Undecided

Wagreflex is an excellent resource for understanding pets.  Granted that the contributors have a very dim  view of the intelligence of animals (which is not to say that they think animals are stupid, but they have a very… I’m sure they would say “realistic” view of what animals understand.  And frankly, I find myself in agreement with them often.)

I would liken a dog or cat to (at best) a 5 year old.  Certain things they understand by instinct (much more than a human child will understand by instinct), but other things they have to learn through trial and error, and lacking a common language, it’s a lot more error than you might have with a child.

Enter the Ten Things Every Dog Owner Should Know list from Wagreflex.  In summary:

1. A dog is a dog.  They are smart and can learn, but they don’t think like humans and you do a disservice to them to treat them as humans.
2. All dogs think in terms of the pack.  As a dog owner, it’s your job to be the pack leader.  Dogs are ill equipped to be the alpha where man is concerned.  They cannot effectively communicate to us their orders and they cannot (with the exception of some dogs which are in danger ouf being put to sleep for trying to) dominate anyone.  A dog owner however is well equipped to be the Alpha of the pack.
3. Dogs don’t understand English. Understand how a dog communicates so that you don’t send mixed signals.
4. Dogs are not spiteful.  Dogs act out because of bordom or fear.  The reason a dog will not obey is because (a) it does not consider you a superior within the pack heirarchy, (b) it does not understand you, or (c) it’s stressed or afraid.
5. What makes some dogs aggressive? Fight or flight instinct caused by the unknown.  No breed is more agressive than any other, only our perception of it’s agressiveness is different based on the size of the dog and the dogs potential to do harm.
6. Body language is the dog’s primary mode of communication.  How you respond physically is as important or more important than what you say and how you say it.  If you push a dog away after they jump on you, they may interpret this as playful behavior.  (The author doesn’t suggest this, but I would instead suggest that you order them to sit and stay, in a firm but even voice, to indicate the behavior is not acceptable.  No reward necessary for responding to your instructions, in this case you’re not trying to teach them to sit and stay before playing, nor do you want them to think that the result of them jumping on you and then sitting is that you’ll play with them.)
7. You can teach an old dog new tricks. Dogs cannot think, but they can learn.
8. Bad behaviors may be natural, but they do not have to be normal. By correcting a dog instantly and firmly when it expresses undesired behavior, and reinforcing behavior that you consider good, you can teach your pet to associate desired behavior with praise and rewards and bad behavior with reprimands. 
9. What is the right way to discipline a dog?  Your hands should always be associated with gentleness and pleasure (scratching, rubbing, playing, etc.)  Never use your hands to punish.  Always catch the dog in the act and deliver the reprimand immediately.  Don’t wait, and don’t reprimand for something that is not fresh in the dogs mind (either thinking about doing it right now, or doing it.)  When you cannot catch the dog doing something it shouldn’t, you can set the dog up for failure and then correct them (this seems spiteful in human thinking, but a dog won’t reason that it was set up, nor will it think bad of you for fair and firm discipline.  Remember the pack mentality.)  Discipline is not abuse, it’s part of establishing your place within the pack.
10. Do dogs sense the world differently than humans? Yes.  They have a much strong sense of smell and hearing than humans do.  Also, while their visual accuity is good, it’s not as rich as a humans, but they have better night vision than a human does.  (I’m not sure how the original author knows that a dog cannot see color.)

I think I disagree with #4 as a blanket statement, but I think it’s a fair generalization.  I know some animals who will continue to do things that they shouldn’t for reasons that only make sense if you consider them spiteful.  I can understand chewing your shoe when you take a two week vacation and the dog misses you and your smell, but when you’re there daily and they destroy furniture, etc.  It just doesn’t make a lot of sense.  It also doesn’t make a lot of sense when a dog can hold their waste eliminations when enclosed in a car or carry bag, but leave their waste at the foot of your bed on a regular basis (despite the fact that when you catch them, you reprimand and then bring them to where they should go and praise them there to reinforce positive behavior and discourage negative behavior.)

I think that animals are definitely different from humans and definitely operate on different rules, but I think it’s equally a mistake to completely absolve them of all forms of human like behavior.