In a study involving 16 dogs published this week in Scientific Reports, researchers described their experimental setup: a treat dispenser that only worked when a dog pulled on a tray with its teeth. But there was a catch—the dog didn’t get to eat the food itself. Instead, the food was delivered to another dog on the other side of a partition. So the donor dog, as the scientists called it, had a choice: it could feed the other dog, or it could withhold food.
Once the donor dogs learned how to use the contraption, the researchers brought in the would-be snack recipients. Some were dogs the donors knew and liked; others were strangers.
Time and time again, the donor dogs gave treats to their friends. And the donor dogs weren’t just pulling the tray for the heck of it; when the potential recipient was an unfamiliar dog, the donors were far less likely to dispense a treat.
via Mental Floss
