I love cats too, you know I do, but those sweet babies can't match a good dog's intelligence, sensitivity, desire to please. Behavioral scientists have discovered that dogs' brains reaction most similarly to humans'.
In a 2015 study that analyzed canine brain activity, animal cognition scientists at Emory University found that dog owners aroma actually sparked activation in the reward center of their brains, called the caudate nucleus. Of all the wafting smells to take in, dogs actually prioritized the hint of humans over anything or anyone else, reported Mic.
This supported the results of a 2014 study that found dog brains are actually wired to pick up on the subtle emotional differences in human vocalizations. They dont just seem to pick up on the fact that youre angry or sad, they can actually tell the difference between your sighs and utterances, with each one causing a different reaction in their brain.
Attila Andics, a neuroscientist and lead author of the 2014 study, pointed out several other dog behaviors that provide big clues as to how they view our role in their world:
dogs interact with their human caregivers in the same way babies do their parents. When dogs are scared or worried, they run to their owners, just as distressed toddlers make a beeline for their parents
Dogs are also the only non-primate animal to look people in the eyes. This is a unique behavior between dogs and humans dogs seek out eye contact from people, but not their biological dog parents.
http://www.care2.com/greenliving/we-treat-pets-like-kids-but-do-they-think-of-us-as-parents.html#ixzz4B45AAmKz