Dave’s Diary: Your Dog Knows What You Are Thinking

Nobody loves you like your dog, right?  The loyalty…the companionship…the fact that Fido is not a cat. If you own a dog, chances are there have been times when he cocked his head and gave you a look that made you think, "He knows exactly what I'm thinking!" and you may be right.

Researchers from the University of Portsmouth British claim that dogs can understand things from a human perspective and make their decisions accordingly.  For example: after being forbidden from taking food, the dogs were twice as likely to disobey that command when the room was dark -- even when a human was in the room. In addition, when the room was dark, the dogs were more likely to take more food and eat it more quickly than when the room was lit. In other words, the dogs were more likely to sneak the food when they thought the humans couldn't see them do it.

What does it mean?  Researchers say the dogs first considered what a human could see before they broke the rules. Previous research has also found that dogs steal significantly more food when a person's eyes are closed.  Sneaky smart.  So…in conclusion, dogs are more like cats than I thought!