Swedish researchers are claiming that female dogs are more empathetic and friendly than male dogs. Professor Per Jensen of Linkoping University recently conducted an experiment with 400 Beagles. In attempting to solve impawssible puzzles, the female Beagles were more likely to ask for a helping paw from humans.
Jensen said,
We don’t really know why females were more social towards humans, but a speculative possibility would be that it could be a side-effect of their nurturing instincts. Perhaps female dogs are more apt at co-operation since they have a pup-rearing responsibility in their natural behavior.”
The 400 Beagles were met with a dilemma: treats placed behind clear doors. Two of the doors were easily opened to retrieve the tasty goodness, but one was locked. The female Beagles were far more likely to ask for help from humans to get to the treat behind the locked door.
[bp_related_article]
Still, a poll on the Mirror shows that these findings don’t change people’s opinions of male dogs. Thank dog!
Ultimately, Jensen’s goal is to use these findings to better understand autism in humans as it pertains to difficulties in social interaction.
