Ever wondered what your dog is thinking when it gazes at the TV, seemingly fascinated by the News At Ten?
Scientists have discovered that your pooch probably isn't focused on Huw Edwards specifically, but more what the people on screen are doing.
Study dogs at Emory University in Georgia, USA had their brains scanned by an MRI machine while watching a half-hour video of stimulating content.
This included clips of dogs running around, humans interacting with each other, vehicles passing by, and a cat in a house.
Data from the MRI was fed into an artificial intelligence (AI) called Ivis, which correlated brain activity with whether an action or object was shown on screen.
Results showed thatdogs are vastly more visually attuned to actions in their environment, rather than who or what is performing those actions.
Scientists have found that dogs are vastly more visually attuned to actions in their environment, rather than who or what is performing those actions (stock image)
Study dogs at Emory University in Georgia, USA had their brains scanned by an MRI machine while watching a half-an-hour video of stimulating content. Pictured: Daisy takes her place in the fMRI scanner. Her ears are taped to hold in ear plugs that muffle the noise of the machine
Neuroscientist Erin Phillips said: 'While our work is based on just two dogs it offers proof of concept that these methods work on canines.
'I hope this paper helps pave the way for other researchers to apply these methods on dogs, as well as on other species, so we can get more data and bigger insights into how the minds of different animals work.'
Dogs possess only two types of cone cells in their eyes and can only perceive the colours blue and yellow.
This is vastly different to humans, who have three types of cone cells and can visualise the whole colour spectrum.
However, canines also have a higher density of motion-sensitive vision receptors than us.
Scientists believe dogs could visually perceive the world differently to humans in these ways because they need to be more aware of threats in their environment.
It could also be because they are more reliant on their other senses as, while humans arevery visually oriented,dogs' olfactory senses are much more powerful.
For the study, dogs were shown specially designed movies in three 30 minute sessions for a total of 90 minutes while relaxing in the fMRI machine. A: Example frames from video clips shown to the participants. B: Bhubo, a four-year-old Boxer-mix, watching videos while undergoing awake fMR
The researchers at theCanine Cognitive Neuroscience Lab wanted to discover if there were any other differences between how canine and human minds reconstruct what they see.
They recruited Bhubo, a four-year-old male Boxer-mix, and Daisy, an 11-year-old female Boston terrier-mix, to participate in a study.
Both pooches had been trained to enter and lie inside an fMRI machine completely unrestrained, sowere able to have their brains scanned while awake and alert.
'They didn't even need treats!' said Ms Phillips.
RELATED ARTICLES
- Previous
- 1
- Next
- They call it puppy love! Dogs shed tears of joy when... Giving dogs treats DOESN'T make them like you more: Study... Why the long face? Humans really CAN tell their dog's mood... What a wag! Dogs' tails move to the right when they are with...
Share this article
Share
161 shares
For the study,Daisy and Bhubo were each shown specially designed moviesin three 30 minute sessions for a total of 90 minutes while relaxing in the fMRI machine.
The movies contained video clips that the researchers thought a dog might find interesting enough to watch for an extended period.
They were filmed by the researchers using a gimbal - a pivoting camera support - and a selfie stick to allow them to shot footage from a 'dog's perspective'.
The clips showeddogs running around and humans interacting with dogs, giving them pets or treats, or waving a toy towards the camera itself.
Other activities included vehicles passing by, humans hugging or eating, a deer crossing a path, a cat in a house, and dogs walking on leashes.
As the dogs watched their movies, an MRI scan was taken of their brains that visualised neural activity.
Ms Phillips said: 'It was amusing because it's serious science, and a lot of time and effort went into it, but it came down to these dogs watching videos of other dogs and humans acting kind of silly.'
For comparison, two humans were also shown the videos while lying in the fMRI machine and undergoing a scan.
The movies contained video clips that the researchers thought a dog might find interesting enough to watch for an extended period. Pictured: Bhubo and his human, Ashwin Sakhardande, preparing for a movie
Brain regions important for the discrimination of objects and actions that were used to train the AI for human (A) and dog (B) participants
THE DIFFERENCES BETWEEN HOW DOGS AND HUMANS SEE THINGS
Colour -Dogs possess only two types of cone cells in their eyes and can only perceive the colours blue and yellow. Humanshave three types of cone cells and can visualise the whole colour spectrum.
Motion detection- Dogs have a higher density of motion-sensitive vision receptors than humans.
