HUMANS ARE MAKING DOGS STUPID

People are making dogs stupider. Dr. Monique Udell, an animal behavior researcher at Oregon State University, says humans appear to have conditioned the animals to not think for themselves. The results of her study may explain why dogs so often seem to get tangled up in their leash or get their heads stuck in railings or inside boxes. In the experiment, Dr. Udell gave 10 wolves, 10 pet dogs and 10 shelter dogs a clear box containing a piece of sausage. To get inside, the dogs needed to pull off the lid using a length of rope. They were presented with the puzzle both when a familiar human was present and when the human was not absent. They were given two minutes each to get inside the box. Eight of the 10 wolves managed to solve the puzzle and eat the snack while just one of the 20 dogs managed the problem.
* Then the wolves ate Dr. Udell.
* I think dogs waiting for us to do things for them is incredibly smart.
* I mean, they’re not picking up after us when WE go to the bathroom.
* Why would we want smarter dogs? So they could steal our cars?
* Dogs are getting stupid? Then explain the ones that can open the fridge and get you a beer.
* The dogs who get their heads stuck in boxes are just trying to get on YouTube.
PHONE TOPIC: My Dumb Dog – what incredibly stupid thing did your dog do?