Tests show dogs are almost human

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,8692990%255E421,00.html

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/imagedata/0,1658,321391,00.jpg

Researchers found dogs have evolved an unusual ability to read human gestures.

IF YOU think your dog can read your mind, you're right. Because pooches and people have kept company for hundreds of generations, Canis familiaris is hard-wired to pick up human social cues, a US anthropologist claims.

According to Brian Hare of Harvard University, the insight will help trace the evolution of dogs, and may help explain the origins of autism in people and point towards possible therapies.

"The first diagnostic test for autism is the inability to use social cues," he said. "Autists are very poor at reading things like eye-gaze or pointing, something called joint attention."

Not so your average mutt, he says. "It looks like dogs evolved an unusual ability to read human gestures and cues, and manipulate and predict human behaviour.

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[burrowowl]

1. That is

interesting!

[MuseRider]

2. I am absolutely sure

this is true. We have to spell around our dogs. One of them reads my face and will jump for joy if I smile and run under the table if I frown. Note: I have never beaten him, he is just a huge wuss.

[DemBones DemBones]

7. Like you, we've had several dogs we had to spell in front of.

One of ours (may he rest in peace) loved bananas, and could recognize b-a-n-a-n-a-s as well as the word. Fortunately, we'd had the same problem with our daughter when she was a toddler, which is why you hear us say "long yellow tropical fruits."

Our current canine knows when she's been bad and will point her nose straight up at the ceiling and refuse to see us, apparently thinking this will make her invisible. She also does this to put us on Ignore when she doesn't want to go out!

I'm sure if we could register them to vote, they'd vote for Dennis!

Dogs, :yourock:

[Az]

3. Old(but interesting) news

In fact what is interesting about it is that Chimps and other high order primates cannot read our hand gestures. The implication is that dogs evolved alongside humans and developed the wiring to to understand our gestures.

[buckeye1]

4. I have a dog...

that looks just like your picture. She is a small powerful sled dog. She is a great watcher and is the smartest dog I have ever had. She has a triple thick coat that is all white. She has a pinkish nose. I found her running about. She really understands TV. I have had three other dogs but this one is someting else. Sugar could beat Bush at checkers. And chess too but he can't play.

[papau]

5. humans were not civilized until dogs decided to train them to give away

food

The wolves that trained the first humans ended not needing most of their wolf smarts and - as dogs - now have a brain half the size of the average wolf brain.

Who would have thought a monkey could be trained to give away food - or heat or protection?

Dog genius, and the dogs decision to use that mind on human training, is truly one of the blessings of the Lord.

[DemBones DemBones]

6. Too true! If only dogs could train their humans

not to fight over toys.

[OhioStateProgressive]

8. that is good, because dogs think they are people

my two little furballs are absolutely sure they are members of the human family