We can all agree there is something special about dogs, not only because they make us and everyone around them happy just with their mere presence, but also because they remind us that every person should be loved for who they are.
This won’t be big news to you, but dogs are, technically, domesticated wolves. Sure, in the process we gave them floppy ears, ridiculous outfits, and designer pillows but despite these modern differences, wolves and dogs are still very much alike.
For instance: they want everything to be fair.
Recognizing inequity is an essential social skill in humans, but different species of animals, such as primates, have shown sensitivity to injustice as well. Dogs, and their closest relatives, the wolves, are not unfamiliar with this feeling since several studies have indicated a form of aversion towards inequity.
According to a study by the Messerli Research Institute and the Wolf Science Center of the University of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, when a pair of dogs and wolves are placed in a situation which one of them receives a reward, and the other gets nothing or a lower quality one for the same exact action, they refuse to keep participating in the experiment.
Wolves responded even faster than dogs, probably due to the fact dogs have a stronger desire to please humans, but both canine species refused to keep participating. And it wasn’t because of an unexpected lack of interest appeared all of the sudden; in fact, placed in the situation alone, they kept playing the game.
They just didn’t want a reward if another dog wasn’t getting one too.
Hierarchy seems to play an essential factor as well since alpha dogs and wolves stopped participating even sooner than the rest if their inferior was being unfairly treated. This proves that dogs' reaction to inequity is far from being an evolutionary trait.
As a matter of fact, another study held at Wolf Science Center suggests domestication is actually making dogs less cooperative; since dogs aren't being rewarded for working together anymore. To wolves, contrastingly, cooperation means getting more food, which means surviving, and that's where their reward can be indeed found.
Evolutionarily, this makes a lot of sense. Dogs are now rewarded, not for surviving, but for doing what humans tell them to.
Dogs have been called a man's best friend for a long time now, mainly because they love to be around humans as much as humans love to be around them; and we can all agree, they are just way too good to us.
But as it turns out, they are too good to themselves as well.
Their sense of pack shows us how companionship is only real when equity is present, and sometimes, that means being willing to not get what you want for the sake of a collective benefit.
We sure have a lot to learn from them, huh?
Source
"Domestication Does Not Explain the Presence of Inequity Aversion in Dogs" by Jennifer L. Essler, Sarah Marshall-Pescini, Friederike Range.
"Dogs and wolves both get sad when you don’t treat them fairly" by Sara Chodosh.
Image Source
I, II, III
Great post... This reminds me of a study on empathy they did with Dogs.. as it turns out they actually can be more perceptive than chimps, who we normally think of as smarter. The experiment consisted of you putting a treat on a cup and mixing it up very slowly like the game... the dogs would know where the treat was by looking at the owners gestures... but the chimps they were clueless regardless of the gestures of the trainer, it was one of those "MIND BLOWN" moments for me. You wont a new follower today btw ;)
This is really awesome! As much as I love dogs I never knew about their sense of fairness. That just makes me like them even more!
wish I had the time to have a pet dog !
maybe cat?
Hey :) Up.
Amazing one photo! Good article :)
See also my pet pictures:
https://steemit.com/animals/@kamilkowalski/photo-plazy-amphibians-frog-s
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