How Dogs Are Used Impacts How They Are Treated
Data from 124 societies shows that dogs’ functions predict their treatment, with closer bonds forming in societies where dogs have multiple roles
Research into the unique cognitive abilities of dogs often leads to surprises, including dogs’ ability to form mental representations of things they smell, or that they know when their owners do something by accident. However, dog cognition research suffers from the same biases as general psychology: in both fields, studies are usually done in WEIRD (Western, educated, industrialized, rich, and democratic) societies. A team of researchers from the MPI of Geoanthropology (MPI-GEA) and the MPI for Evolutionary Anthropology (MPI-EVA) has now assessed data on the functions and treatment of dogs in 124 globally distributed societies.
Publication: Angela M. Chira, et al., Function predicts how people treat their dogs in a global sample, Scientific Reports (2023). DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31938-5
Original Story Source: Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology
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