Did you know that a dog can read your mind? If you have ever wondered if your dog knows when you are lying to him or what are you hiding from him, a study by the Vienna Veterinary Faculty has now come up with a scientific answer. He knows!
A study of the Faculty of Veterinary Medicine in Vienna, published in the publication Animal Cognition, notes that a dog knows when you are withholding information from them, which practically means yes he can read your mind. Surprised? Did you suspect him all along?
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The finding is related to theory of mind. It is about thoughts and beliefs that relate to the mental world, to our own understanding, conception and awareness of one's own mental states and the mental states of others. The study finds that even dogs have this ability.
They came to this conclusion using a method Guesser-Knower, which is used to study the mind of dogs, in which the dog must rely on the knowledge of two people to solve a puzzle. Dogs are good at guessing 70% successful.
More about the study:
link.springer.com
