This is why, when two subjects are raised simultaneously in the exact same environment, they tend to acquire the same pieces of information. For example, imagine raising two newborns — a baby and a puppy — in the same household. Every day, the baby experiences the same social dynamics: she hears her mother’s voice, sees the contours of her mother’s smile, feels the softness of her mother’s touch, tastes the blandness of her mother’s milk, and smells the aroma of her mother’s scent. She also subconsciously reacts to her surroundings — the temperature in the room, the sounds from the television, the smells from the kitchen, and the noises from her siblings. All these sensory interactions gradually become pieces of information. Her house, a closed environment, is the source of all her information. It is within this space that she becomes a whole person — a human being.

 

In the same house, the puppy is raised by the same people. He hears, smells, sees, and feels everything and everyone in the household. He also reacts to the temperature inside and outside the house, the sounds from the radio and television, the aromas from the kitchen, the taste of the food, and the energy within the family. Just like the baby, these experiences are stored in his memory. From the same environment, the dog too becomes a person — a human being in an animal suit.

 

When love and care are offered to the baby, the puppy feels them too. When both are placed in the same bed next to their owner, they experience the same comfort, protection, and affection. What the baby sees, smells, feels, and hears is mirrored by the puppy. When left in the garage overnight, both experience the same coldness, loneliness, and anxiety. Regardless of the situation, both beings undergo the same experiences — not because one is a puppy and the other a baby, but because they are shaped by the same environment.

 

When two species live in the same environment, they acquire the same information. The baby and the puppy absorb identical inputs because they are surrounded by the same objects and people. This shared information programs them to become similar creatures. Humans and animals may be different species, but when raised side by side in identical surroundings, they become strikingly similar in terms of emotions, intelligence, behavior, and health. In a controlled environment like a home, humans and animals grow to be emotionally, mentally, physically, and socially alike.

 

This is why we must be cautious when raising pets. One day, while working on experiments with my four-legged best friend, Zero, I had a sudden realization — a disturbing consequence that led me to stop humanizing him. I saw the possibility of raising a child in a cage — someone in an animal suit.

 

Of course, some may argue that a puppy is fundamentally different from a baby because a child’s brain is more complex. Yet this is a misconception. Why? Because the brain of a baby, much like that of a puppy, is not filled with information at birth. Information must be acquired, compared, codified, and transmitted before it becomes communal knowledge. The brain follows a process: acquisition, association, codification, and transmission. The idea that newborns are born with knowledge is false. Their minds are empty at birth.

 

Babies respond mechanically to inputs detected by their biological sensors — a form of sensory awareness. Their behaviors are triggered by their senses. These reactions are not instinctive or inborn, but learned. The first cry of a newborn is not instinct; it is a response to pain in the lungs caused by air rushing in or by physical stimulation. Crying, breathing, wiggling, and reflexes are not yet part of the child’s vocabulary. Like smelling, hearing, and seeing, these actions are triggered by sensory signals.

 

These responses take shape when matched to objects. For example, the touch of a mother becomes a physical tag of presence. “Mama” becomes a label for the mother. Crying becomes a label for “I want milk.” These physical connections eventually transform into abstract ideas as the baby matures. When a child learns to pair what they sense with what they find in their environment to express themselves, this transmission of information is known as communication.

 

Remember, the world existed before brains evolved. Information — in the form of objects — preceded humans. Without objects, information would not exist. These natural, inherent objects are the original providers that filled our empty minds. Without the outside world, the inner world of our brains would remain empty. Because Nature is the source of information, our sensors are able to discover it.

 

“Never ever humanize a dog — you might end up raising a kid in a cage.” ~ Joey Lawsin