5 Things You Can Learn From Your Pet

(Brain) Size Doesn’t Matter

My wife and I once had a parrot named Chicken who had a really small brain. And yet Chicken took great pleasure in humanlike activities, such as rearranging the cupboards. She was so clever—as most pets are. If you observe them, you’ll be reminded that even though people are smarter, we’re still just animals with all the same emotions, like anxiety and joy.

Nicholas Dodman is the director of the Animal Behavior Program at Tufts University, in North Grafton, Massachusetts, and the author of five books, including The Dog Who Loved Too Much.