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| Ripley and Edgar. Are they ever jealous of one another? |
Jealousy is a dangerous
emotion. According to a fascinating PLOS ONE journal article, it is generally
the third leading cause of non-accidental homicide across cultures (people, let’s
keep a lid on the jealousy, please!). That’s a striking declaration. Jealousy
requires a social triangle, which arises when someone or something threatens an
important relationship.
It requires, the
researchers argue, some complex cognition including self-awareness, an
understanding of the meaning of a rival threat to us, and appraisals of that
threat to our relationship. So the big question is, can dogs feel jealousy?
Most dog owners (including
myself) will tell you that they can, but is this just reckless anthropomorphism?
Maybe not. In a series of
experiments involving real small dogs and a dog-like toy, the real small dogs
exhibited significantly more jealous behaviours – such as snapping, getting
themselves between the owner and the object, or nudging the owner – when it
appeared more like another dog than an inert object.
The others conclude this
is a primordial form of jealousy. You can read the full article here.
If you missed the
Australasian Society for Infectious Disease’s wonderful zoonoses conference,
fear not. The AVA NSW and ACT Divisions, combined with the AVA’s Public Health
Special Interest Group, is hosting a weekend zoonoses conference in September.
Visit here to view the
program and registration info.
Finally if you're lost for something to do this weekend, our Shark Girl DVD Giveway will keep you amused for minutes to hours (potentially days) - subject to the entry you choose of course. More info here.
