Dogs Are Part of the Family Dynamic
Surveys indicate that nearly all dog owners—94%—view their pets as family, with a significant portion of childless millennial women even preferring their dog’s companionship over that of children. While we can’t measure a dog’s perspective with the same certainty, it’s reasonable to assume that most see their human caretakers as family as well. Given that dogs process emotions similarly to young children, researchers are beginning to explore how they react to tense family interactions, such as arguments. This was precisely the focus of a recent study led by Laura Analía Rial from the University of Buenos Aires. Her team designed an experiment in which pet dogs observed their owners engaging in staged arguments at home, with researchers monitoring the dogs’ responses remotely via Zoom. Two variations of the experiment were conducted, differing only in the intensity of the conflict, allowing the team to assess how levels of hostility influenced canine behavior.
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