Dogs avoid people who are mean to their owners

Last month scientists in Japan showed domestic dogs avoid people they have seen behave unhelpfully to their owners, using a cunning test.

The experiment was designed to see whether dogs can evaluate humans interacting with one another over an object.

The result showed most dogs avoided taking food from someone they had seen behaving negatively to, which in this case means ignoring, their master.

In a controlled study, a dog owner would ask for help from someone sitting next to them with retrieving a roll of tape from a sealed, transparent container. In one case, the person would refuse and turn away. In another case, the person would help the owner. When offered a treat from the unhelpful person, the dogs tended to ignore them, but when offered a treat from either a neutral person or a helpful person, the dog took the treat.

Dogs’ avoidance of someone who had behaved negatively to their owner suggests they might understand third-party interactions, known as “social eavesdropping”.

Few non-primate animals are thought to eavesdrop. Another interesting example of the phenomenon is the bluestreak cleaner fish: bystanding fish prefer to stay close to “co-operative” cleaners than “cheaters” they have seen remove mucus and not parasites from host animals.

Humans are the species best known for social eavesdropping and create whole societies based on co-operative behavior.

Source: BBC

a reply to: darkbake

Dogs know a pecker head when they see one. Probably the best judge of character you will find.

a reply to: network dude

Now the Japanese have done an experiment to back up that idea, which is cool.

a reply to: darkbake
I think it goes much further than this study suggests.

I used to have two dogs years back,and they were friendly towards everyone I knew except for two people.
These two people sent my dogs into attack mode every time they saw them,which I never saw with anyone else.
It was really odd,as the people in question didn't hate or fear dogs..
Anyhow soon after one of the guys died in a horrific motorbike crash,and not long after that the other guy committed an atrocity-he murdered one of his own family.
True story.

Some serious dog ESP was going down there I think.
Trust your dogs instinct,they want to protect you from harm.

Dogs are excellent judges of character.

Years ago my German Shepherd, who liked everybody, couldn't stand one of our neighbors, he would growl at the guy if he got near us and I know he would have bitten the guy if I didn't hold him back. This went on for years.

Anyway one day the guy's house caught fire and burned up, and not going to go into detail, but it was discovered that the guy was a child molester. He went on the lam and was eventually caught but for another crime, was sent to prison and then was subsequently killed by fellow inmates.

My dog sure did know he was a real sick-o.

Dogs have an innate ability to detect things that you wouldn't expect. I feel they have a strong ESP ability.For example they know if someone is about to have a seizure. My dogs would be friendly with anyone that came up, but would growl and act like they were ready to attack only when certain people were around. These people had killed animals before and that was the only thing I could figure they would be detecting. However, lots of hunters have no issues with them so I am not sure. Possibly they have detected a nervous feeling the people were having.

I notice that with dogs, if I am not sure about whether they might bite or not they become more alarmed and aggressive. And if I know a bad acting dog and approach with confidence and neutral feelings they don't get aggressive. I have the ability to calm myself through years of martial arts and using biofeedback machines. It is like they can detect your inner feelings and if you are nervous about them they become the same way.

I saw a documentary done in England a long time ago and they would take dog owners and put cameras in the house, then fly them away for an unknown period of time. The dogs would get up and go to the door when the people were on their way home from the airport. It was uncanny that they could detect their owners coming home at such distances. The have to be able to tune in somehow. I think it is like birds that the entire flock changes direction at once. They have to be able to communicate or detect telepathically somehow.

Ou dachshund also rects to people, even at a distance, without cause or concern for age, dress or gait.

Some she barely pays attention, others she voices audible disdain.

I'd give anything to know what shes thinking.

Whats up with them girl?

"They smell baaad…"

or, "they have a spirit hanging over them, dark and sinister…"

who knows?

a reply to: Hidinout

German Shepherds are one of the most intelligent and loyal of all dogs in my experience.
And they have the added bonus of being seen as super fierce by baddies(even though they are not really).
Best four legged companions on the planet.

a reply to: darkbake

I can fully attest to this being true. My guy loves people and in particular, women. One of my neighbors is a real biatch and especially so to me. She is the only neighbor he barks at. So he either senses she's been a biatch to me or he smells a reptilian

originally posted by: Silcone Synapse
a reply to: Hidinout

German Shepherds are one of the most intelligent and loyal of all dogs in my experience.
And they have the added bonus of being seen as super fierce by baddies(even though they are not really).
Best four legged companions on the planet.

No argument here. I have had 3 of them over the decades. Every one of them in their own way was "the best dog" I ever had.
Loyal, fierce (if need be) and uber intelligent.

Now we have a Schnauzer and he is no slouch in the brains department either. And you know what's funny, I can't stand one of our neighbors, he is a big jerk and our Schnauzer doesn't like him either.

I have experienced this with my dogs and with others dogs too. I have concluded that they are actually picking up on subtle subconscious cues from their owners. It was a logical conclusion that I came to based on facing the truth that certain individuals made me uncomfortable. One is only a friends daughter, nothing wrong with her, I just find her annoying and exhausting. My dog obviously picked up on this, even though everyone else sees me smiling and being a good hostess.

Our friends dog has gotten a bad rap for nipping everyone who gets close. I must admit I have never had a problem with her. Everyone is amazed how she will happily leap into my lap and is very docile towards me. I must admit, I know her owner thinks very well of me.

I have epilepsy and I know my dogs have all seemed to know ahead too. Once again, I believe they were picking up on minuscule cues that I was not aware that I was giving.

So I guess perhaps owners need to question themselves as to what minute signals are they giving to their pets subconsciously? Perhaps, they are just reacting to your minuscule cues?

a reply to: CynConcepts

I agree with what you say, and many comments from others above.

Dogs have evolved with mankind. We know they can read faces, people's voices and other complex cues. I don't find it surprising they pick up on un-cooperative behaviour.

I have been with dogs all my life. I am absolutely sure they understand how we work socially. To be honest, dogs seem to be good judges of character!

I judge my daughter's boyfriends by whether or not my dog likes him.....