Ever wondered if dogs have experience jealousy? Science suggests that they may have feelings and reactions to several things that you do to them as their owner. Dog jealousy is a thing as revealed two separate studies.
Do Dogs Care About Hugs and Affection?
A study posted on Plos One looked at the behavior of 36 dogs when their owners interacted with other objects. The dog breeds are varied and their reactions were caught on film to try to capture their reactions, especially dog jealousy. The study reveals that more than 70 percent reacted strongly when their owners were affectionate towards a stuffed dog animal; more than 40 percent became "upset" when their owners ignored them and gave attention to a pail, and more than 20 percent were upset when the owners were more focused on a book.
What does this say about dogs and their capability of being jealous? Not much as the study was only done on 36 dogs. However, researchers say that dogs may be capable of dog jealousy. They explained that dogs also value resources including relationships, may it be friendly, sibling-like or towards their owners.
Like giving your dog a hug? New study says don't do it! @rneillglobal explains (For more: https://t.co/7latrzxk0b) https://t.co/0WkTKi0Sud
— Global BC (@GlobalBC) April 27, 2016
Are Dogs Empathic Toward Human Beings?
A first of its kind study posted on Current Biology attempted to compare the brain activity of humans and the reaction of their dogs. Researchers from Budapest had humans and dogs lie still and attached with MRI machine to measure their brain responses towards verbal cues.
They found that happy sounds can light up the auditory cortex in humans and in response, the dog's as well. The results of the study had researchers suggest that dogs can pick up the mood shifts of their owners and thus are capable of responding well in certain situations like owners seeking affection from them, to which dogs welcome. The researchers think that this may have evolved from the thousands of years that dogs have been domesticated to become a human's pet.
Do you think dogs are truly man's best friend and are they capable of dog jealousy? How does your dog respond to your affection and moods? Let us know in the comments below.
