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Another important sense at which canines or perhaps even felines excel over humans is the sense of smell. Has anyone researched how long dogs retain the sense of, or memory of, a smell from the past?

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Not surprising, but interesting the respectful way the study seems to have been conducted - at least foregoing abusive techniques. But still present are the ubiquitous assumptions humans make about animals lacking these abilities and needing to prove that they have them (or, as researchers put it, "may possibly have."

Psychological research with humans focuses on when and how these abilities manifest, at different ages and developmental stages, with the goal of establishing "norms" against which to measure variation. We still haven't arrived at a point where we look at variation itself in a positive, or even neutral, light. Our concentration on measuring abilities is tied to our species hubris, and our anxiety about maintaining an undisputed supremacy. We might well see more if our eyes and minds were more open to diversity and less obsessed with rank and hierarchy.

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I don't think this comes as a huge surprise to many of us who share our lives with dogs. I'm glad science is catching up to what many of us who consider our dogs (and other pets) to be members of our family have known (or at least suspected) for quite some time.

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