5 Things Dogs And Humans Have In Common

We all know dogs are special creatures, with traits that set them apart in the animal kingdom. They have an incredible and long evolving history around people. But there are a number of things us humans actually have in common with our four legged friends. Though they may view the world very differently, we rarely think about the ways that dogs are just like us. Here are 5 things that dogs and humans have in common.

1. Dogs Feel & Show Emotions

Just like us, dogs experience emotions such as fear, excitement, love, anger and sadness. In the past we may not have appreciated or understood this the way we do today, but the fact is dogs are sentient beings with feelings quite similar to our own. They experience anxiety, they can feel happy, sad, angry. They can be jealous, or feel loss and even mourn a person or another animal. Emotions and feelings are a huge similarity and one that makes our unmatched connection with dogs that much stronger. 

2. Dogs Are At Least As Intelligent As A Toddler

There are many studies showing that a dog's intelligence and problem solving abilities are higher than we previously thought. Not only can they understand us cognitively but they can even understand very simple math. Intelect can vary of course by breed, with border collies being at the top and poodles a close second. Just goes to show, you shouldn't underestimate how much your pup actually understands. 

3. Dogs Understand Tone And Body Language

Dogs are incredibly great at understanding body language, perhaps even more keenly than humans. Though dogs don't have the ability to be vocal, they use body language as their primal way to comunicate both with us and the world at large. They pay keen attention to cues and assess accordingly. This is one of the things that not only do we share with them but in which we appreciate greatly. It can come in handy, especially for working dogs, such as emotional support dogs or guide dogs. This is proof that they have not only similar abilities but even some superior skills.

4. Your Dog Understands You When You Talk (with limits)

Ever wonder what goes on in your dog's head? Do they cognitvely understand what we are saying to them? The answer is yes, to a degree. The average dog can understand up to around 165 words, which is still somewhat impressive. Dogs in the 20% higher intellect percentage, such as border collies, are more in the range of understanding up to 250 words. There has even been a specific case of a border collie named Chaser, who was found to understand over 1000 words. Now that's one smart doggo!

5. Dogs Actually Have A Sense Of Time

You may have thought that dogs cannot comprehend time at all but the truth is it's a little more complicated than that. There is research showing that they understand time, but more so in intrivals. A dog may comprehend time as in the way their day would periodically go. Though they cannot possibly understand how a clock works, there are other ways that for them, time can be perceived, such as routine and times of day (morning, noon, night). Though they cannot understand it on a more specific level, dogs, like humans do, possess a sense of time.

 So perhaps in knowing our commonalities, we can look at our four legged companions in a new light and appreciate them that much more. 

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