Shocking News! Dogs Know if You're Looking!

Scientists who study dog cognition must never have owned a dog.

A new study has discovered the amazing news that dogs are more likely to steal food when you're not looking than if you are.

I don't think she's looking.

After weeding out the dogs who weren't interested in food (I didn't know there was such a thng), they chose 84 greedy dogs, 42 males and 42 females, put out food, and told them not to touch it.

They shouldn't have left them out if they didn't want me to have them.

Then they turned out the lights.

How handy. Just the right height for me to stand on.

The dogs were four times more likely to steal, and stole more food, when the room was dark.

We can have two apiece.

The search results established that the dogs could differentiate between dark and light (which, according to the Johns Hopkins University zoological lab, even an amoeba can do). They also tested to confirm that dogs understand that darkness does not necessarily mean food (as, for instance, a can opener does).

If only my tongue were a little longer...

In the end, the scientists managed to convince themselves that dogs are more likely to steal if they think we aren't looking.

Yum!

The thing I find surprising is that the scientists were surprised.

http://www.redorbit.com/news/science/1112781495/dogs-caught-stealing-in-the-dark-021113/
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/02/130211090840.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily%2Fplants_animals%2Fdogs+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Plants+%26+Animals+News+--+Dogs%29
http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007%2FBF00338922?LI=true
http://www.alphagalileo.org/AssetViewer.aspx?AssetId=71985&CultureCode=en