➢ Recognizing that human behavior is worth watching.
➢ Surmising that not all humans act similarly.
➢ Guaging the difference between a request and a demand.
➢ Acting appropriately when given the chance.
All of these thinking behaviors are on display with this study I read in Discover magazine concerning dogs.
This is the heading and the byline:
Man’s Best Friends Know Who Their Best Friends Are
Dogs can help themselves by deciphering humans’ social interactions.
The study that was set up had a dog looking on while one human (without a sausage) approached other humans (with a sausage) and requested a bite. Some of those humans would share and others would not.
When released, the dogs would request bites from the humans who were willing to share five times as often as they would bother requesting bites from the humans who did not share with other humans.
There is a video you will want to check out. The two dogs in it did not even bother looking at the ungenerous human. Plus they are ever so sweet in requesting a sausage.
Dogs know us and love us. We are very lucky. I know there are more ‘thinking behaviors’ in these study actions than the ones listed above. Help me out with that list because the next person who tells me that animals only behave instinctively will have it handed to him/her!
. . . not only are we all ‘connected’; we are all ‘one’?! (thanks Joyce for all You do help us ‘remember’!)
I feel that our ‘times are a changin’ and that people are more open now than ever to consider other explanations. And, the enthusiasts are helping to spread the message, but this time, the audience is much more receptive. Thank you, Wally.
Hi, Joyce,
This isn’t in the video clip.
We have 2 dogs and a cat. The cat, Jazz, gets along very well with one dog, Cookie, but not so much the other, Bruce. She exerts her dominance by blocking narrow passages, like the landing at the bottom of the stairs, and won’t let Bruce pass without a swipe at him. One day, Bruce came down the stairs and Jazz leaped to the landing to prevent his exit. Bruce stopped, cocked his head, considered the situation, turned around on the stairs, and BACKED down, making a K turn at the bottom so Jazz couldn’t slap his face.
I laughed until I cried. Bruce has always been a “thinker.”
Wow…yes, animals can plan and isn’t that part of our thinking process. Great observation on your part to see just that.
That is brilliant…I LOVE it!!!!