A research proved, that dogs can feel jealous

According to the series of expedogs can feel jealousriments, dogs can feel jealousy. The results of those experiments were published by the Austrian scientists in the Journal "Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences".

According to the results of previous studies, monkeys show resentment when their partner receives a greater reward for doing the same job. They even organized a "strike" by refusing to participate in the experiment, and ignored the reward, which they regarded as insufficient. However, it was unknown whether the animals of the other species are capable of such reactions or no.

Scientists from the Institute of Konrad Lorenz and the University of Vienna conducted their experiments with the pairs of domestic dogs. Each of these dogs had on the command to give her paw to the experimenter and, in the case the command was executed correct, the dog was receiving a piece of sausage or bread.

In their experiments, scientists have found differences in the behavior of those dogs, that were left without compensation in the presence of the other dogs, that had reseived one, compared with the control situation (when both dogs get food) and a situation where there was no partner or no reward.

??

Moreover, experiments have shown that for a change in behavior is responsible not the presence of a second dog, but exactly the fact, that she was getting a reward - note the researchers.

Envy in laboratory animals was pretty much shown. Those dogs who did not receive their rewards, refused to give the paw, and avoided looking into the eyes of experimenter.

However, unlike the situation with the monkeys, dogs were "insensitive" to the differences in the quality of food or in the amount of effort. Earlier ethologists (scientists who study animal behavior) have conducted many studies showing that animals are able to count, to understand cause and effect relationships, to think abstractly, to solve problems and even to cheat.