Our Lenny, you see, is an incurable, redoubtable optimist. He expects good things to occur, whatever the situation. A trip to the recycling bin will lead to a game of ball in the garden. The opening of the fridge will result in a tasty treat. Any car journey offers the promise of an outing to the beach. Every time he chases a squirrel, he truly believes he will catch it.
I have always thought that he was just a dog being a dog, but today, from the frontiers of veterinary science, comes the news that Lenny has, in fact, the potential to become a high -achieving animal. Researchers at the University of Bristol have concluded that dogs with an optimistic outlook on life are better at their chosen tasks.
This may seem like a statement of the obvious, but it’s vital in determining a dog’s suitability for this life-or-death task. “It is really important to understand the personality differences of dogs,” the study’s leader, Dr Nicola Rooney, said. “It can help you train them and treat them in the right way.”
In determining our best friend’s outlook, I’m not sure the scientists’ methodology is that helpful. They used a sample of 68 dogs, who were taught that a bowl placed in a certain location was full of food. In another location, it was always empty. Then a bowl was put in between the two locations. The dogs who bounded towards this bowl were deemed to be of, if you like, a bowl half-full nature. And, put simplistically, it turned out that they proved better at their jobs.
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Now, I don’t know about your dog, but I don’t think Lenny would be inclined to make a calculation, unconscious or not, in the researchers’ bowl test. He will look for food in the most unpromising of locations, never mind in a bowl designed for the purpose of eating, and any amount of disappointment won’t stop him returning with vigour, just in case. So not only is he an optimist, he’s a stoic, a perseverer, and an irredeemable romantic.
What’s more, he’s a scent hound, so maybe his proclivity towards detection should be put to a more public-spirited endeavour beyond the rooting out of a chocolate croissant. But as I write this, there Lenny is, waiting for something to happen, plaintive but hopeful. You can’t subdue an optimistic spirit. Now, where’s that ball….?
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