We kid ourselves in thinking that we can figure out what our pets are thinking. Subtle cues--the only kind we have without language--lead us to make guesses about what's on the dog's mind. Or the cat's.
Gregory Berns is far beyond guessing. He's figured out a way to scan the brains of dogs in real time, so he can say with some authority at least which PARTS of a dog's brain get active.
Dr. Berns wrote several books, including What It's Like to Be a Dog. He visited in 2017, and we fetch the interview from the archives.