Inside the Animal Mind

        Most of us have probably heard the saying a mans best friend. This refers to the unique dog human companionship that has lasted over 10,000 years. Unlike any other pet, it makes you wonder why.          Recent studies have figure out ways to put this question to the test. Miklósi  from  Eötvös Loránd  University lead a team of researchers in a study that found dogs have an innate instinct to look at and interpret  human faces. This not only suggests that dogs have developed unique relationship with humans with this innate instinct  but  it is also  a one of a kind opportunity to develop traits that go  along side this relationship.          Miklósi's  study looks at the different interactions  wolves and dogs have with humans and although many studies suggest wolves have many superiorities, this innate instinct dogs have to interact with the our gestur...

In class we read many articles and and chapters that compared humans to non-human animals, but instead of being engaged with the similarities and differences, the idea of understanding how humans and animals can live the same life in a variety of ways. Humans have adapted common views on what society should be and what it demands of those apart of it; a car for transportation versus public transportation, more grocery stores and organic options versus chain restaurants and fast food. Depending on where one lives, works, or is surrounded by dictates their necessities of life. This is similar to animals, they only grow their societies to match their needs of life. Animals such as ants, have demonstrated that mating, locating food, and managing "workers" can be done by simple animals. As mentioned in the video above, ants are simple animals able to perform complex concepts. Their mating varies from what humans are used to by the females being able to store the se...

Throughout this semester we have talked a lot about the different capabilities in the minds of animals. We have touched on such a variety of subjects including empathy, learning, time, etc. Across all of these we have had to step back and relook at studies because it is such an easy subject to be bias on. When we started this semester out, it was even difficult not to think of your own dogs and say "but they do know what time I come home" or "but they do know when I am sad" . It is difficult to change your entire perception on what animals, and pets, are.  For me, I had to focus on the fascinating parts of even the discouraging parts of this subject.  One of those was time. Remembering back we found that there is evidence of some animals showing time skills but the discouraging part was that our dogs could not quite tell time.  We want to think that our dogs know what time we come home and wait for us.  While this knocked our beloved dogs dow...