Your dog can tell when someone is mean to you, and remember it, too
Man’s best friend is with us through us everything, and your dog can be a great judge of your friends. Dogs are special animals, but you probably already knew that. Even cheetahs love their doggo friends. And honestly, why not? Dogs even try and learn how to smile, so what’s not to love?!
And now a new study has given us another reason to love dogs. The study shows that basically, a dog can sense when someone isn’t very nice to their owner. And they remember it, too. Which makes your doggo friend even more loyal. Anyone who’s mean to you is going to have to fight your canine best friend. And that’s one battle they don’t want to get in.
Dogs love people, but just don’t be mean to their owner.
The Neuroscience and Biohavioural Reviews study shows that dogs can be forgiving of ignorance, but not straight-up rudeness. That, they don’t forgive. The study is simple. Dogs were put in four different cases. Two were your neutral cases, while the other two were variables. In each case, the dogs watched while their owner asked a researcher for help opening a jar.
In one case, the researcher helped the owner open the jar. The dogs apparently approved. And in the two neutral cases, the researcher didn’t help the owner open a jar. A jerky thing to do, but they didn’t refuse to help or anything. That, apparently, the dog was willing to forgive.
But when the researcher refused to help open the jar, well, that was different.
The dogs noticed, and clearly weren’t happy about it. In fact, when the researcher who refused to help their owner offered the dogs treats later, the dogs refused.
Some kind of party trick, right? Bring someone you’re not sure about home to meet your furry best friend and see how they react to them. It sure will save you a lot of time trying to figure out who your enemies are.