I'd agree that some pets do this.

But dogs are genetically predisposed to certain behaviors that make their interactions with humans unique.

A wolf, for example, won't look to a human's eyes to try to determine what the human is looking at.

A wolf will not follow a human's finger to try to figure out what the human is gesturing to.

Dogs, however, are hardwired to do so. There is something about the domestication of dogs that makes them more inclined to human interaction. They will automatically behave in certain ways around humans that other, tamed animals would not.

Hell, even their gut bacteria is naturally better suited to help them digest human food. They are able to digest carbohydrates that wolves can't. They still have a preference for meat-based diets, but a dog can survive just fine on a diet made of grains. This, like their ability to interact with humans in a higher level, is likely the result of tens of thousands of years of co-habitation with humans.

Lastly, one only needs to look at a hunting dog to realize how genetic a lot of the behavior is. My last dog was a show-dog pedigree. She wouldn't retrieve a dead bird to save her life. My current dog sniffed out her first pheasant wing after literally 3 tries.

A tiny-ass puppy with a hunting dog pedigree, was automatically sniffing around for a pheasant wing within 10 minutes of trying to train her.

Once she was old enough to actually hunt, she picked up the hang of it within about 45 minutes of watching the other dogs go to work. This kind of drive to work is indicative that the dog is doing more than just trying to get attention or please the owner. She lived to hunt. When she needed directions to the bird, she'd look back for oral and gestured directions to help her head in the right direction.

The capacity to work as a team like this, with minimal training, has to mean the dog is more than just rolling over for a treat.

But alas, she's old now and retired.