If you’ve ever had a slobbery ball at your feet and a dog’s hopeful eyes asking for yet another throw, then you know that some dogs really love to play. Now, scientists back that up by finding that some pups’ behaviors share features with human addictions.
Behavioral biologist Stefanie Riemer and her colleagues explored the allure of toys by studying a pack of 105 pet dogs, all of whom relished a good play session. Each owner chose three toys from a larger stash — a ball, a plush toy and a tug toy — that they thought their dog would like. But then the dog had the final say; the toy that garnered the most canine interest was used for the experiments.
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