Scientist says new research proves 'dogs are people too'

I don't know about dogs being people. but SnF for a great video

reply to post by hknudzkknexnt


What is interesting is that both cats and dogs have their own language, a lot of it is body language and tonal, but at any rate, I know that when the dog leans forward with his butt in the air, he wants to play, and when the dog waves his two front feet at you while sitting on his hiney it means he loves you.

I think only small dogs can do that last one?

i argued quite a bit with my sociology teacher about dogs, or any non-human, having emotions.

she stated all non-humans operated off instinct.

i vociferously disagreed.

i consider animals like dogs to have the same mind as a two year old human. and until around three, humans respond very well to dog training techniques. ( they both really like fetch, btw).

Good news everyone! Dogs are people too.

reply to post by teslahowitzer


Good story!
Like Alvin the chipmunk

My cat uses the toilet
One night he had to get locked in my bedroom with me. I said if you need to go, use the toilet.
He did!! I could t believe it.

'people are dogs too' would seem a more appropriate title reflecting the state of the world we live in today.

Dogs are even rappers, too!

reply to post by Phage


A lot of people do things similar to rolling in foul smelling substances, eating nastiness most people won't touch, and chasing things endlessly like they're half looney.

Dogs and people just chase and eat and roll in different things, and that is the way of most species.

I have a dog that answers me when I ask her if she's OK, she replies with Mm Hmm. Really.

I wouldn't say dogs are people too, not to come across negative or anything, but if I were a dog I suppose it would be an insult.

reply to post by stormson


I have a dog (the rat terrier that is...somethings wrong with her, its hard to say. She isn't bright at all.

Anyway, her behavior when she isn't around a human is wholly different. With humans around she is very timid and scared. Even with us. We have had her since she was a pup, and no one around us has ever done anything abusive to our dogs. So i don't know why she is like that....but she isn't quite shaped right either, and she sometimes can't hold her bladder (which causes her even more shame like behavior).

But you get her out in the yard with either just her or with the other dog....and she comes alive. The only other time i ever see her eyes light up is when she is being given fresh meat or cheese. You can see that there are instincts inside that are very powerful. And they take over.

Sometimes when the doxy is nipping at her wanting to play, she'll just take off running, weaving and maneuvering to get away. She is exceptionally fast (very long legs like a greyhound) and the poor doxys legs get tangled up just trying to keep up.

She socializes poorly....but has strong instinctive response.

I have bred dogs for years and observed the development of their individual personalities from birth to old age.
Mean dogs are the product of mean and neglectful people, they are a product of their environment as is any other species.
Mean people are the product of the same abuse and neglect at the hands of other mean and neglectful people.
Mean people are mostly the product of neglect and deprivation, many people don't even realize they're actually kinda mean, because the bible tells them they're not.....haw.
I have seen these parallels in canine and human behavior after digesting the things they tried to teach me in college when I was too young and inexperienced to actually understand what it was they were blabbering about in lecture.
Anyway....
Many will argue that people are smarter than dogs, but people are products of their training and conditioning as is any other species. You are born with an empty head, a lot was put there by someone else in early life, experience makes you the person that you become later in life. Knowledge gained later in life filters through the things you were taught and led to believe in childhood. Dogs are the same way.

Dogs live in the present, they're smart enough not to get themselves into debt for stuff they don't even really need, you can learn a lot from a dummy.

For all the slow thinkers worldwide only humans are people. Animals no matter how much we like them are still animals. Just as someone born male will always be male and someone born female will always be female, animals will always be animals. Constants don't change because of people's feelings period.

I know for a fact that 2 and 3 year old children love to chase a laser light every bit as much as a cat or dog. To me it signifies curiousity and possibly "play", we all like to be entertained.

reply to post by tmeister182

People are in the same position as animals, being a part of and product of their environment.

The only difference between animals and people is the fact that people exploit their environment to destruction, to the destruction of other species, and ultimately themselves.

People are like addicts to a drug or substance that does grave harm to their bodies which will eventually destroy and kill them, they just keep abusing everything to the point at which it is no longer useful to anything.

Somewhere along the line people arrogantly began to assume they were superior to animals, but I don't see animals exploiting their environment to the point of destruction, which leads me to believe that maybe people are the stupid ones.

I used to assume, but now I see something I would rather not.

People who assume they are superior to anything else are the problem.

reply to post by hknudzkknexnt


My pups are my connection with reality they ground me, something a human has never done so the idea that someone says they are like humans worries me a little, I would just soon they stay within the animal kingdom.

I know your putting this in a good light where love and affection are concerned. I have never doubted the unconditional love my pups have for me.........I only hope they know the same about how I care for them.

What a horrible article.

Why mix science with such a false sensational headline as to make this article a big laughing joke?

Sure animals can " feel". Do they have feelings like humans do? No one knows. Does this make a pet " Human" Hell No silly Rabbit! Tricks are for kids and this article is full of tricks.

Sure my cats and dogs love me but they are " Dumb" animals no matter smart they seem to be to you and me. Equating animals with Humans is Dead Wrong on so many levels, These people should be removed from science entirely. Things like this sends confusing signals to young children. No wonder our kids are stupid with such bad science articles being written.

reply to post by hknudzkknexnt


Of course dogs are people too!

Not in the biological sense but yeah they're people.

I have three pugs and they are so well versed in the English language that my husband and I have to spell out words many times because they're such spoiled brats. We have to keep secrets from them.

Dogs are one of the only animals other than humans that when you point your finger at an object they will look at the object and not at your finger and understand that you want them to do something with it.

Dogs understand us better than chimps, scientists say

My elderly pug Elvis gets his feelings hurt very easily, he's a sensitive old fella. The youngest of our pugs Penelope knows she's the youngest and uses it to her advantage just like my youngest human daughter did when she was growing up. Penelope acts exactly like the youngest child of the family and Belle the middle pug acts exactly like a middle child, It's crazy.

reply to post by hknudzkknexnt


Well I could of told you that.
Dogs have been with humans for so long that they've evolved to interact with humans.

go figure. when man is gone and dogs evolve.... will they worship us as gods?

JohnPhoenix
What a horrible article.

Why mix science with such a false sensational headline as to make this article a big laughing joke?

Sure animals can " feel". Do they have feelings like humans do? No one knows. Does this make a pet " Human" Hell No silly Rabbit! Tricks are for kids and this article is full of tricks.

Sure my cats and dogs love me but they are " Dumb" animals no matter smart they seem to be to you and me. Equating animals with Humans is Dead Wrong on so many levels, These people should be removed from science entirely. Things like this sends confusing signals to young children. No wonder our kids are stupid with such bad science articles being written.

Perhaps you miss the greater point: to extend the same empathy you do to humans to other animals as well.

I don't think that is so hard to do. Afterall, saying "Dogs are people too" really means, "Dogs have feelings too".

I, and I'm sure many others, didn't need brain scans to tell me that dogs can recognize 'their humans' and have positive feelings for them...that doesn't make them people, however. That's a very low criteria for personhood. Dolphins may actually be non-human people, though.

What is the distinction between a person and an animal?
Cuz I sure as hell don't see one.

PEOPLE ARE ANIMALS. We just have slightly better reasoning abilities, more elaborate means of vocalization, and opposable thumbs.
Other than that there is no difference in my eyes.
We adapt extremely well. We have to, cuz strictly speaking, our bodies are very weak.

A wolf can run at full speed for 12 miles. That's amazing. There is NO physical ability humans have that can compete with that. So, to survive, we developed better brains.