Doggy doppelgängers! Adorable footage shows how puppies spontaneously imitate people – even over video calls
It is often said that dog owners start to take after their pets after years together.
But a new study suggests this transformation actually goes both ways, with dogs able to copy humans.
Researchers from Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest discovered that dogs can imitate humans – even over video calls.
The team trained two dogs to imitate human actions, including turning in a circle, knocking over a bottle and even walking backwards.
“This innovative method could broaden research into several other potential cognitive abilities, and could also be extended to other species,” said lead researcher Claudia Fugazza.
Researchers from Eotvos Lorand University in Budapest discovered that dogs can imitate human actions – even over video calls
The team trained two dogs to imitate human actions, including spinning in a circle, knocking over a bottle and even walking backwards
In the study, the team wanted to understand whether or not dogs can be trained to copy our actions.
They enlisted the help of two dogs: Tara, a male Golden Retriever, and Franc, a female Labrador Retriever.
Using videoconferencing software, the dogs were shown life-size video projections of their remote owners.
The owner performed an action before verbally telling the dog, “Do it!”
The experiment tested the dogs’ imitation skills from three different camera angles: frontal, side and above.
Some actions – walking backwards, turning, pressing a button and lying down – were practiced in person for the first time.
Using videoconferencing software, the dogs were shown life-size video projections of their remote owners. The owner performed an action before verbally telling the dog, “Do it!”
The experiment tested the dogs’ imitation skills from three different camera angles: frontal, side and above
However, other actions were first seen via the video call, including picking up an object, touching a pole with the nose and knocking over a water bottle.
The results showed that dogs were able to imitate actions observed from both the frontal and side angles – perspectives they often encounter in their daily lives.
However, they had difficulty imitating actions from an overhead angle.
“One of the actions demonstrated was knocking over a plastic bottle, which was demonstrated from an overhead view,” said Fumi Higaki, co-author of the study.
‘My dog Tara observed my demonstration on the screen, found the bottle in his room, in front of the screen, and then knocked it over.
“But he had difficulty replicating other actions with an overhead view.”
Besides being very cute, the researchers hope the findings will help improve our understanding of the human-dog relationship.
‘This study, although only exploratory, not only advances our understanding of how dogs perceive and interpret human actions, but more importantly, this innovative method could broaden research into several other potential cognitive skills, and could can also be extended to other species,” Dr. Fugazza added.
IS DOG INTELLIGENCE SIMILAR TO HUMAN INTELLIGENCE?
Dogs’ learning abilities are varied, just like people’s, according to WebMD.
Dogs bred for hunting, retrieving or herding learn faster because they are naturally quicker on their feet.
Likewise, dogs bred to guard livestock or track scents tend to be slower.
A new study has found that mental decline in older dogs can be prevented if the dogs complete brain teasers on a touchscreen (file photo)
The key to training your dog, WebMD says, comes down to knowing what your dog was bred for.
However, according to trainers, all dogs can be trained to follow simple commands.
WebMD reports that the following are the most naturally intelligent dog breeds:
- Border collie
- Poodle
- German shepherd
- Golden retriever
- Doberman Pinscher
- Shetland sheepdog
- Labrador retriever
- Papillon
- Rottweiler
- Australian Shepherd