Dogs have long been portrayed as humanity's lovable best friends, and anyone who has a dog

knows that they're pretty smart, but are they smarter than other animals? What about in comparison to our

close evolutionary cousin, the chimpanzee? There's at least one thing dogs can do that chimps can't. Point your finger at a

hidden treat and a dog will immediately follow your cue. Human toddlers can do this, but adult

chimpanzees cannot. So what does psychology learn from researching this special skill? And what

can studying dog's evolutionary journey from wild wolves to domesticated pets

teach us about humanity's history?

Welcome to Speaking of Psychology, the flagship podcast of the American Psychological Association

that explores the connections between psychological science and everyday life.

I'm Kim Mills.

Our guest today is Dr. Brian Hare, a professor of evolutionary anthropology, psychology,

and neuroscience at Duke University. Dr. Hare also founded and co-directs the Duke Canine Cognition Center.

Together with his wife and research partner, Vanessa Woods, he recently published a book called Survival of the Friendliest, which lays out a theory of domestication on a broader scale.

They argue that humans, just like dogs, are domesticated animals, bred for friendliness.

Domestication causes distinct temperamental, physical, and cognitive changes that are as apparent

in humans as they are in dogs.

And domestication may be the key to our species evolutionary success and the reason

that Homo sapiens survived long after other early human species when extinct.

Welcome to speaking of psychology, Dr. Hare.

Kim, thank you so much.

Let's start with your research on dogs, which is where this all began.

You opened your latest book with an anecdote about your childhood dog, Oreo, and how he

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