Run out of treats for Fido? Take heart that he won’t judge you
DOG owners who run out of pet food or treats can take comfort from the fact they will not be judged by their pet.
A study has shown that they can distinguish between the intentions of their masters and act accordingly.
Dogs will, therefore, wait patiently for food or treats if they know their owner does not have any, yet will become irritable and anxious if they feel available snacks are being withheld.
In a study led by the University of Vienna, scientists tested 96 dogs to see if they were able to distinguish whether people were “unwilling” or “unable” to give them treats. Dogs and researchers were separated by a see-through wall, and the animals’ behaviour monitored when a treat was “accidently” dropped, preventing scientists from handing it over, or they were teased with a treat that was ultimately not given to them.
Dogs reacted more impatiently to unwillingness than inability, choosing to spend less time with “unwilling” humans, suggesting they were able to interpret why the humans were behaving in a certain way.
Writing in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B, the researchers concluded: “Interpreting others’ actions in terms of goals and intentions is fundamental for us humans to make sense of our social environment.
“Understanding intentions might be beneficial for nonhuman animals. Our results provide robust evidence that dogs distinguish between similar actions (leading to the same outcome) associated with different intentions.”
Previous research has shown that dogs can sense the emotions of their owners and will make a speedy effort to comfort them if they are upset.
Scientists at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, US, positioned 34 dogs behind a partially closed door. Their owners, on the other side, either hummed Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star or pretended to cry.
They found that though many of the dogs nosed the door open to seek out their owners, they did so three times more quickly when they thought they needed comforting.