Is Your Dog Sneaky? New Study Says Dogs Can Deceive Humans
Have you ever caught your dog being sneaky or tricking you? You’re not alone. Recent research suggests that dogs can use deception, especially when it comes to getting food.
Conducted by Marianne Heberlein from the University of Zurich’s Department of Evolutionary Biology & Experimental Studies, the study was inspired by her observation of her own dogs tricking each other. This led her to investigate whether dogs also used similar tactics to deceive humans.
How the Study Was Done
The study involved 27 dogs, each paired with their owner (who always gave treats) and two other adults – one generous and one competitive. To establish which adult was which, the dogs were trained to lead each adult to two boxes containing treats. The generous adult would always give the dog a treat, while the competitive one would keep it for herself.
After the dogs learned to identify the generous and competitive adults, a new task was introduced. The dogs watched as a sausage, a biscuit, or nothing was placed under three new boxes. They were then asked to “find the food” with each adult, choosing one of the three boxes. As before, the generous adult gave the dog the treat, while the competitive adult kept it.
When the dogs led their partners to a box, they were then taken back to the same boxes by their owner. The owner would ask them to choose a box again, allowing the dogs to get the treat themselves if they selected correctly.
What the Study Found
This task was repeated over two days. Initially, dogs led the generous adult to the sausage box more often than by chance. By the second day, they frequently led the competitive adult to an empty box, clearly understanding that this would increase their chances of getting a treat later.
Researchers were amazed at how quickly some dogs figured out the trick. A few even led the competitive adult to the empty box in the very first trial, ensuring they got all the treats themselves.
The study showed that dogs can distinguish between cooperative and competitive humans and use tactical deception to their advantage. This indicates that dogs consider their options and engage in deliberate deception to increase their chances of getting treats.
This study adds to the evidence that dogs are much smarter (and sneakier) than we might think. So, if you believe your dog is being sneaky, you now have scientific proof. While this is just one study, it highlights the flexibility in dogs’ behavior, especially when it comes to getting extra snacks.