Does your dog treat different types of people differently? Better yet, does your dog seem to dislike folks you’re not a fan of either? Well, maybe it’s because your dog can sense when someone is a ‘bad person’.

Science has just confirmed that dogs can distinguish a good person from a not very good person. Science tells us that dogs can actually feel when someone is not kind even when that person is not unkind to them. Pretty amazing, huh?

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Many argue that cats are more discerning than dogs and that dogs pretty much like everyone — but this study says that simply isn’t true!

According to the study by  Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews, dogs can distinguish a good person from a not very good person.

During the experiment, dog owners were given a container that was difficult to open. The dog owners then turned to the researcher for help. The researchers either 1. helped the dog owner 2. stood there passively or 3. refused to help completely – Then all the researchers offered the dogs a treat.

Dogs were much more likely to take a treat from a helpful or passive researcher, but ignored those who refused to help their owners.

The study clearly illustrated that dogs do not always ‘act out of self-interest.’ A researcher who refused to help open the tank did not show bad will towards the dog itself. The dogs, however, felt that the researcher was rude to their owner and did not want to have anything to do with them.

Wow, dogs are smart!

Does your dog know how to differentiate between a nice person and a not-so-nice person? Tell us all about it in the comment section!