A dog might be a manâs best friend, but only if it is being treated fairly. When a dog thinks itâs getting a raw deal in comparison to other dogs, it doesnât shy away from expressing its envy.
Until now, such overt dislike of unfairness had only been demonstrated in primates, but some scientists have suspected that other species that live cooperatively could also be sensitive to fair play â or a lack of one.
To test this theory, and her colleagues at the University of Vienna, Austria, asked 43 trained dogs to extend their paw to a human in various situations.
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The animals performed the trick almost at every request, regardless of whether they were given a reward or not; as well as when working alone or alongside another dog.
The dogsâ enthusiasm quickly waned, though, when they saw the other dog being rewarded but received nothing themselves.
âBaby envyâ
The dogs that were ignored extended their paws significantly less often than in all other circumstances, doing so in only 13 out of 30 trials. They also showed significantly more symptoms of stress, such as licking or scratching themselves.
âThey are clearly unhappy with the unfair situationâ, says Range. She also suspects that this sensitivity might stretch beyond food to things like praise and attention. âIt might explain why some dogs react with ânew baby envyâ when their owners have a childâ, she says.
To at the University of Colorado, Boulder, the study confirms an impression he has been forming in years of field studies on social carnivores (see Virtuous Nature).
âThe fate of a wolf or coyote pack can really hang on whether an individual pulls its weight,â says Bekoff. âThese animals learn not to tolerate unfairness.â
Range agrees that the dogsâ sense of fairness probably evolved long before domestication. âWe are now testing for envy in wolves, and I would be surprised if we didnât find itâ, she says.
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