Image Credit: Wiki
According to a recent study by Holly Miller, from the University of Lille Nord de France, dogs that have run out of self-control make more impulsive decisions that put them in harm’s way.Similar to humans, dogs tend to behave badly when their ability to exert self-control is compromised.This study was recently published online in Springer’s Pyschonomic Bulletin &Review.
Miller & colleagues’s study is one of the first to demonstrate that like humans , ‘self-control depletion’ has significant behavioral implications in all animals.
*Dogs that are tired mentally do not think correctly, and are most likely to take risks and place themselves in situations that may result in physical harm.
*10 dogs were recruited and trained to sit still for 10 minutes.They had to exert self-control.The dogs had to approach a crated dog ,that was aggressive.
*After the sit-stay session, the dog was brought into the room that held the crated female Bull Terrier that in turn became aggressive when seeing the second dog.
*The dogs that exerted self-control by sitting still beforehand spent more time closest to the aggressive dog that was still crated.
RESULTS SHOW THAT THE INITIAL SELF-CONTROL EXERTION RESULTS IN RISKIER AND MORE IMPULSIVE, RISKIER DECISION MAKING BY OUR CANINE COMPANIONS.
“The present research provides evidence that the phenomenon of self-control depletion, once believed to be uniquely human, can be found in dogs.Using work in animals may provide a greater insight into the physiological and neurobiological processes that affect self-control.” says Miller and her team via Science Daily.
University of Lille Nord de France
Copyright © 2013 C.B
BarkUpToday.Dog.com
I appreciate this so much. There are so many pet owners out there that never consider the emotional &/or mental condition of their pet and it is ultimately the pet that suffers for this oversight. Thank you so much!