Dogs nuzzle and lick humans they think are in distress – behaving in a submissive manner designed to offer comfort, say Goldsmiths, University of London researchers.
‘No such preference was found. The dogs approached whoever was crying regardless of their identity. Thus they were responding to the person’s emotion, not their own needs, which is suggestive of empathic-like comfort-offering behaviour.’
Custance told Discovery News: ‘We have domesticated dogs over a long period of time. We have selectively bred them to act as our companions.
By EDDIE WRENN
