Dogs Are People Too
A study has found that dogs can be divided into two personality types based on their emotional outlook. “Bowl-half-full” types are full of hopeful optimism, while their “bowl-half-empty” kennelmates tend to expect the worst.
The researchers believe they have shown scientifically for the first time that dogs experience the same sort of emotional states as people who are faced in similar half-full or half-empty scenarios.
Says researcher Mike Mendl, “Around half of the dogs in the UK may at some point perform separation-related behaviours — toileting, barking and destroying objects around the home — when they’re apart from their owners. Our study suggests that dogs showing these types of behaviour also appear to make more pessimistic judgements generally.”
The study also describes cats as “fickle bitches.” (It does not.) Anyway, poor doggies! But I guess this is good news for the pharmaceutical industry, at least.
Photo by squacco, from Flickr.