I had a question about our furry and lovable friends, the ones we share our lives, food, and homes with– dogs. How do dogs view their humans? Are we part of the pack, food dispensers, captors, or family?
In a neuroimaging study, it was found that dogs don’t only like us for our food. We love our animals, and so we want that love reciprocated. In this study, “Brain Scans Reveal What Dogs Really Think of Us”, researchers discovered that “not only do dogs seem to love us back, they actually see us as their family. It turns out that dogs rely on humans more than they do their own kind for affection, protection, and everything in between.’ Reassuring to say the least. The researchers provided dogs with their owner’s scent and the scents of other people and animals and analyzed the resulting images of the neuro activity. “The scientists found that dog owners’ aroma actually sparked activation in the “reward center” of their brains, called the caudate nucleus. Of all the wafting smells to take in, dogs actually prioritized the hint of humans over anything or anyone else.” It is interesting to think that man’s best friend has mutual feelings for man.
