Few things in life spark the imagination quite like the idea of being able to converse with organisms of a different species. (Just look at Hugh Lofting, who penned the much-loved Doctor Dolittle books based on that very premise.) We want to know if our pets think we are treating them well. We want to know if zoo animals are content with their captivity, or if they’d rather go back into the wild. We want to ask the predator why they hunt their prey, and if they feel at all sorry for doing so.
Unfortunately, anyone who has spent any time with an animal will tell you they don’t talk back. Sure, it may seem as though your puppy understands you when you order them to sit and they listen to you. However, that kind of understanding is merely Pavlovian; rather than grasping the true meaning behind your words, the puppy knows only that performing a specific action will result in their receiving a treat.
