Dogs Truly See Their Humans as the Most Important Part of Their World

Dogs truly see their humans as the most important part of their world. According to neuroscientist Gregory Berns at Emory University, brain scans of awake dogs showed that their reward centers lit up most strongly when they smelled the scent of their owner. In the study called Scent of the Familiar, dogs were exposed to different odors including those of familiar humans, unfamiliar humans, familiar dogs and unfamiliar dogs.

The scans revealed that the caudate nucleus, the part of the brain linked to pleasure and reward, responded most intensely to the smell of their owner. According to ScienceDaily, this response was even stronger than when dogs smelled food, which is remarkable given how much dogs love to eat. The findings suggest that dogs neurologically associate their humans with positive reinforcement and emotional reward, much like people react emotionally to the scent of loved ones.

Brainy Monkey | February 2, 2026

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