Dogs like to be fair

It’s not just Shepherd dogs who have a keen sense of what’s right and wrong.  Recent research has shown that almost all dogs have a keen sense of fair play.

If dogs see that they are being treated unfairly they are quick to react and show their disapproval.   A team at the University of Vienna recently tested this on a study group of 43 dogs.   They asked the dogs to give a paw and rewarded some with a treat and others with nothing.   The ones who didn’t get a biscuit soon stopped giving the paw and also showed symptoms of stress.    We’ve seen this ourselves many times in our own study of dog behaviour.   It’s not just jealousy, a dog’s emotions are more complex than that.  Who’d think that our big, bold, macho canine pals would be so sensitive?    Most animals are very much attuned to nuances in behavour though.  They are the sensitive ones, we are definitely not and mostly we trample over their feelings and needs without much care.

Treating dogs with absolute equality is important.   They develop bruised egos very easily and this may be a relic of behaviour from their past ‘wolf-pack’ days.   Everyone had to be a member of the team or be an outcast.   Remember the pack rules when you are having any connection with your dog.   ‘You’ are the leader but, if you have more than one pet, then one dog might be higher up than the next.   Treats for everyone is the rule and dole them out with fairness and according to the canine ‘pecking order’ – if you don’t want to have hurt feelings and squabbles.  What do dogs think of our sense of fair play?   Not much I’m afraid.