Synopses & Reviews
The powerful bond between humans and dogs is one that's uniquely cherished. Loyal, obedient, and affectionate, they are truly “man's best friend.” But do dogs love us the way we love them? Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using MRI imaging technology to study how the human brain works, but a different question still nagged at him:
What is my dog thinking? After his family adopted Callie, a shy, skinny terrier mix, Berns decided that there was only one way to answer that question — use an MRI machine to scan the dogs brain. His colleagues dismissed the idea. Everyone knew that dogs needed to be restrained or sedated for MRI scans. But if the military could train dogs to operate calmly in some of the most challenging environments, surely there must be a way to train dogs to sit in an MRI scanner.
With this radical conviction, Berns and his dog would embark on a remarkable journey and be the first to glimpse the inner workings of the canine brain. Painstakingly, the two worked together to overcome the many technical, legal, and behavioral hurdles. Berns's research offers surprising results on how dogs empathize with human emotions, how they love us, and why dogs and humans share one of the most remarkable friendships in the animal kingdom.
How Dogs Love Us answers the age-old question of dog lovers everywhere and offers profound new evidence that dogs should be treated as we would treat our best human friends: with love, respect, and appreciation for their social and emotional intelligence.
Synopsis
A neuroscientist finally and definitively answers the age-old question: What is my dog thinking?
Synopsis
Emory University neuroscientist Gregory Berns had spent decades using imaging technology to study how the human brain works. That changed when he and his family adopted Callie, a shy, skinny terrier mix, who inspired Berns to tackle the question: "What is my dog thinking?" Berns learned that military working dogs operate calmly in the most challenging environments, leading to a radical notion: Would it be possible to train dogs to hold completely still in an MRI scanner? If so, it might be possible to see how the canine brain actually works. Berns's colleagues dismissed the idea; everyone knew that dogs needed to be restrained or sedated for MRI scans. Berns refused to do either — instead, he painstakingly trained the dogs to sit still even though it meant overcoming many administrative, technical, legal, and behavioral hurdles. The initial findings offer tantalizing evidence on how dogs empathize with human emotions, how they love us, and why being the "pack leader" with your dogs, as some experts suggest, is a mistake.
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About the Author
Gregory Berns, M.D., Ph.D., is the Distinguished Professor of Neuroeconomics at Emory University. Dr. Berns's research is frequently the subject of popular media coverage, including articles in the New York Times and the Wall Street Journal.
Table of Contents
Prologue: Dress Rehearsal xii1. Dia de los Muertos 1
2. What Its Like to Be a Dog 13
3. A Fishing Expedition 21
4. Puppy Steps 31
5. The Scanner Dilemma 41
6. Resonant Dogs 48
7. Lawyers Get Involved 56
8. The Simulator 68
9. Basic Training 75
10. The Stand-In 87
11. The Carrot or the Stick? 97
12. Dogs at Work 105
13. The Lost Wedding Ring 114
14. Big Questions 125
15. Dog Day Afternoon 134
16. A New World 150
17. Peas and Hot Dogs 158
18. Through a Dogs Eyes 168
19. Eureka! 179
20. Does My Dog Love Me? 186
21. Whats That Smell? 195
22. First Friend 206
23. Lyra 215
24. What Dogs Are Really Thinking 225
Epilogue 234
Notes 241
Acknowledgments 247