No human interaction took place with the sixteen dogs who participated in the study. The results about dogs sharing their food were very interesting!

Each cage in the pair contained a dog — a donor in one, a receiver in the other. The donor could share with the receiver, if he chose to, by pulling a string with his mouth. The donor dog received no personal reward for sharing.

I’ll spare you the more complicated details of the setup — which, I’ll confess, had me nodding off this morning — but the results of this experiment will make any dog lover proud: The willingness to share with other canines speaks volumes about the loving hearts of dogs.

In the end, dogs are simple creatures. Some are naturally more guarded than others and – while this can be a deterrent – dogs are not cruel or restricted. If they meet a pooch that is no threat then, what the heck, why not give him a bit of a nosh?

For more information, including the differences in the experiment between donor dogs and their reaction to sharing their food with unfamiliar dogs, go to Petful.