OREANDA-NEWS. American scientists have found that dogs are born with the skills that allow them to actively interact with people. This is reported by «EurekaAlert».

Scientists from the University of Arizona conducted a study involving 375 two-month-old puppies who had little contact with people since birth. Most of the experiments involved Labradors and golden Retrievers. In one test, the researchers hid the food under one of several cups and pointed to the one under which the treat is located. In another experiment, the scientists communicated with the puppies in a special «dog» voice, that is, in higher tones. The dog's reaction to gestures and commands was carefully analyzed, and the time during which the puppies looked at the person was also measured.

The results showed that the puppies perfectly perceived information from a person and used it, despite the lack of relevant experience. In the control group, where the dogs had to find food on their own, they did not whine or approach people. This suggests that puppies from birth are able to respond to signals initiated by a person, but the ability to independently start communication develops later.

«We have previously received evidence that these kinds of social skills are present in adulthood, but here we see that puppies are biologically ready [from birth] to interact with humans», concluded lead author Emily Bray.