We repair occasionally to the fertile terrain of scholarly research for material to educate and, more often, entertain the 30-Second Read diaspora.
Remember the study of how many hot dogs a human can eat in one sitting? Or another suggesting that middle-of-the-night pee breaks cost the U.S. economy billions?
Now comes a study that concludes grumpy dogs are smarter.
Hungarian researchers published “Grumpy Dogs Are Smart Learners” in February in the journal Animals.
They put 98 dogs through a detour test requiring learning. A reward was placed inside a V-shaped fence. To get the reward, dogs had to go around a long arm of the V, thus traveling away at first from the reward.
Researchers then tested dogs’ irritability. Owners were told to give bones to their dogs and then to yank the bones away with a string. Some dogs reacted with irritation. Understandably!
The study’s conclusion: the dogs that solved the detour test in shorter time also showed more irritation when losing their bones.
Alas, the study says nothing about grumpy people.
A missed opportunity? Assuredly.
Humbug. Grumble. Harrumph.
