Are Dogs Naturally Instinctive?

Science says yes. Behavioral studies show that dogs are not only emotionally intelligent but also capable of sensing human intentions. Their instincts, honed over thousands of years, help them understand trust, empathy, and even character.

Dogs and Trust

Dogs seem to have a built-in sense of human trustworthiness. In a study by Akiko Takaoka at Kyoto University, dogs were tested in a three-step process to observe their response to deceptive human behavior.

First, a dog’s owner pointed to a container with food, and the dog happily followed the gesture. Next, the owner pointed to an empty container. The dog went over, expecting a treat, but found nothing.

By the third time, when the owner pointed again, most dogs didn’t respond. They had already learned that the person’s signal could no longer be trusted. This experiment, involving 34 dogs, suggests that dogs assess human credibility and adjust their behavior accordingly. Researchers hope to expand this study to wolves to see if this ability is unique to domesticated dogs.

Dogs and Empathy

Dogs also pay attention to how others treat their owners. In another experiment, strangers interacted with a dog’s owner—some kindly, others rudely. Later, these strangers offered the dog food. Dogs accepted food from those who helped their owner and from neutral bystanders, but rejected it from people who were hostile.