Good, bad, evil: dogs can distinguish human intentions.

A team of researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna closely observed the reactions of 96 pet dogs to the behavior of people offering them pieces of sausage. Previous studies indicated a strong communicative bond between humans and dogs. However, scientists had a rather limited understanding of whether dogs comprehend human intentions, as reported by the Independent.

The results of the new study revealed that dogs exhibited more patience towards clumsy “feeders” than towards those who were unkind.

What the Researchers Discovered

The scientists modeled several scenarios of human behavior towards the pets. During the experiments, a transparent screen with a hole at the dog’s nose level was set up between the dog and the researcher. Through this screen, the dog could observe the scientist and respond accordingly. In the first scenario, the person awkwardly dropped a tempting piece of food from their hand, making it unreachable for the dog. In the second scenario, they teased the animal by initially offering food and then taking it away.

Thirty seconds after each experiment, the dogs were eventually given the coveted sausage. During this brief period, the researchers monitored the animals’ reactions using eight cameras. To draw more comprehensive conclusions from these observations, the researchers employed a machine learning algorithm that assessed the dogs’ reactions based on specific points on their bodies.

In the first scenario (where the person acted clumsily), the dogs displayed patience, wagged their tails, and continued to wait for their reward. In contrast, in the second scenario (where the person exhibited cruelty), the animals did not show patience or friendliness. Moreover, they averted their gaze, appeared distressed, or ran to their owners who were nearby the experimental setup.

The findings were published in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences, providing evidence that dogs can recognize similar human actions that lead to the same outcome but differ in intent.

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