Science Says Dogs are People Too

[kibbleforlola]

A group of scientists have spent the last several years training dogs to go into an MRI machine unsedated, so they could scan their brain activity. And the conclusion they've come to is: dogs are people, too.

By looking directly at their brains and bypassing the constraints of behaviorism, M.R.I.’s can tell us about dogs’ internal states. M.R.I.’s are conducted in loud, confined spaces. People don’t like them, and you have to hold absolutely still during the procedure. Conventional veterinary practice says you have to anesthetize animals so they don’t move during a scan. But you can’t study brain function in an anesthetized animal. At least not anything interesting like perception or emotion.

From the beginning, we treated the dogs as persons. We had a consent form, which was modeled after a child’s consent form but signed by the dog’s owner. We emphasized that participation was voluntary, and that the dog had the right to quit the study. We used only positive training methods. No sedation. No restraints. If the dogs didn’t want to be in the M.R.I. scanner, they could leave. Same as any human volunteer.

Although we are just beginning to answer basic questions about the canine brain, we cannot ignore the striking similarity between dogs and humans in both the structure and function of a key brain region: the caudate nucleus.
...
But the caudate may be an exception. Specific parts of the caudate stand out for their consistent activation to many things that humans enjoy. Caudate activation is so consistent that under the right circumstances, it can predict our preferences for food, music and even beauty.

In dogs, we found that activity in the caudate increased in response to hand signals indicating food. The caudate also activated to the smells of familiar humans. And in preliminary tests, it activated to the return of an owner who had momentarily stepped out of view. Do these findings prove that dogs love us? Not quite. But many of the same things that activate the human caudate, which are associated with positive emotions, also activate the dog caudate. Neuroscientists call this a functional homology, and it may be an indication of canine emotions.

But now, by using the M.R.I. to push away the limitations of behaviorism, we can no longer hide from the evidence. Dogs, and probably many other animals (especially our closest primate relatives), seem to have emotions just like us. And this means we must reconsider their treatment as property.
...

If we went a step further and granted dogs rights of personhood, they would be afforded additional protection against exploitation. Puppy mills, laboratory dogs and dog racing would be banned for violating the basic right of self-determination of a person.

I know I quoted a lot, but picking which parts of the article I wanted to share was difficult! I suggest going and reading the whole thing. He makes a compelling argument connecting the ability to feel emotions and sentience, and why this means we can't feign ignorance to animal suffering anymore. We need to rethink animal treatment based on scientific evidence that dogs are people, too.

ETA: Whoops, I forgot to link the article. http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/06/opinion/sunday/dogs-are-people-too.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&

 

[ledboots]

I want them to do pigs. Cuz they are people too and are eaten.

 

[Dedalus]

I want them to do pigs. Cuz they are people too and are eaten.

...and treated to a horrible, miserable life while waiting to die.

 

[Wolfie]

It's an insult to both dogs and pigs to call them people.

 

[kibbleforlola]

It's an insult to both dogs and pigs to call them people.

Point: missed.

 

[Wolfie]

Joke: Learn how to take one.