Perception of actions and objects- The results of this study show that dogs are much more attune to actions than the objects performing them, whereas humans do not prioritise either.
Scientists believe these differences are because dogs must be more able to detect dangers in their environment, and are more reliant on their powerful olfactory senses than humans.
<!- - ad: https://mads.dailymail.co.uk/v8/za/sciencetech/none/article/other/mpu_factbox.html?id=mpu_factbox_1 - ->
Advertisement
Next, the video data was segmented by timestamps, and each clip was given classifiers to identify what was being shown on screen at the time.
The classifiers includedobjects, such as dogs, humans, vehicles, or other animals, or actions, such as sniffing, eating, or playing
This information, as well as the dog and human MRI data, was fed into the neural network Ivis, and the results were published this week inJournal of Visualized Experiments.
Ivis had been trained to map the brain activity to the two classifiers, which it was able to for both with99 per cent accuracy using the human data.
However, it was only successful in finding correlations with the action-based classifiers for the canine data, and it did this with between75 and 88 per cent accuracy.
This suggests that dogs' brains prioritise what is going on in front of them over who or what is involved - a stark difference to how the human brain works.
'We humans are very object oriented,' said corresponding author Professor Gregory Berns.
'There are 10 times as many nouns as there are verbs in the English language because we have a particular obsession with naming objects.
'Dogs appear to be less concerned with who or what they are seeing and more concerned with the action itself.'
He added: 'It makes perfect sense that dogs’ brains are going to be highly attuned to actions first and foremost.
'Animals have to be very concerned with things happening in their environment to avoid being eaten or to monitor animals they might want to hunt.
'Action and movement are paramount.'
In future, the researchers want to mapbrain activity to olfactory input, as dogshave a much larger proportion of their brain devoted to processing olfactory information.
They also wish to conduct more detailed research into the vision perception of dogs, and potentially other animals.
Professor Berns said: 'We showed that we can monitor the activity in a dog's brain while it is watching a video and, to at least a limited degree, reconstruct what it is looking at,
'The fact that we are able to do that is remarkable.'
Dogs can 'see' with their noses: Scientists uncover new link between smell and vision in the brains of domestic canines
Dogs may be using their highly-sensitive noses to 'see' as well as to smell, a new study suggests.
Researchers have discovered an 'extensive pathway' in the brains of domestic dogs linking areas that handle smell and vision.
This allows dogs to have a remarkable sense of direction and awareness even when they can't see - explaining how some blind dogs can play fetch.
Dogs' strong sense of smell may help them detect and distinguish between different objects and obstacles, even if they're blind.
The new study provides the first evidence that dogs' sense of smell is integrated with their vision and other unique parts of the brain.
Read more here
FAQs
Why are dogs so good at understanding humans? ›
Dogs use both left and right sides of the brain. They read our body language and listen to our tone. They combine all this data to understand us. In another study with MRI screening, the dog's left and right sides of the brain were activated when the researcher said “good boy” in a praising tone.
How do dogs perceive their owners? ›A new study reveals that dogs can recognize their owner by voice alone. You might already be sure your dog can recognize you by your voice, but they might not even need their vision or smell to guide them, according to a new study.
Do dogs understand human emotions? ›A study in a 2018 issue of the journal Learning & Behavior found that dogs respond to human faces that express six basic emotions— anger, fear, happiness, sadness, surprise, and disgust—with changes in their gaze and heart rate.
How smart is a dog compared to a human? ›According to several behavioral measures, Coren says dogs' mental abilities are close to a human child age 2 to 2.5 years. The intelligence of various types of dogs does differ and the dog's breed determines some of these differences, Coren says.
What do dogs really think about humans? ›And what the studies show is welcome news for all dog owners: Not only do dogs seem to love us back, they actually see us as their family. It turns out that dogs rely on humans more than they do their own kind for affection, protection and everything in between.
What is the relationship between dog and human? ›Humans and dogs have had a special bond for thousands of years—we see it in the way dogs work, play, and live with us. Most experts agree that this relationship developed when the wolf, the dog's ancestor, and human came in contact with each other.
What do dogs think when you kiss them? ›As puppies, this is not something that dogs would recognize, although they would feel you doing it. However, as they get older they associate the kisses and cuddles with you being happy with them. They then realize that the kiss is a good sign.
