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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/mar/17/dogs-rights-canine-sentience-research
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| Dogs love us, says science – so we have to love them back | Dogs love us, says science – so we have to love them back |
| (1 day later) | |
| The park can be a dangerous place, and I’m not talking | The park can be a dangerous place, and I’m not talking |
| about vicious dogs. It’s the two-legged beasts you have to watch out for. | about vicious dogs. It’s the two-legged beasts you have to watch out for. |
| You don’t have to take my word for it: science says so, | You don’t have to take my word for it: science says so, |
| too. A recent series of studies | too. A recent series of studies |
| in the US suggest that dogs recognise kindness and give | in the US suggest that dogs recognise kindness and give |
| trust in return; that they experience emotions like love and attachment, like humans. | trust in return; that they experience emotions like love and attachment, like humans. |
| Unlike previous research into canine sentience, this time | Unlike previous research into canine sentience, this time |
| researchers were able to use an MRI. No mean feat when you remember that the | researchers were able to use an MRI. No mean feat when you remember that the |
| subject must be awake; you can’t map brain activity in an anesthetised dog. | subject must be awake; you can’t map brain activity in an anesthetised dog. |
| Uncomfortable as the scan is, even for humans, unrestrained dogs were trained to sit | Uncomfortable as the scan is, even for humans, unrestrained dogs were trained to sit |
| rock-still – and even more remarkably, this was achieved using only positive | rock-still – and even more remarkably, this was achieved using only positive |
| training methods based on trust. The dogs were treated as human children would | training methods based on trust. The dogs were treated as human children would |
| be: their owners had to sign a consent form to enable them to participate, and | be: their owners had to sign a consent form to enable them to participate, and |
| the dogs were allowed to leave if they wanted. | the dogs were allowed to leave if they wanted. |
| As if any further evidence was needed of the dogs’ | As if any further evidence was needed of the dogs’ |
| sentience, the scan enabled the researchers to map activity in the caudate | sentience, the scan enabled the researchers to map activity in the caudate |
| nucleus - that area of the brain where emotions can be measured in dogs as in | nucleus - that area of the brain where emotions can be measured in dogs as in |
| humans. They found that activity increased in response to hand signals | humans. They found that activity increased in response to hand signals |
| indicating food, smells of familiar dogs and people, and the return of a | indicating food, smells of familiar dogs and people, and the return of a |
| familiar human. A subsequent experiment showed activity increased when dogs | familiar human. A subsequent experiment showed activity increased when dogs |
| heard the voice of someone familiar (and no, not just the person who fed them). | heard the voice of someone familiar (and no, not just the person who fed them). |
| The inescapable conclusion, wrote one of the researchers, | The inescapable conclusion, wrote one of the researchers, |
| Gregory Burns, in an op-ed in the New York Times, was that “dogs are people, too”. | Gregory Burns, in an op-ed in the New York Times, was that “dogs are people, too”. |
| This will come as no surprise to dog lovers. We’ve always | This will come as no surprise to dog lovers. We’ve always |
| felt that, at some level, our dogs love us back. But it is evidence “we | felt that, at some level, our dogs love us back. But it is evidence “we |
| can no longer hide from”, wrote Burns. “Dogs, and probably many other | can no longer hide from”, wrote Burns. “Dogs, and probably many other |
| animals (especially our closest primate relatives) seem to have emotions just | animals (especially our closest primate relatives) seem to have emotions just |
| like us.” | like us.” |
| I wonder what the jogger would think. His mind seemed made | I wonder what the jogger would think. His mind seemed made |
| up about dogs and about his right to treat them how he wished. He’s not the | up about dogs and about his right to treat them how he wished. He’s not the |
| only one. Even in a supposedly dog-loving country like Australia, in which 40% | only one. Even in a supposedly dog-loving country like Australia, in which 40% |
| of households have a dog, many people treat them badly and think nothing of it – in research laboratories, in commercial breeding operations known as puppy | of households have a dog, many people treat them badly and think nothing of it – in research laboratories, in commercial breeding operations known as puppy |
| farms, at the dog racing track. Otherwise law-abiding people keep dogs chained, | farms, at the dog racing track. Otherwise law-abiding people keep dogs chained, |
