Living with humans has taught dogs morals, say scientists

The Daily Mail UK ^ | 21st August 2008 | Daily Mail Reporter

[Alex Murphy]

Dogs are becoming more intelligent and are even learning morals from human contact, scientists claim.

They say the fact that dogs' play rarely escalates into a fight shows the animals abide by social rules.

During one study, dogs which held up a paw were rewarded with a food treat.

When a lone dog was asked to raise its paw but received no treat, the researchers found it begged for up to 30 minutes.

But when they tested two dogs together but rewarded only one, the dog which missed out soon stopped playing the game.

Dr Friederike Range, of the University of Vienna, who led the study, said: 'Dogs show a strong aversion to inequity. I would prefer not to call it a sense of fairness, but others might.'

The first Canine Science Forum in Budapest was attended by more than 200 experts to discuss what is going on inside the mind of a dog.

Human's inclination to invest dogs with human-like states of mind isn't as unscientific as it might appear as they really do have some remarkable mental skills that allow them to thrive in their strange habitat - our world.

Domestic dogs evolved from grey wolves as recently as 10,000 years ago since when their brains have shrunk so a wolf-sized dog has a brain around 10 per cent smaller than its wild ancestor.

Dr Peter Pongracz from Eotvos Lorand University, Budapest, and colleagues have produced evidence dog barks contain information that people can understand.

They found even people who have never owned a dog can recognise the emotional 'meaning' of barks produced in various situations, such as when playing, left alone and confronted by a stranger.

His team has now developed a computer program that can aggregate hundreds of barks recorded in various settings and boil them

[palomonte]

both

[WayneS]

Was that wrong? Because, when I came to live here, no one told me that I shouldn’t walk around sniffing everyone’s butt!

[The Louiswu]

"She let’s our Boston Terrier “boss” her around and be dominate. Big mistake with a dog"

My wife is the same way with her dog, she let's her dog run all over her, does not disipline, spoils the dog rotten. Hence, her dog whines, does not mind her commands, just rotten to try to work with.

I have worked with my dog, taught her some simple commands and she minds very well, does not mind, won't beg and behaves well around company.

Dogs are animals, loveable animals, but they are just animals.

[DManA]

My dog begs for handouts constantly. I picked up on that and now I am a democrat.

[ovrtaxt]

There’s some funny stuff here.

[martin_fierro]

I know living with a dog has taught me to eat my own feces.

I can lick my own ... elbow.

[ModelBreaker]

This must mean that there are morals. But I thought that there were no morals [liberal dogma]. That humans are no higher than dogs! [liberal dogma].

Actually, it's not well known, but everything Al Gore knows, he learned from his doby. In fact, dogs started the entire environmental movement, which just goes to show how much more moral they are. The social patriarchy that cuts off humans from Gaia does not exist for dogs--so they are naturally attuned to her vibrations.

To prove this, try the following experiment sometime. Drop some trash--say an old plate with grease on it--on the ground. Your dog will immediately sense the disturbance in Gaia's vibrations and pick it up with his mouth.

[Slings and Arrows]

If dogs can learn morals, does that mean there's hope for Democrats?

[Biggirl]

Excellent article, please PING over to Hair of a dog, this is of interest. =^..^=

[Biggirl]

....As the saying goes “You can teach an old dog new tricks”. =^..^=

[Biggirl]

A saint of a dog. =^..^=

[Allegra]

If dogs can learn morals, does that mean there's hope for Democrats?

Dogs are smarter than Democrats.

[Slings and Arrows]

Dogs are smarter than Democrats.

I dunno - in Chicago they vote for the same candidates.

[windcliff]

LOL

[LongElegantLegs]

The first Canine Science Forum in Budapest was attended by more than 200 experts to discuss what is going on inside the mind of a dog.

FOOD FOOD FOOD FOOD SQUIRREL!FOOD FOOD FOOD CAT!FOOD FOOD WHAT'S THIS THING ON MY BUTT? FOOD FOOD FOOD

There. Just send all the research money you just saved to me.

[Lurker]

L

[Matchett-PI]

LOL bttt

[onedoug]

And cats just get wilder.

[CSM]

Woof!

[metmom]

For your reading enjoyment.

And evos wonder why people don’t take scientists seriously.