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Grades 4-6

Dogs Want Fair Play

Have you ever felt that something wasn't fair? Well, it looks like man's best friend can sniff out injustice too. A new study, released on December 9, shows that dogs know when they are being treated unfairly. And they don't like it one bit!

Scientists in Vienna, Austria, tested 29 dogs in the study. Pairs of dogs sat side by side in front of a researcher, who had a bowl filled with sausage and bread. The person asked each pup to perform a trick. When both dogs received treats for the trick, all was well. But when only one pooch was rewarded with a treat, the other pup would stop obeying and would turn away.

Monkeys have shown similar responses. However, unlike primates, the dogs didn't care which treats they received, as long as they got something. "Animals react to inequity," said Friederike Range, who led the study. "To avoid stress, we should try to avoid treating them differently." That sounds fair.

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