What do dogs do when you cry? ›Previous research has shown how dogs are highly receptive to their owners crying. According to a new study, they will also break through barriers to get to them. Dogs who heard their owners cry opened a door to "rescue" them.
Can dogs feel jealousy? ›But do dogs also exhibit some of the negative side effects of deep love, such as jealousy? A study published in Psychological Science says yes. The researchers found that dogs will go so far as to show jealousy even when they can only imagine their owners are interacting with a potential rival.
What do dogs hate about humans? ›In addition to not liking hugs, dogs also are often subjected to handling that can be stressful. Having strangers and even familiar humans reaching their hands right into a dog's face in an attempt to pet their head can feel very intimidating from a dog's point of view.
Which dog has highest IQ? ›
- Border Collie. Border Collies consistently top rankings for intelligence in dogs. ...
- Poodle. ...
- German Shepherd. ...
- Golden Retriever. ...
- Doberman Pinscher. ...
- Shetland Sheepdog. ...
- Labrador Retriever. ...
- Papillon.
The average dog's IQ is about 100. Based on the results done to test a dog's IQ, it turned out that dogs, even the average ones, have the IQ same as a 2-years old human.
Can your dog be mad at you? ›While dogs can indeed get upset by a situation, they don't get mad at someone in the same way that you do. According to HealthyPsych, anger is what psychologists refer to as a secondary emotion, which is a human response to primary emotions like fear and sadness.
Do dogs cry? ›No. While canines express needs and wants vocally, there is no scientific evidence proving that dogs, or any other animals, in fact, actually produce tears as a response to what they're feeling. We seem to be the only species capable of breaking into emotional tears.
Can dogs sense death? ›While dogs might not be endowed with the ability to sense death quite to the degree - or for the reasons - that people think they can, it is true that dogs have heightened senses that can help them sense not only oncoming natural deaths, but natural disasters, gas leaks, and more, which could cause death.
Why does my dog stare at me? ›Just as humans stare into the eyes of someone they adore, dogs will stare at their owners to express affection. In fact, mutual staring between humans and dogs releases oxytocin, known as the love hormone. This chemical plays an important role in bonding and boosts feelings of love and trust.
Are dogs happy with humans? ›The science confirms what we knew all along, that most dogs actively choose proximity to humans and, within a few months of being born, a puppy's attraction is clearly toward people rather than other dogs. Dogs exhibit varying degrees of separation anxiety when their humans temporarily leave them.
Do dogs think about the past? ›Dogs also have memories of the past. For instance, dogs who lived in an abusive or neglectful home often remember their experiences. It can take them a while to get used to a new loving home, and they may act out when something reminds them of those difficult times.
Do dogs really love their owners? ›Science proves that part of the canine brain is associated with positive emotions and they do, indeed, feel love for their human companions.
Do dogs know they are dogs? ›So, the short answer to the question “does my dog think I'm a dog?” is no—and that's primarily because of how you smell.
Do dogs love people? ›
We humans do perceive certain dog behaviors as loving—tail-wagging, cuddling—but actual scientists using fMRI machines have detected a real bond between dogs and their human companions. So worry not, dog owners.
Are dog licks kisses? ›Affection: There's a pretty good chance that your dog is licking you because it loves you. It's why many people call them "kisses." Dogs show affection by licking people and sometimes even other dogs. Licking is a natural action for dogs.
Do dogs sleep with the Alpha? ›The alpha dog will generally choose the sleeping spot, and will get first choice over the best place and position to sleep. The other dogs will only get to share the bed with the permission of the alpha dog, and the alpha will control who can sleep where.
Do dogs like being hugged? ›Dogs Don't Like Hugs
So, when you hug a dog, they don't understand what you're trying to say. In fact, you're essentially trapping them. They can't get away from anything that scares them or makes them uncomfortable while in your arms.
On this note, research shows that dogs can sense depression, and many of them even respond lovingly to their humans in an attempt to cheer them up. In the same way that we pay attention to their behavior, dogs also pay attention to our actions to determine our “energy” that day.
How do dogs laugh? ›Dogs do laugh; however, it is not the same way humans do. In humans, laughter is composed of rhythmic, vocalized, expiratory, and involuntary actions. The sound can be any variation of “ha-ha” or “ho-ho.” Dogs produce a similar sound through forceful panting—a “hhuh-hhah” variation.
