Well, research has proven it. Dogs have always been man’s best friend and archeologists believe that without dogs humans never would have made it through previous iterations of global warming and re-freezing. But now, research shows that dogs would likely follow the advice of a person over what they have seen with their own eyes. Now that's loyalty.
What other biases do dogs have? Well, they understand when we can see them and when we can't. Research done at University of Vienna, determined that does are most likely to disobey an owner when the owner leaves the room or is looking away engaged in some activity. Dogs have lateralized brains just like ours meaning they favor left or right sided thinking, including a dominant paw they use first when manipulating objects.
There have been some court challenges to search warrants issued based on canine indications of drugs or explosives and this seems to be a valid concern because although dogs are several times more accurate than chemical tests for locating accelerants and drugs, they can be influenced by their handler's gestures and may give false testimony.
This growing area of research will probably change dog training as we know it, and for the better. Gone are the days of intimidating dogs or even worse, depriving them of food so they'll work harder. Now that we know for sure that dogs just get us, we can use relationship and cognitive based training methods that closely match what humans have been doing for eons; hanging out with dogs and learning from each other.
If you’ve been looking for dog of your own or have some time to spend with dogs, check out your local animal shelter to find out more about adoption and volunteering. You can also find adoptable dogs from private rescues by entering your zip code at Petfinder.com. (There are currently 10 Borzoi or Borzoi mixes listed there)
Frederick County Animal Control and Adoption Center Rosemont Avenue Frederick
Montgomery County Animal Control Shelter on Rothgeb Drive
Washington Animal Rescue League Oglethorpe Street, NW
Washington Humane Society Georgia Avenue or on New York Avenue
(Washington Humane Society and HSUS on L Street do not have animals for adoption)
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