We know dogs as man’s best friend, and these cute-looking furry creatures truly help in making our lives happier. We know that they can be very smart, and at times, very manipulative.
However, a recent study reveals that they instinctively understand a human and his gestures.
In this study (published in Frontiers in Psychology) researchers looked at stray dogs in India across various cities. For the study, researchers offered two covered bowls to the dogs. Later the representative pointed to only one of the two bowls.
Around half of the dogs didn’t come near the bowls proactively. According to researchers this could be because they might have had a bad experience with humans in the past, fearing them.
The other half that did investigate the bowls, 80 percent of them followed what the human was signalling at, understanding the human hand gesture. This reveals that dogs don’t really need formal training to understand what their fellow human is trying to tell them. They can understand by simply looking at humans.
Dr Anindita Bhadra of the Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata, India, who led this research, said, “We thought it was quite amazing that the dogs could follow a gesture as abstract as momentary pointing. This means that they closely observe the human, whom they are meeting for the first time, and they use their understanding of humans to make a decision. This shows their intelligence and adaptability.”
She further added, “We need to understand that dogs are intelligent animals that can co-exist with us. They are quite capable of understanding our body language and we need to give them their space. A little empathy and respect for another species can reduce a lot of conflict.”