Basically, dogs aren't all that they're cracked up to be...
Forget social justice or party politics, if you really want to spark up a fiery debate ask your friends this simple question: cats or dogs?
Nothing quite gets people as irate as defending their preferred pet. But now, the argument might be coming to a close thanks to a 2016 study which proves that, actually, dogs are kind of selfish…
To get to this controversial conclusion, researches put 24 dogs in one room to monitor their behaviour. In one corner of the room, they placed a toy dogs would love, while leaving other items in different locations. The dogs could all watch this happening.
Next the dogs were shown the scientists using notebooks and pens that were then later placed around the room, alongside new objects that the dogs haven’t seen.
The researchers then pretended to search the room for their ‘lost’ notepads and pens.
The dogs were therefore faced with a choice:
1. Show the researchers the location of their lost useful items
2. Get the toy and indulge their selfish desires
3. Investigate the new item
The hope was that seeing the researchers look for their lost objects, the dogs would help find them since they had seen that these objects were useful to them.
But rather than being helpful, the dogs chose to be selfish and indicate the location of the toys instead. In fact, even when the dogs didn’t point out the toys, they chose to indicate the new items rather than the lost ones.
So basically, even when the researchers were in need and looking for their items, the dogs were more interested in playing.
The conclusion drawn from the study? That dogs are actually inherently selfish and deliberately unhelpful. (Oooooh, burn!)
Ok, this may be down to the dogs’ inability to understand the concept of necessity and usefulness, but still…
Cat fans – you are vindicated.