A study conducted by lead scientist Dr. Christoph Völter and colleagues at the University of Vienna, came to the conclusion that dogs might have a “theory of mind”. The concept of “theory of mind” concerns the human capacity (and exceedingly rarely the capacity of animals) to understand humans by ascribing mental states to them. To put it another way, in this study, it means that dogs might have the ability to read the intentions of their human caregiver judging by their actions and their general knowledge of their human caregiver.
In order to come to this conclusion, they tested 96 dogs. They put them behind a screen with a hole in it and on the other side of the screen a person carried out one of two scenarios:
- They approached the dog with some food and demonstrated by their actions that they were willing to give the dog the food but because they were clumsy or for some other reason, they were unable to deliver it. In other words, they demonstrated an intention to provide the food.
- They approached the dog with the food treat but then quickly pulled it back when they reached the hole in the panel. Thereby demonstrating a mean streak and an unwillingness to provide the food.
The reaction of the dogs to the first scenario was that they were more patient and more attentive compared to the reaction in the second scenario when they tended to be impatient and ignored them.
In addition, in the first scenario the dogs were more likely to carry their tail to the right. Earlier studies have shown that when dogs do this it is a sign that they will move forward to get a treat. It appears to show that they have expectations of receiving the treat. This reinforces the theory that dogs can read human intentions and have, as mentioned, a “theory of mind”.
If they have, they join a select group of animal species. The only other species to have passed this kind of test include chimpanzees and African gray parrots.
The lead author Dr. Völter suggests that this may at least in part be because dogs have enjoyed domestication for tens of thousands of years which has made them different to other animals.
If they do have a theory of mind, it may be reflected in the relationship that people have with dogs. If dogs understand the intentions of their caregiver and other humans who interact with them, the human in response is more likely to count on their dog as a best friend. It becomes a relationship of equals and almost a human-to-human relationship which is how I see it.
Dogs can see things from a human perspective sometimes which grants them a degree of empathy which is valuable in any relationship.
And in a slightly trivial way, if a dog owner steps on the dog’s tail, based upon this research, they should understand that it is an accident and not an intention to harm. Therefore, they should dismiss it as such.
Below are some more articles on working dogs.
