Guide dogs' remarkable traffic control for blind owners wins hearts online
11:03 PM EST, January 13, 2024
We've all likely heard the phrase, "A dog is a man's best friend." Stories about the positive implications of having a dog in the house are familiar. We hear numerous accounts of dogs saving human lives.
These animals showcase remarkable loyalty and intelligence. The evidence lies in a video that recently appeared on the X platform, formerly known as Twitter.
The dog ventures onto the road to ensure safety
A musicologist from Turkey shared a heartwarming video on his profile. The footage shows an adorable Golden Retriever wearing an orange vest sprinting to a crosswalk to alert the approaching cars. Sensing danger, the dog approaches the vehicles, signaling the drivers to stop.
The clip shows the blind man maintaining a safe distance as his guide dog assesses the safety of the road. The dog approaches a car, barks at the driver to make his presence known, and then repeats the same with another car. Only when he's convinced that it's safe he returns to his owner and guides him across the road.
Scientists investigate canine brain responses
Scientists from Emory University in Atlanta experimented to determine how dogs react to human speech. They used MRI scans to study the dogs' brain activities.
The experiment involved 12 dogs of different breeds. These dogs were trained by their owners over months. They were taught to distinguish between two objects and point to the appropriate one upon hearing its name from the owner. New words that the dog hadn't heard before were also introduced during the experiment, along with the familiar ones.
Interestingly, the dogs' brains were more active when they heard unfamiliar phrases. Researchers interpret this as the dogs' eagerness to satisfy their owners. The dogs seem willing to understand what they are being told, intending to please their owners as much as possible.
