The field of animal behaviour is a never ending voyage through a treasure box of fascinating and continual research.
Have you ever wondered if dogs are aware of what others can and cannot see and hear?
In tests at the Max Planck Institute, dogs were shown a treat behind a barrier that concealed food from the view of their human guardian observers.
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They were shown to be more inclined to eat forbidden food when their humans couldn’t see them.
Many of us will have experienced this in our own kitchens.
Guide Dogs, aware that their person cannot see, make sounds to get their attention.
This proves they are able to deduce from another’s perspective, to understand that someone is unable to see and to suitably alter their means of communication to convey a message.
They understand that that if they can see your face they will be able communicate with you.
This again demonstrates an ability to know another’s faculties.
Not only do dogs have exceptional hearing but they are also able to know whether we can or can’t hear them.
In a test, two boxes were fitted with bells on the open side.
On one of these boxes the ringers had been removed from the bells, making them silent.
The dogs were taught that they needed to push through the bells to get at a treat inside the box.
The experimenter then put food in the boxes and forbade the dogs to take it.
If the experimenter faced the dogs, they took from neither box, but if she turned away they took from the silent box.
They are aware who is in hearing range and what is likely to be heard.
Dogs are able to put themselves into their human’s shoes – not just chew them!
Susan Henderson
© Accredited Animal Behaviourist ABC of SA.
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