Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Dog Pessimists


I've thought “dog” and “happy” were synonymous. My dogs show a range of emotions from in a good mood, to insane with joy. Dogs think the simplest things—a dish of water, the same old food day after day, a leash appearing from the closet—are reasons for rejoicing.

But science knows how to blow up our cherished beliefs. British researchers have recently reported that some dogs, like humans, are pessimists. Those dogs look at life as a bowl half or even completely empty.

The researchers placed bowls in two rooms. One bowl contained food, while another was empty. After the dogs understood that bowls could sometimes be empty and sometimes full, they began to place bowls in other locations. Dogs that quickly raced to the new locations were optimistic, researchers thought, and those that didn't were judged to be pessimistic. Half the dogs made the pessimist category.

The researchers also observed that the pessimistic dogs were more apt to act out when left alone. So fear may have been a part of their reaction.

The study involved only 24 dogs, who lived in shelters. That half of shelter dogs behaved as optimists may say something about the stubborn hopefulness of canines. Maybe the scientists should try again, using more dogs and ones who live in families. Only, the researchers might find themselves overwhelmed by bouncing, licking, tail-waggers.

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