Article: DOGS JUDGE PEOPLE ON BEHAVIOR.(Lifestyles/Spotlight)

Byline: Suzanne Hetts and Daniel Estep

Mary, a client of ours, says her dog, Lucy, who is aggressive with strangers, is a ``good judge of character.'' It seems that Lucy threatens people who act suspiciously or about whom Mary feels uneasy.

Is Lucy a good judge of human character? Can dogs tell good people from bad people? If so, how do they do it?

We could get into all kinds of arguments about what defines good and bad people and what we mean by character. We'll sidestep those philosophical questions and say that no matter how you define it, there's no evidence that dogs can discriminate between people of good or bad character. These are ...

Related newspaper, magazine, and journal articles:

 
 
Newsweek Harper's Magazine The Washington Post Chicago Tribune Crain's Chicago Business PRNewswire Pediatric News The Nation Advertising Age The Economist (US) A FREE trial gives you access to over 80 million articles! Access over 6,500 publications with a FREE trial!