Bon appetit! Dogs prefer food over toys, study confirms
- Researchers compared the favorite foods and toys of ten dogs
- They found that 90 percent of pets preferred the food to the toys
Whether it’s a squeaky ball or a fluffy plush toy, many dogs have a favorite toy.
However, a study has found that these toys take a backseat to 90 percent of pooches – when it comes to food.
Researchers at the University of Florida found that nine out of 10 dogs prefer food over toys.
In the study, the team compared ten pets’ favorite foods and toys and found that the vast majority responded more strongly to the food.
Dr. Nicole Dorey, lead author of the study, said: “I was surprised, but no one has looked at how dogs serve as toys versus food.”
Whether it’s a squeaky ball or a fluffy plush toy, many dogs have a favorite toy. However, a study has found that these toys take a backseat to 90 percent of pooches – when it comes to food (stock image)
The team compared ten dogs’ favorite foods and toys and found that the vast majority responded more strongly to the food
While previous studies have shown that dogs prefer their favorite people over food, there has been little research into how dogs prioritize their favorite toys.
The US team recruited ten domestic dogs of various breeds, including two German Shepherds, a German Shorthaired Pointer, a Labrador and six mixed breeds.
The dogs were shown six types of food—hot dogs, carrots, cheese, kibble, a hard dog treat, or a soft dog treat—as well as six toys, including a tennis ball, a tug toy, a squeaky toy, and an empty water bottle.
Each dog then had the opportunity to choose their favorite toy and food.
In a follow-up experiment, the dogs were given increasingly difficult tasks in order to receive a reward. This was either her favorite food or her favorite toy.
The results showed that nine out of ten dogs gave up the task sooner when they were offered the toy than when they were given their favorite treat.
This suggests that they are willing to work harder for food than for toys.
The researchers hope the results could be useful for dog owners trying to train their pet.
“You can definitely train your dog with toys if you start very early,” said Dr. Dorey.
“That’s what you do with search and rescue dogs. They start using toys as reinforcement very early.”
The results showed that nine out of ten dogs gave up the task sooner when they were offered the toy than when they were given their favorite treat (stock image)
The study comes shortly after research found that giving anxious dogs a toy to chew on can help improve their memory.
US researchers evaluated the performance of 34 Labrador retrievers on a working memory task that required them to remember which bucket a treat had been placed in over a short period of time.
The dogs were given a chew toy to bite for five minutes immediately before the task, and the frequency of bites was recorded by a computer program.
Before the experiment, trainers who had worked with the dogs for at least a month completed the behavioral assessment and canine research questionnaire to rate each dog on their “fearfulness level.”
The researchers at Auburn University in Alabama found: “In dogs with high anxiety, increased chewing when they had access to a chew toy was associated with better spatial working memory, while in dogs with low anxiety the opposite was true.”
Chewing is thought to reduce physiological arousal in anxious dogs and help them concentrate, while chewing can cause a distraction in more relaxed dogs.