| leave them alone in apartments, or abandon them when they are deemed too | leave them alone in apartments, or abandon them when they are deemed too |
| difficult. Then they’re put down at the pound because people prefer to get a | difficult. Then they’re put down at the pound because people prefer to get a |
| dog from a puppy farm by way of a pet shop. | dog from a puppy farm by way of a pet shop. |
| Of course, dog lovers have minor victories. Look at the good news story of Sochi’s | Of course, dog lovers have minor victories. Look at the good news story of Sochi’s |
| strays. Sentenced by the city to be culled in the leadup to the winter | strays. Sentenced by the city to be culled in the leadup to the winter |
| Olympics, their plight caused outrage on social media and many were rescued. | Olympics, their plight caused outrage on social media and many were rescued. |
| Some were adopted, others housed in a newly built shelter. It was a kind | Some were adopted, others housed in a newly built shelter. It was a kind |
| response to what is a worldwide epidemic, estimates putting the global number of stray | response to what is a worldwide epidemic, estimates putting the global number of stray |
| dogs at about 300 million. | dogs at about 300 million. |
| Social media can’t solve a problem that big; they can’t | Social media can’t solve a problem that big; they can’t |
| all be adopted. There needs to be | all be adopted. There needs to be |
| a sea change in the way we think about dogs. Sporadic waves of sentiment aren’t | a sea change in the way we think about dogs. Sporadic waves of sentiment aren’t |
| enough. | enough. |
| That’s why the latest research is so important. If Canis | That’s why the latest research is so important. If Canis |
| lupus familiaris can be shown to have emotions, and a level of sentience | lupus familiaris can be shown to have emotions, and a level of sentience |
| comparable to that of a human child, there is a moral imperative to reassess | comparable to that of a human child, there is a moral imperative to reassess |
| how they are treated under law. | how they are treated under law. |
| “We must reconsider their treatment as | “We must reconsider their treatment as |
| property,” says Burns. | property,” says Burns. |
| Dogs are not property. They are loyal, loving companions | Dogs are not property. They are loyal, loving companions |
| who reward kindness and consistency with devoted service. WH Auden was | who reward kindness and consistency with devoted service. WH Auden was |
| right: “In dark hours their silence may be of more help than many | right: “In dark hours their silence may be of more help than many |
| two-legged comforters.” That gives them a special place in our lives and | two-legged comforters.” That gives them a special place in our lives and |
| the right not to be abandoned, enslaved, demonised, turned into vicious guards | the right not to be abandoned, enslaved, demonised, turned into vicious guards |
| or even treated as fashion accessories. (Auden noted the debasement of dogs by | or even treated as fashion accessories. (Auden noted the debasement of dogs by |
| “those who crave a querulous permanent baby or a little detachable | “those who crave a querulous permanent baby or a little detachable |
| penis.”) | penis.”) |
| They deserve respect. And their rights are not lesser | They deserve respect. And their rights are not lesser |
| rights, separate from human rights; giving dogs the protection they | rights, separate from human rights; giving dogs the protection they |
| deserve adds to our humanity. As Ghandi said, it’s an indicator of a nation’s | deserve adds to our humanity. As Ghandi said, it’s an indicator of a nation’s |
| moral progress. | moral progress. |
| Burns suggests a legal guardianship of dogs to replace | Burns suggests a legal guardianship of dogs to replace |
| ownership. Such a reclassification would provide dogs with a much greater right | ownership. Such a reclassification would provide dogs with a much greater right |
| to protection and could become the legal underpinning of stricter regulation | to protection and could become the legal underpinning of stricter regulation |
| over their use in research, racing and breeding; harsher penalties for abuse; | over their use in research, racing and breeding; harsher penalties for abuse; |
| and more protection for strays. | and more protection for strays. |
| Several US cities, | Several US cities, |
| including Los Angeles, have already enacted laws that require pet shops to source dogs | including Los Angeles, have already enacted laws that require pet shops to source dogs |
| from shelters rather than puppy farms. That would be a good place for | from shelters rather than puppy farms. That would be a good place for |
| Australia to start. | Australia to start. |
| And more such reform must follow. If dogs are people, they | And more such reform must follow. If dogs are people, they |
| must have rights too. | must have rights too. |
| This article was amended on 18 March 2014. In the editing process, “dog park” was changed to park. In a dog park, dogs are allowed to roam free. |