Man’s Best Friend Knows Best

You think you're a quick judge of character and make friends easily? You might be but you best friend may be even better!  A new study from the University of Florida and Arizona State University shows dogs can make a judgement and start to bond within 10 minutes.

In the study researchers gave dogs a choice of being petted by their owner or by a stranger in various situations. During the ten minutes sessions, the pooches were free to do as they wanted, and were allowed to be petted as long as they preferred.

So what did they learn? Dogs with owners preferred to interact with their owners in unfamiliar places, but were willing to spend more time with strangers in a place familiar to the pooch.

The scientists acknowledge that it's likely the owner's presence in the familiar place that makes the dog feel safe enough to spend time with a stranger. But another find was that shelter dogs were particularly likely to form bonds with strangers after interactions lasting as little as ten minutes. (Daily Mail)