this subject would come up. No sir. But I do agree with what you have to say about it.

[stromboli]

Cats run the gamut from Awwwww..... adorable to the essence of evil. They are their own masters.

[Cocoa Beware]

Anyways, what about every other animal?

Are dogs exceptional in this regard, or is this some kind of favoritism?

I suppose we are similar in how we socialize, I guess that's why dogs are so popular. We relate to them very well.

But that doesn't necessarily mean they are more like us in emotional capacity then any other animal, does it?

[FrankDK]

> Cats... are their own masters.

I've heard it said, "Dogs have owners; cats have staff."

Frank

[josephpalazzo]

That's what neuroscientist Gregory Berns of Emory University says 2 years of MRIs on dogs shows. He says his research indicates our furry companions "have the same capacity to experience emotions, such as love and attachment, as humans." Something many of us could have told him without wasting time doing MRIs.  

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/opini ... =all&_r=1&

 I don't think this is a waste of time. Science provides the hard evidence, and we should never disparage that.

[Plu]

Anyways, what about every other animal?

Are dogs exceptional in this regard, or is this some kind of favoritism?

I suppose we are similar in how we socialize, I guess that's why dogs are so popular. We relate to them very well.

But that doesn't necessarily mean they are more like us in emotional capacity then any other animal, does it?

Dogs have been trained for thousands of years to socialise well with us, so that's probably where the favoritism comes from. Other animals don't really care for humans as much because they haven't been bred to do so.