A new study shows dogs understand human deception. Those of us who have and love our dogs know that’s true, but now a scientific study supports our anecdotal evidence. Read about it below.
Study Show Dogs Understand Human Deception
We’ve always had dogs in our home, as part of our family, so it’s no surprise that they understand what’s going on in the house and with the humans they are tasked with watching over. Now there is a study that verifies what we’ve always known. Dogs know when we are lying and trying to play them.
Dogs know when humans are trying to trick them. Ever hold a doggie treat in one hand and try to make your dog guess which hand it’s in? Your dog always goes for the hand with the treat, right? Of course he does. And I bet you thought it was because he could smell it. No! The study shows that dogs are smarter than that. They can figure out when you are tricking them.
Psychologist William Roberts of Canada’s Dalhousie University and his colleagues ran a series of tests to see if dogs are as smart as their owners think they are or if it is just that the owners want them to be. The results were reported to Animal Behavior Process journal. They are interesting and showed that canines are particularly sensitive to human cues. They tested 16 dogs in a park near London, Ontario.
First, the researchers presented the dogs with two covered buckets, one empty, one loaded with treats. In some trials, the same tester would always signal to the dogs the empty bucket. In other trials, another tester would signal the full bucket.
The dogs started out running to the bucket indicated by testers in both trials, but within five attempts, the dogs figured out a little less than half the time to run to the bucket not indicated by the “deceptive” tester.
Apparently, the dogs did much better in these tests than chimps did in similar tests years ago. So does that mean dogs are actually smarter than chimps or are they just more in tune with human beings?
When the researchers took the humans out of the equation and did the tests with boxes either full of treats or empty, the dogs learned quickly which was which. That would make it appear that they are just smarter than we might have given them credit for. But then, they didn’t have my doberman in the mix.
They compared a dogs intelligence with that of a human 2-year-old. They also say they are about as manipulative. Which seems about right to me considering the silly things I’ve seen dogs do.
Sadly, in the end, researches describe humans as merely the tools through which dogs get food and toys, nothing more. I find that hard to accept though, as I’m sure most pet owners do. Of course, my animals do seem more interested in me when they are hungry.
So what do you think? This study shows dogs understand human deception. Do you think that’s pretty accurate or way off base?
August 19th, 2009 at 5:15 am
I think the studies are remarkable to read. I’ve told myself that animals understand This kinda thing since I was a young girl. When asked if dogs are smarter than chimps or merely more attuned to humans, I’d say the latter, as dogs have been with us for so long.
In my opinion, they have switched from learning nature’s cues for their ancestoral need for food to survive, to learning tiny delicate human cues to feed their tummies and boredom. Without the need to hunt dogs are bored, and they have showed us (labs!) that most can always eat, no matter how full. At least maybe that part is inhereited from wild dogs.
August 19th, 2009 at 5:15 am
I fully agree with the study and I’ve said this for a number of years, despite what so-called “experts” have said. I’ve known they’re smarter and I’ve always known that they understand a lot more things than “experts” give them credit for.
Are they being manipulative? Sure, but not in the degree that we think of as being manipulative. Remember that Piaget’s stage for human two-year-olds (which lately dogs have been compared to) are what is best described as the ME stage. It’s all about them.
When I first think of manipulation, I think of a deceptive means to achieve something and not just a means to achieve something, but in reality the latter is really just what it is. Only a means to achieve something without deception, which would mean that all animals do it and they likely do. Survival of the fittest, so to speak.
Great post! Thank you.
August 19th, 2009 at 7:31 am
Accurate. They are also quite intuitive..I have learned if my dog doesn’t like someone, it’s better not to be around that person. My dogs have never been wrong when it comes to sniffing out an a-hole.
August 20th, 2009 at 11:28 pm
Another reason why dogs are way better than stupid cats.
August 23rd, 2009 at 12:14 am
[...] Lives of Our Canine Companions. New York: The Free Press. Donaldson, Jean. 1996. … Study Show Dogs Understand Human DeceptionThey compared a dogs intelligence with that of a human 2-year-old. They also say they are about as [...]