For 30,000 years, dogs have lived with humans (Fisher). At one time or another, many dog ​​owners have probably wondered what their dog thinks of them. After asking myself this question, I decided to do some research on the subject. Using brain MRIs, scientists have discovered exactly what dogs think about their owners. Dogs treat their owners like their parents. They rely more on their owners than on their own. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on “Why Violent Video Games Should Not Be Banned”? Get an original essay With almost 50% of Americans owning dogs, dogs have become part of our family (Fisher). Even scientists claim that dogs believe their owners are their parents. The relationship between dogs and their owners turns out to be similar to the relationship between children and their parents. Just as it is difficult to study humans, it is difficult to get a clear idea of ​​what dogs think. Every dog ​​is different, they have different personalities and attitudes and have grown up in different environments. A dog that grew up in an environment of violence and anger will most likely be aggressive. A dog that grew up in a loving home with a caring family will most likely be obedient and affectionate. Research on dogs is a luxury we have, so our information on the thought processes of dogs is very limited. I will mainly focus on what the most common dog may think of its owner. Scientists wanted to know if it was possible to see a dog's emotions using a brain scan. By observing a dog's emotions, it would help us determine what is going on in his mind. Scientists use an MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) machine to read the emotions a dog can process. This is the most effective and harmless way to examine a dog's brain. An MRI uses a magnetic field and radio waves to produce images of the inside of your body (Lam). An fMRI was used to measure the dog's responses (Fisher). FMRI is a technique used to map brain activity (Devlin). The images in the dog's brain would light up. The dogs were trained to stay still in an MRI machine, the same machines used for humans. It took about 2-3 months to train the first dog, until he was comfortable enough to continue the procedure (Worrall). It is a very intimidating process due to the loud noise, the shape of a small coffin, and the fact that the dogs must remain still for so long. These brain scans were carried out by a neuroscientist at Emory University. They scanned 62 dogs of 33 different breeds (April). Understanding a dog's emotional capacity will help us understand how a dog thinks about humans. At first, it was difficult for scientists to accept that dogs have feelings. Dogs and humans share the same brain structures that produce our emotions. We have the same hormones and undergo the same chemical changes (Fisher). Since dog brains are at most the size of a lemon, they don't contain as much information as ours (Worrall). When it comes to their emotional capacity, dogs relate more to toddlers. An adult dog has a mind equal to that of a child 2 to 2 1/2 years old (Fisher). Dogs also interact with their owners in the same way babies do with their parents. They both turn to their caregivers.