Can my dog sense I'm in pain? ›Research at the University of Lincoln, UK, found that dogs, “can recognize emotions in humans by combining information from different senses.”[1] Your dog recognizes when you're sad or in pain by facial recognition and body language, but the most interesting sense they use is smell.
Do dogs think you're their parents? ›So, yes, a puppy can definitely think of you as his “mother” — that is, his provider and protector — and develop as strong an emotional bond with you as if you were blood-related. Your puppy will also quickly learn to pick you out among strangers, both by sight and through his powerful sense of smell.
What is the 3 3 dog rule? ›Whether you rescue an older dog or a puppy, a lot of dogs tend to follow the 3-3-3 rule when getting acclimated: 3 days of feeling overwhelmed and nervous. 3 weeks of settling in. 3 months of building trust and bonding with you.
Which animal understands humans the most? ›A study by researchers from the University St Andrews has found that elephants are the only wild animals that can understand human pointing without being trained.
Do dogs instinctively trust humans? ›
A study found that two-month-old dogs take emotional cues from their mothers as well as nearby people to figure out whether they should fear a new object. The results show that despite being separate species, puppies intuitively trust human companions like one of their own, scientists said.
Does dog understand when we kiss them? ›According to Animal Behaviorists, 'dogs don't understand human kisses the same way that humans do. ' When kissing a young puppy, you may not notice any signs of recognition at all because they have yet to associate kisses with affection.
Do dogs understand more than we think? ›Dogs don't produce words, but some are known to recognize more than 1000 human words—behavior that suggests they may attach meaning to human sounds. The new study shows that it is indeed the words themselves—and not the tone in which they're spoken or the context in which they're used—that dogs comprehend.
Which animal is smartest? ›The great apes are considered to be the smartest creatures after humans. Among them, orangutans stand out as being especially gifted with brain. They have a strong culture and system of communication, and many have been observed to use their tools in forest.
Which animal has the highest IQ? ›CHIMPANZEES. RECKONED to be the most-intelligent animals on the planet, chimps can manipulate the environment and their surroundings to help themselves and their community. They can work out how to use things as tools to get things done faster, and they have outsmarted people many a time.
Who is the most intelligent animal? ›Chimpanzees
This research has firmly established that chimps are one of the most intelligent species on earth.
Probably not. Ethical considerations preclude definitive research on the subject, but it's safe to say that human DNA has become so different from that of other animals that interbreeding would likely be impossible.
Why does my dog follow me and not my husband? ›Often, this is simply a case of access, or lack of it. If one person spends more time at home with the dog, naturally the dog will want to see and spend time with the other partner, too. When the absent partner rewards that behavior by handing out treats upon return, reinforcement and hardwiring occurs.
Do dogs think we are their parents? ›So, yes, a puppy can definitely think of you as his “mother” — that is, his provider and protector — and develop as strong an emotional bond with you as if you were blood-related. Your puppy will also quickly learn to pick you out among strangers, both by sight and through his powerful sense of smell.
Are dog licks kisses? ›Affection: There's a pretty good chance that your dog is licking you because it loves you. It's why many people call them "kisses." Dogs show affection by licking people and sometimes even other dogs. Licking is a natural action for dogs.
Do dogs sleep with the Alpha? ›
The alpha dog will generally choose the sleeping spot, and will get first choice over the best place and position to sleep. The other dogs will only get to share the bed with the permission of the alpha dog, and the alpha will control who can sleep where.
Why do dogs have to touch you while sleeping? ›The main explanation of this is likely protection. Sleeping at your feet provides the dog with a defense strategy or to sense danger easily. When we hug or cuddle our pets while sleeping, it provides them with limited ability to defend themselves.
What words dogs understand? ›Altogether, there were ten words or phrases specifically recognized by more than 90 percent of all the dogs. These common words and phrases included the dog's name, as well as 'sit', 'come', 'good girl/boy', 'down', 'stay', 'wait', 'no', 'ok', and 'leave it'.
What do dogs hear when we talk? ›When the scientists compared the human- and dog-directed speech, they found that, as expected, the women spoke in distinctive, high-pitched, sing-song tones to the pooches—but not the humans. "It didn't matter if it was a puppy or an adult dog," Mathevon says.
Can dogs speak? ›As much as you wish we could have a chat with your favorite furry pals, dogs have limited cognitive abilities that make it impossible for them to speak the way humans do. They can mimic some words and they can make different vocalizations, but they are unable to grasp the complexity of the human language.