Why do some people say animals don't make decisions

Humans naturally think that we are the most developed organism on earth in terms of intellect (which is true) compared to other animals. However, in many studies, it is shown that many animals, such as dogs and dolphins can think and learn (dogs don't learn to do tricks naturally, do they? Do dolphins naturally jump through loops in circus shows?) This automatically leads us to view animals as "sub species" without intellect. This is a very cruel and selfish thought, but fortunately there are many people who know that it is wrong to be so egocentric

A decision is choosing between two conflicting courses of action. It could be argued that in humans, there is a course of action directed by spiritual well being and another by physical well being, whereas in animals, there is only physical well being to consider, so there is no conflict.

This argument could be countered with the arguments that a) animals must still make decisions when the most physically beneficial course is not obvious, e.g. go outside and explore vs. stay inside in the warm, and b) it is not a given that animal don't have souls.

animals are not able to rationalize or think.... they follow their instincts....

If it targeted aim it reached.

The guy above is wrong. I have watched my dog problem solve..