Because dogs navigate the world through their noses, the way they process smell offers a lot of potential insight into social behavior. Animal cognition scientists at Emory University trained dogs to lie still in an MRI machine and used fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) to measure their neural responses to the smell of people and dogs, both familiar and unknown. The most direct dog brain-based evidence that they are hopelessly devoted to humans comes from a recent neuroimaging study about odor processing in the dog brain. It turns out that dogs rely on humans more than they do their own kind for affection, protection and everything in between.

And what the studies show is welcome news for all dog owners: Not only do dogs seem to love us back, they actually see us as their family. That's right - scientists are actually studying the dog brains. Thanks to recent developments in brain imaging technology, we're starting to get a better picture of the happenings inside the canine cranium. But since dogs can't tell us what's going on inside their furry heads, can we ever be sure?ДЄctually, yes. Today, dogs are a fixture in almost 50% of American households.ДЇrom the way dogs thump their tails, invade our laps and steal our pillows, it certainly seems like they love us back. In the 30,000 years humans and dogs have lived together, man's best friend has only become a more popular and beloved pet.

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