Your Enemies are your Dog’s Enemies – Science

As cliché as it may sound, it is believed that a dog is a man’s best friend. In one recent study, this

belief has been validated. Based on a research published in Animal Behavior, it has been

emphasized that the dogs will treat badly the enemies of their owners. Therefore, if you are mean

to other people, expect their dogs to be mean to you as well. This study from the Kyoto

University has reinforced claims with regards to how dogs have a deep connection with their

owners.

According to Kazuo Fujita, one of the researchers from Kyoto, dogs function similar to humans

when it comes to their emotions and evaluations. This is indicative of the ability of the dogs to

co-operate socially.

Coming up with this conclusion involved a rigorous study, which gives a solid basis for the

findings that have been specified. Throughout the duration of the research, 18 dogs have been the

subject and they are separated in three groups. All of the groups involved a dog, an owner and

two strangers. In one group, the owner asked for help from a stranger, but the stranger refused to

extend a helping hand. In another group, the owner asked for help and received the assistance

that was sought. In the last group, the stranger did not have any interaction with the dog owner.

Based on the findings, the dogs did not accept food that was offered by the stranger who refused

to assist their owner. Rather, they prefer taking food from the person who have not had any form

of interaction with the owner.

One of the most significant implications of this research from Kyoto University is that dogs have

the ability to make social and emotional evaluations. The dogs are not acting out of self-interest.

They behave in accordance to what they believe is going to be best for their owners, which is

why they tend to snub the subjects who failed to help the owners.

In the same research, the characteristic that has been shown by the dogs is compared to what is

demonstrated by three-year old kids. In spite of the cooperative behavior shown by the dogs,

however, researchers have also revealed how it is not true to all primates. An almost similar

study has been completed with the use of chimpanzees as the subject, but the results are

different.