CBS Pet Project: The unique bond between dogs and humans
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The more we understand animals, and specifically our domestic animals, the better they will be treated. So, let's talk dogs.
Dogs have had a lot of research done about them in the last 15 years, probably more research than has been done in the last hundred years.
Over the around 30,000 years that dogs and people have evolved together, we have learned to not just co-exist but to love each other, to try to speak each other's language and dogs are doing a lot of that heavy lifting.
The book The Genius of Dogs says dogs and people are psychologically more related to one another than we are even psychologically related to primates.
What scientists have discovered is that dogs definitely show empathy: They'll yawn when you yawn, they know our moods, they react to them. And if we're smart, we react to them too.
Eye contact is another key factor that dogs are so remarkable at. Scientists say that dogs are the only non-primate animal that will make deliberate eye contact with people. Our shared looks, that shared brain chemistry, will increase that chemical that creates the bond with our animals.
And our dogs recognize pointing. They recognize gestures.
And, believe it or not, they even like our smell. In fact, apparently, dogs prioritize the smell of humans over all other smells.
Dogs' brains respond to crying and laughing and they can also learn words.
Border Collies are among the smartest breeds. They know a thousand words and could actually apply different words to different situations. Unbelievable.
Watch the entire interview and learn more in the stream above.