Specialists from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna investigated whether four-legged dogs would prefer a generous trainer to one that does not reward them with treats
Dogs don’t bond more when they receive rewards because they don’t remember the generosity and don’t build an image based on what they received, the Daily Mail reported.
Specialists from the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna investigated whether four-legged dogs would prefer a generous trainer to one that does not reward them with treats. They found that neither the dogs nor the wolves showed preferences after seeing the human give or keep the treat.
The conclusion of the specialists is that “creating a reputation may be more difficult than expected among animals”.
According to some research, patterners cooperate with people because they form an image of them by watching them interact with others. Dr. Hoi-Lam Jim examines this ability and whether it evolved through domestication or existed in wolves as well.
She has worked with nine wolves and six dogs. Experiments show that most animals do not have preferences after observation or direct experience. Three dogs and two wolves, however, showed some inclination towards the more generous one.
Photo by Nancy Guth:
