0:00:03 > 0:00:07One question divides animal lovers like no other -
0:00:07 > 0:00:10which is best, a cat or a dog?
0:00:10 > 0:00:13Hmm. Most people tend to favour one or the other,
0:00:13 > 0:00:17so it can lead to some pretty heated arguments.
0:00:17 > 0:00:21So, we're going to pit our beloved pets against each other
0:00:21 > 0:00:23to try and settle the debate once and for all.
0:00:23 > 0:00:25Liz and I are going head-to-head too
0:00:25 > 0:00:28and I'm firmly on the side of the dogs.
0:00:28 > 0:00:30Which means I'm flying the flag for cats!
0:00:32 > 0:00:36Last time, cats took the lead in the first round of our epic battle,
0:00:36 > 0:00:39as we tested our pets' intelligence,
0:00:39 > 0:00:42their senses and their physical prowess.
0:00:42 > 0:00:46Tonight, though, we're once again drawing on ground-breaking research
0:00:46 > 0:00:50from around the world to compare our favourite animals
0:00:50 > 0:00:52for the very first time.
0:00:52 > 0:00:57By the end of the show, we'll know who comes out on top, cats or dogs.
0:00:57 > 0:01:01This time, we're looking at which animal is easier to train.
0:01:03 > 0:01:05- How well do they understand us? - DOG BARKS
0:01:05 > 0:01:08- And how well do we understand them? - CAT MEOWS
0:01:08 > 0:01:11Which one is best for our stress?
0:01:11 > 0:01:15And who is more independent? Which animal is the "lone ranger"?
0:01:15 > 0:01:19And finally, we use brand-new science to try and find out
0:01:19 > 0:01:22the answer to the ultimate question.
0:01:22 > 0:01:25Do our cats and dogs really love us?
0:01:25 > 0:01:27And if so, which loves us the most?
0:01:28 > 0:01:31Let the battle continue.
0:01:31 > 0:01:33And may the best pet win.
0:01:33 > 0:01:35- The best pet win? - It's clearly going to be cats.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38Here's the best pet. Look at this! Black poodle.
0:01:42 > 0:01:46And to battle this out, we're basing ourselves here in Cambridgeshire,
0:01:46 > 0:01:49at one of the country's leading veterinary referral centres
0:01:49 > 0:01:52and it's one that specialises in cats and dogs.
0:01:52 > 0:01:54The 200-strong staff here
0:01:54 > 0:01:57look after thousands of cats and dogs every year.
0:01:57 > 0:02:01They're experts in animal behaviour and physiology. They've seen it all.
0:02:01 > 0:02:05'And we'll be consulting scientists from around the world,
0:02:05 > 0:02:09'but rest assured, none of our tests will cause any harm to the animals.
0:02:09 > 0:02:13'We'll also reveal more results from our unique survey of 1,000 people
0:02:13 > 0:02:15'who own both a cat and a dog
0:02:15 > 0:02:18'to find out which animal you thought was best.'
0:02:19 > 0:02:21To start off with, I'm going to lay an ace.
0:02:21 > 0:02:23I'm going to start strong.
0:02:23 > 0:02:24You see, from my point of view,
0:02:24 > 0:02:29one of the things that makes the dog the better pet is trainability.
0:02:35 > 0:02:38'David Templar is one of the UK's top dog trainers.'
0:02:38 > 0:02:39DOG WHISTLE BLOWS
0:02:41 > 0:02:45'He's been training and breeding gun dogs for over 30 years
0:02:45 > 0:02:51'and today, I'm going to put him and his dogs to the test.'
0:02:51 > 0:02:52Good boy!
0:02:52 > 0:02:56I say - a finely-dressed man with an equally fine pack of dogs.
0:02:56 > 0:02:58- Thank you. Hi, Chris.- How are you?
0:02:58 > 0:03:00- Very well, very well. - Who have we got here, then?
0:03:00 > 0:03:01These are all award-winning dogs.
0:03:01 > 0:03:04Joe is the Labrador, he's a winning Labrador of ours.
0:03:04 > 0:03:06- Oh, yes.- Gwendolyn here is a field trials champion.
0:03:06 > 0:03:09You've trained these dogs to an exceptional standard,
0:03:09 > 0:03:12but surely not every dog is trainable?
0:03:12 > 0:03:14Any dog you could ever have, it can be trained.
0:03:14 > 0:03:19OK, so if I went and randomly selected one of your puppies...
0:03:19 > 0:03:20If I gave you just half an hour,
0:03:20 > 0:03:22what could you do with one of those animals?
0:03:22 > 0:03:24No previous training?
0:03:24 > 0:03:27Hopefully, it will walk to heel and it will sit.
0:03:27 > 0:03:30Well, it's certainly a challenge, but I'm up for it.
0:03:30 > 0:03:33'These are some of David's puppies
0:03:33 > 0:03:36'and they've not yet had any training at all.'
0:03:36 > 0:03:39So, my task is to pick just one of these.
0:03:40 > 0:03:42OK, what about this one here? Come on.
0:03:44 > 0:03:47- Come on, then. - So, this is the one. Here we go.
0:03:48 > 0:03:51- Thank you, Chris. - Now, I'm absolutely ruthless.
0:03:51 > 0:03:55So, half an hour and it's going to start the minute you leave the pen.
0:03:55 > 0:03:57Well, let's see what we can do.
0:03:57 > 0:03:59Oh, over we go. Hello, we'd better name you.
0:04:02 > 0:04:04Right, Chris, would you like to name it?
0:04:04 > 0:04:07- How about "Max"?- Max?
0:04:07 > 0:04:10Max. OK, come on. Right, you're down to 29 minutes, mate.
0:04:10 > 0:04:1229 minutes? Let's go. Thank you.
0:04:12 > 0:04:15Let's go, little puppy-wuppy. Let's go and see what we can do.
0:04:15 > 0:04:19Oh, come on then, come on then! Let's have a bit of fun.
0:04:19 > 0:04:21You've got a new name, called Max.
0:04:21 > 0:04:25'David needs to teach Max to walk to heel, to sit
0:04:25 > 0:04:28'and to wear a lead for the first time in his life.
0:04:30 > 0:04:33'After a few minutes of play, training begins.'
0:04:34 > 0:04:36Good boy.
0:04:36 > 0:04:41'Amazingly, David is training Max without using any treats -
0:04:41 > 0:04:44'just some love and attention is enough.'
0:04:44 > 0:04:46Good boy. Hey, hey, hey!
0:04:46 > 0:04:50Max, Max? Sit. Sit... Good boy.
0:04:50 > 0:04:52Yeah, you're nearly ready now.
0:04:52 > 0:04:54Chris, it's done!
0:04:56 > 0:04:58You haven't had your full half an hour.
0:04:58 > 0:05:02- How long have we got? - You've got another...seven minutes.
0:05:02 > 0:05:04Seven minutes?
0:05:04 > 0:05:06You clearly don't need it. You're brimming with confidence.
0:05:06 > 0:05:09- OK.- Obviously, we're now a little bit tired,
0:05:09 > 0:05:12- because we've had that 20 minutes, a bit of pressure...- No, hold on.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14I don't need excuses. I need a demonstration.
0:05:14 > 0:05:16- Let's have a look. - Let's see what we can do.
0:05:16 > 0:05:19- Hello, Maxie. Heel, heel, heel. - DAVID BECKONS
0:05:19 > 0:05:21Heel, good lad. Heel.
0:05:23 > 0:05:24Good boy.
0:05:24 > 0:05:27Good lad. A little puppy.
0:05:27 > 0:05:29Sit.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31There you go, Chris.
0:05:31 > 0:05:34I'm impressed. I'm impressed.
0:05:34 > 0:05:37For a very small puppy, that's pretty good.
0:05:37 > 0:05:39- He's on the way.- He's on the way.
0:05:39 > 0:05:41- A future champion.- Could well be.
0:05:41 > 0:05:44'Of course, this is just the beginning.
0:05:44 > 0:05:48'It's going to take many months to fully train Max.
0:05:48 > 0:05:50'And a dog's incredible trainability
0:05:50 > 0:05:54'is key to their amazing relationship with us,
0:05:54 > 0:05:57'which began some 35,000 years ago.
0:05:58 > 0:06:00'And over the millennia,
0:06:00 > 0:06:03'we've selectively bred the most trainable dogs,
0:06:03 > 0:06:06'resulting in a remarkable partnership.
0:06:08 > 0:06:12'The same traits that make them so good at working with us
0:06:12 > 0:06:15'now make them wonderful pets.'
0:06:20 > 0:06:22'Cats, on the other hand,
0:06:22 > 0:06:25'only began their domestication 10,000 years ago
0:06:25 > 0:06:28'and we haven't bred them for trainability.'
0:06:28 > 0:06:32But we did ask owners if they thought you could train a cat.
0:06:32 > 0:06:3437% said no.
0:06:34 > 0:06:3758% thought it was possible.
0:06:37 > 0:06:39Let's see if they're right.
0:06:42 > 0:06:48'Cosmos lives in Wiltshire with his owner, Dr Sarah Ellis.
0:06:48 > 0:06:49BELL RINGS
0:06:51 > 0:06:55'After a hard day out on the prowl, dinner is served.
0:06:58 > 0:07:01'After dinner, he likes nothing more than relaxing on the sofa
0:07:01 > 0:07:04'with his favourite TV show.'
0:07:04 > 0:07:07The way that they experience and understand their world
0:07:07 > 0:07:10is far more sophisticated than I would have imagined.
0:07:10 > 0:07:11'No, no, no. That won't do.
0:07:11 > 0:07:15I've learned that it's the animal senses that shut...
0:07:16 > 0:07:19Could find a way for cats... 'That's more like it.'
0:07:19 > 0:07:21..to maintain their independent, wild side
0:07:21 > 0:07:23and live happier lives alongside us.
0:07:24 > 0:07:28'Clearly, Cosmos has been very well trained by Sarah,
0:07:28 > 0:07:30'so I've come to find out how it's done.'
0:07:30 > 0:07:32BELL RINGS
0:07:32 > 0:07:33SHE LAUGHS
0:07:33 > 0:07:35- Hey, Cosmos.- Hi.
0:07:35 > 0:07:39I have never seen a cat do that before. That's amazing!
0:07:41 > 0:07:45So Sarah, how do you go about training a cat?
0:07:45 > 0:07:47Much the same way you do as a dog.
0:07:47 > 0:07:51Any behaviour that we want that's desirable, we reward.
0:07:51 > 0:07:53It has a positive consequence
0:07:53 > 0:07:55and that's going to make that behaviour
0:07:55 > 0:07:57much more likely to happen again.
0:07:57 > 0:08:01Any behaviour that we don't want to happen, we simply ignore.
0:08:01 > 0:08:03And that's exactly how dogs learn too.
0:08:03 > 0:08:06So, what kind of rewards work well for cats?
0:08:06 > 0:08:07Is it only food?
0:08:07 > 0:08:10I would say it's probably the most universal for cats.
0:08:10 > 0:08:13But there are other things. One being toys.
0:08:13 > 0:08:16If we play with toys in the right way so that it mimics hunting,
0:08:16 > 0:08:19that can also be a really good motivating reward.
0:08:19 > 0:08:21To what extent are you limited
0:08:21 > 0:08:24by the animal's intrinsic natural behaviours,
0:08:24 > 0:08:27when it comes to getting them to do things for you?
0:08:27 > 0:08:29We can train them to do anything
0:08:29 > 0:08:33that they are physically capable to do, by simply
0:08:33 > 0:08:38rewarding small approximations of that final end goal behaviour.
0:08:38 > 0:08:40OK, so then, how does it work in practice?
0:08:40 > 0:08:43You taught Cosmos how to change the channels on the remote.
0:08:43 > 0:08:46Can you show me how you teach him to do that?
0:08:46 > 0:08:49Yeah, sure. So, I just basically present this to him
0:08:49 > 0:08:53and initially if he just sniffed it, I would reward that.
0:08:54 > 0:08:58And then I moved it slightly higher up and slightly out of his reach,
0:08:58 > 0:09:01so that he was more inclined to reach it with his paw.
0:09:01 > 0:09:03Good. There you go.
0:09:03 > 0:09:05Well done.
0:09:05 > 0:09:08And then, when he did that, I only rewarded that behaviour.
0:09:08 > 0:09:10I didn't reward the earlier behaviours
0:09:10 > 0:09:13and then I brought it back down again, knowing now that he knew
0:09:13 > 0:09:16only to paw it until I could place it on the sofa and he would paw it.
0:09:16 > 0:09:20It's those successive approximations of your final desired behaviour.
0:09:20 > 0:09:22Amazing.
0:09:22 > 0:09:24You were great, Cosmos.
0:09:24 > 0:09:25High five. Oh!
0:09:28 > 0:09:30I've got to say, I'm very, very surprised
0:09:30 > 0:09:33that cats can be trained in the same way as dogs,
0:09:33 > 0:09:34but then to train a cat,
0:09:34 > 0:09:37you're going to need an enormous amount of time,
0:09:37 > 0:09:40a tremendous amount of patience and the right sort of cat.
0:09:40 > 0:09:45And whatever the animal, to train it, you're going to need motivation.
0:09:45 > 0:09:48Motivation is needed for all sorts of success in life.
0:09:48 > 0:09:51Now, there's some brand-new science that's been done
0:09:51 > 0:09:55which explains not only why dogs are easy to be trained,
0:09:55 > 0:09:58but why they're keen to be trained.
0:09:59 > 0:10:01'I went to Hungary to find out more.
0:10:01 > 0:10:06'At the Family Dog lab in Budapest, Attila Andics and Marta Gacsi
0:10:06 > 0:10:10'have trained dogs to take part in an extraordinary experiment.'
0:10:13 > 0:10:18This is Apatch and aside from being an extraordinarily cute little dog,
0:10:18 > 0:10:21he's also a remarkable dog,
0:10:21 > 0:10:24because he's been taking part in some ground-breaking research
0:10:24 > 0:10:30which has revealed just why dogs are so trainable.
0:10:30 > 0:10:34But in order to do that, he's had to learn something quite extraordinary.
0:10:34 > 0:10:38Now, he belongs to Marta, one of the scientists here and luckily,
0:10:38 > 0:10:42she's come along today so that he can repeat some of this experiment.
0:10:42 > 0:10:44Come on, then.
0:10:49 > 0:10:53'Amazingly, Attila and Marta have trained dogs
0:10:53 > 0:10:56'to voluntarily lie still in a brain scanner.'
0:10:57 > 0:11:01Now, I've seen dogs trained to do some remarkable things before,
0:11:01 > 0:11:03but nothing like this.
0:11:03 > 0:11:05Look at that. He's jumped up on the bed of the scanner.
0:11:05 > 0:11:08He's laying perfectly still...
0:11:08 > 0:11:09and he's got headphones on.
0:11:14 > 0:11:17'Marta stays in the scanner room with Apatch,
0:11:17 > 0:11:20'whilst Attila and I watch from the control room.'
0:11:22 > 0:11:24Now, we can start the scanning.
0:11:25 > 0:11:29So, Attila, tell me what's going to be going on inside the scanner?
0:11:29 > 0:11:31We are measuring the activity in the dog brain
0:11:31 > 0:11:34to see how it reacts to praises.
0:11:34 > 0:11:38Dogs hear voice recordings through headphones of people saying
0:11:38 > 0:11:41"good boy" and other praise words.
0:11:42 > 0:11:45'Apatch is listening to praise,
0:11:45 > 0:11:49'while the brain scanner measures neural activity inside his brain.
0:11:53 > 0:11:57'The experiment lasts eight minutes and Apatch lies perfectly still.
0:11:57 > 0:12:01'Any more than 3mm of movement would ruin the data.'
0:12:03 > 0:12:05Here's a question. If you say, "Good boy, good boy" to a dog,
0:12:05 > 0:12:07they normally just start wagging their tail
0:12:07 > 0:12:10- and that's going to spoil things as well.- Oh, it's hard.
0:12:10 > 0:12:13Yeah, it's hard for them. We train them not to wag their tail.
0:12:13 > 0:12:15So, he's been trained NOT to wag his tail?
0:12:15 > 0:12:18- Yeah, they're trained not...- It's a hell of a dog you've got there.
0:12:18 > 0:12:20'The results are still unpublished,
0:12:20 > 0:12:23'but the scans show that when Apatch hears the praise words,
0:12:23 > 0:12:26'the reward regions of his brain are activated.'
0:12:27 > 0:12:29Whenever a dog is praised,
0:12:29 > 0:12:33the dog will activate this so-called "reward centre".
0:12:33 > 0:12:37These are very ancient brain regions of not only dogs,
0:12:37 > 0:12:38but in many animals.
0:12:38 > 0:12:40- Including us?- Yep.
0:12:40 > 0:12:45And they typically respond to food, drink, sex...
0:12:45 > 0:12:50These are the regions which somehow signal to the individual that,
0:12:50 > 0:12:52hey, something pleasurable just happened.
0:12:52 > 0:12:55OK. So, is it fair to say then,
0:12:55 > 0:13:00that when we praise our dogs, we are making them happy with that praise?
0:13:00 > 0:13:03Yeah, I think this is actually a proof that these dogs
0:13:03 > 0:13:07find verbal praise pleasurable,
0:13:07 > 0:13:09just as they would enjoy a food treat.
0:13:11 > 0:13:14These results are hugely significant,
0:13:14 > 0:13:18because they reveal that dogs get pleasure from our praise.
0:13:18 > 0:13:23So in turn, they are motivated to please us
0:13:23 > 0:13:27and it's that which makes them so eminently trainable.
0:13:29 > 0:13:31'In our survey, many of you were right
0:13:31 > 0:13:33'when you said that cats could be trained,
0:13:33 > 0:13:38'but the science shows that pooches win paws down on trainability.'
0:13:41 > 0:13:44Dogs are understandably easier to train than cats,
0:13:44 > 0:13:46but we all know what can happen
0:13:46 > 0:13:49if you don't take the time to train your dog.
0:13:49 > 0:13:53'Who could forget Britain's least obedient dog?'
0:13:53 > 0:13:55Fenton!
0:13:57 > 0:13:58FENTON!
0:14:03 > 0:14:06When relationships go wrong between dogs and their owners,
0:14:06 > 0:14:08one of the principal reasons is because at some stage,
0:14:08 > 0:14:10communication has broken down.
0:14:10 > 0:14:14Communication in all its forms can go a long way
0:14:14 > 0:14:17towards building great relationships with your pets.
0:14:17 > 0:14:20But how well do you think you can understand yours?
0:14:20 > 0:14:24In our survey of joint cat and dog owners, we asked
0:14:24 > 0:14:27which one they thought communicated with them the best -
0:14:27 > 0:14:29the cat or the dog.
0:14:29 > 0:14:30OK, and here are the results.
0:14:30 > 0:14:3511% of you said cats. I am DEEPLY disappointed with that.
0:14:35 > 0:14:3911%... 78% said it was their dogs
0:14:39 > 0:14:41and I think that's quite telling.
0:14:41 > 0:14:45'So, let's see what the science says about all of this.
0:14:45 > 0:14:48'Our next battle cry is all about communication.'
0:14:53 > 0:14:56This is one of four dog wards here in the clinic
0:14:56 > 0:14:59and although many of these animals are on the road to recovery,
0:14:59 > 0:15:01DOGS BARK as you can hear,
0:15:01 > 0:15:03they're not having any trouble communicating whatsoever.
0:15:03 > 0:15:06- And you listen to this all day? - Yeah, we certainly do.
0:15:06 > 0:15:09- Can you talk dog?- We generally understand what they're trying to tell us.
0:15:09 > 0:15:11They have a range of different barks.
0:15:11 > 0:15:15I've got two dogs and I can identify which dog is which by their barks.
0:15:15 > 0:15:18- Yes.- And also, what they're trying to say.
0:15:18 > 0:15:20What's interesting about the barking, though,
0:15:20 > 0:15:24is that wolves only bark for about 3% of their vocalisations.
0:15:24 > 0:15:27Dogs spend a lot more time barking because we understand that -
0:15:27 > 0:15:30it's part of a process of what we call co-evolution.
0:15:30 > 0:15:32We both evolve to understand one another,
0:15:32 > 0:15:34so that we can properly communicate.
0:15:34 > 0:15:36Yeah! What about that, Liz?
0:15:36 > 0:15:39Can your cats properly communicate like that?
0:15:39 > 0:15:41Can you talk cat, Liz?
0:15:42 > 0:15:44Yes, all very impressive, but the thing is,
0:15:44 > 0:15:49cats have also developed a way of communicating specifically with us.
0:15:49 > 0:15:53Adult wild cats rarely meow, but domestic cats meow a lot
0:15:53 > 0:15:56and this seems to be mainly for our benefit
0:15:56 > 0:16:00and the acoustic properties of the meow have changed over time.
0:16:00 > 0:16:02Domestic meows are shorter
0:16:02 > 0:16:05and of higher frequency than the wild cat meow.
0:16:05 > 0:16:09- Listen to this wild cat... - HARSH WILD CAT MEOW
0:16:09 > 0:16:12Our domestic cat meows sound a lot more pleasant to the human ear.
0:16:12 > 0:16:15DOMESTIC CAT MEOWS
0:16:15 > 0:16:17And recent research has revealed
0:16:17 > 0:16:19that cat owners can understand their cats
0:16:19 > 0:16:21much better than you might think.
0:16:23 > 0:16:26'I've come to The Black Cat pub in Chesham
0:16:26 > 0:16:28'to test out cat communication skills
0:16:28 > 0:16:30'with the help of our top cat whisperer.'
0:16:32 > 0:16:34I'm meeting Sarah Ellis and a group of cat owners here
0:16:34 > 0:16:38to find out to what extent we might be able to understand cat meows -
0:16:38 > 0:16:41and the pub's very own black cat is here as well,
0:16:41 > 0:16:44so we're enlisting him to take part in our little experiment.
0:16:46 > 0:16:51- I take it this is THE black cat? - This is the cat. This is Rambo.
0:16:51 > 0:16:53- How old is Rambo?- Nine.
0:16:53 > 0:16:55- And is he very vocal?- No.
0:16:55 > 0:16:58He knows what he wants and he gets what he wants when he wants it.
0:16:58 > 0:17:01- ..Without having to meow too much for it?- Yeah... No, no.- Fair enough.
0:17:01 > 0:17:03CAT MEOWS
0:17:03 > 0:17:06'Our human volunteers have been recording their cats meowing
0:17:06 > 0:17:09- 'in a variety of situations. - CAT MEOWS SOFTLY
0:17:09 > 0:17:11'While they're watching their owner preparing food...
0:17:11 > 0:17:14'when they're negotiating a barrier...
0:17:14 > 0:17:17'when they want attention from their owner
0:17:17 > 0:17:21'and when their owner is withholding food.'
0:17:21 > 0:17:24OK, so the first thing we're going to do is try and figure out
0:17:24 > 0:17:27whether YOU can recognise your own cat,
0:17:27 > 0:17:30from a selection of cat meows.
0:17:31 > 0:17:34So when you think you hear your cat, just shout out, "That's my cat".
0:17:34 > 0:17:36Here we go.
0:17:36 > 0:17:39- CAT MEOWS - I'll go for Cookie.
0:17:40 > 0:17:43- CAT MEOWS - I think that's Dinah.
0:17:43 > 0:17:45CAT MEOWS
0:17:45 > 0:17:47I'm pretty sure that's Rambo.
0:17:47 > 0:17:49CAT MEOWS
0:17:49 > 0:17:51That's Hen.
0:17:51 > 0:17:54CAT MEOWS I think that's mine.
0:17:54 > 0:17:56CAT PURRS
0:17:56 > 0:17:58I think that's my cat.
0:17:58 > 0:18:00Hand up immediately.
0:18:00 > 0:18:02You guys are good. Well done.
0:18:02 > 0:18:05Well done, everybody. That was really interesting.
0:18:05 > 0:18:07You do know your cats. There's no question.
0:18:07 > 0:18:11'Everyone was able to recognise their cat's meow,
0:18:11 > 0:18:13'but now, we're going to see if they can recognise
0:18:13 > 0:18:15'the context of the different meows.'
0:18:17 > 0:18:19CAT MEOWS
0:18:19 > 0:18:22- That's hard. I'll go for food preparation.- OK.
0:18:22 > 0:18:24CAT MEOWS
0:18:24 > 0:18:26Sounds like he wants to go out.
0:18:27 > 0:18:29CAT MEOWS
0:18:29 > 0:18:33Is...that...preparing food?
0:18:33 > 0:18:35CAT MEOWS
0:18:35 > 0:18:39I would say that's him wanting food - food preparation.
0:18:39 > 0:18:41CAT MEOWS
0:18:41 > 0:18:44- I would hazard a guess at attention. - OK.
0:18:44 > 0:18:46CAT MEOWS
0:18:46 > 0:18:48Yeah, that's negotiating a barrier.
0:18:48 > 0:18:51OK. Seem pretty sure of yourself there, Rhana.
0:18:51 > 0:18:53I know my cat.
0:18:53 > 0:18:57Right, so I think it's the moment we've all been waiting for.
0:18:57 > 0:18:59- Please give them their results.- OK.
0:18:59 > 0:19:04We have a group that did very, very well and that was you three here.
0:19:04 > 0:19:05LAUGHTER
0:19:05 > 0:19:09You were 100%. Well done, guys.
0:19:09 > 0:19:11- High five.- High five.
0:19:11 > 0:19:13I'm afraid you guys didn't do as well as this group,
0:19:13 > 0:19:15but I think you actually ended up
0:19:15 > 0:19:19with a harder bunch of cats, by chance.
0:19:19 > 0:19:21So Sarah, how does our little experiment
0:19:21 > 0:19:23marry with the research that you've carried out?
0:19:23 > 0:19:27When we look at cat meows, there isn't a universal language.
0:19:27 > 0:19:29Each individual cat seems to have
0:19:29 > 0:19:32its own set of distinct vocalisations.
0:19:32 > 0:19:35By living with the cat, they're able to learn
0:19:35 > 0:19:38each individual cat's own vocalisations
0:19:38 > 0:19:42and also, the cat will be able to try out different meows
0:19:42 > 0:19:45and find out which one works best for that owner.
0:19:45 > 0:19:48OK, so the owner learns to become more familiar with the cat's meows
0:19:48 > 0:19:52and the cat's meows are changing and becoming more and more specific
0:19:52 > 0:19:54to that owner, because of the owner's behaviour.
0:19:54 > 0:19:57Yeah. It's an incredibly clever species.
0:19:57 > 0:19:59It's able to manipulate us and to live alongside us
0:19:59 > 0:20:02to really get what it wants and have the best of life.
0:20:04 > 0:20:07Communication of course is a two-way process,
0:20:07 > 0:20:10so how well do THEY understand us?
0:20:10 > 0:20:12I'm almost lost for words.
0:20:12 > 0:20:15I mean, dogs have got this in the bag, you know, hands down.
0:20:15 > 0:20:17Cats don't even know their own name.
0:20:17 > 0:20:19Ah, not true, Chris. Take a look at this.
0:20:19 > 0:20:22'Scientists in Japan carried out a simple experiment'
0:20:22 > 0:20:23RESEARCHER SPEAKS JAPANESE
0:20:23 > 0:20:27'to see if cats recognised their own name.'
0:20:30 > 0:20:32SPEAKS JAPANESE
0:20:32 > 0:20:35'Cats do know their name, even if they don't come running every time.
0:20:35 > 0:20:36CAT MEOWS
0:20:36 > 0:20:41'But you can train them to come, especially if food is involved.'
0:20:41 > 0:20:42Come here.
0:20:46 > 0:20:49- Come here... - SHE LAUGHS
0:20:49 > 0:20:52- That was a brilliant entrance. - It's Super Cat! He's amazing.
0:20:52 > 0:20:55I know! It was amazing. But getting back to the serious stuff.
0:20:55 > 0:20:56In our last programme,
0:20:56 > 0:20:59we proved that dogs are the more intelligent animal...
0:20:59 > 0:21:00- We didn't, really... - ..And therefore,
0:21:00 > 0:21:03they have a better understanding of their humans.
0:21:03 > 0:21:05We've even come across a dog
0:21:05 > 0:21:08that knows as many words as a two-year-old.
0:21:09 > 0:21:13'Yeah, Gable the border collie is ten years old
0:21:13 > 0:21:16'and lives in Loughborough with his owner, Sally.
0:21:16 > 0:21:19'Dr Emile van der Zee from the University of Lincoln
0:21:19 > 0:21:23'has been studying Gable's remarkable abilities.
0:21:23 > 0:21:26'To test him, Sally and Emile are laying out
0:21:26 > 0:21:28'a large selection of his toys.'
0:21:32 > 0:21:35Gabe! Pig, get pig.
0:21:40 > 0:21:43Good boy. Get spacehopper.
0:21:43 > 0:21:48'Gable knows the name of about 150 toys.'
0:21:48 > 0:21:50Good boy!
0:21:50 > 0:21:51It started when he was a young puppy.
0:21:51 > 0:21:54I just used to say, well, go and get your ball,
0:21:54 > 0:21:56or go and get your toy and I suddenly began to realise,
0:21:56 > 0:21:59he actually was going and getting what I was asking him to do.
0:21:59 > 0:22:03So I thought, I'll try him on one that's hidden upstairs.
0:22:03 > 0:22:05So I said to him, Gable, get Kong.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12Before I knew it, he had appeared with this toy.
0:22:12 > 0:22:14Good boy!
0:22:14 > 0:22:16So then, I just thought, I'll see what happens if I teach him toys
0:22:16 > 0:22:19and, you know, see how many he can remember.
0:22:19 > 0:22:21So, the game really started from there.
0:22:21 > 0:22:24Right, what shall we get this time? Get Henrietta.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29I contacted Lincoln University,
0:22:29 > 0:22:32seeing whether or not they might be interested in him.
0:22:32 > 0:22:33It was very exciting for us,
0:22:33 > 0:22:36because it's wonderful to see how dogs learn words and we discovered
0:22:36 > 0:22:40that he knew about 45 different words and it's quite amazing to see
0:22:40 > 0:22:44that he now knows about 150 words and that is very much comparable
0:22:44 > 0:22:47to what a child knows when they are sort of two years old.
0:22:47 > 0:22:49What about...pineapple?
0:22:51 > 0:22:52I think Gable is quite unique.
0:22:52 > 0:22:55There are only four to five other dogs in the whole world
0:22:55 > 0:22:57that we know that know so many words.
0:22:57 > 0:22:59My guess would be that dogs in general
0:22:59 > 0:23:01understand up to about ten words,
0:23:01 > 0:23:03but I'm sure that if people try at home
0:23:03 > 0:23:07that it is possible to train your dogs and to know more words.
0:23:07 > 0:23:11'Remarkably, Emile discovered that Gable is also able to work out
0:23:11 > 0:23:15'the names of new objects without being taught.'
0:23:15 > 0:23:18So what we're going to do now... There are five objects over there
0:23:18 > 0:23:20that Gable already knows the name for
0:23:20 > 0:23:22and we're going to put a new object over there
0:23:22 > 0:23:25and then Sally will sound out a new name and let's see what happens.
0:23:26 > 0:23:28Will Gable be able to work out
0:23:28 > 0:23:31that the new name refers to the new toy -
0:23:31 > 0:23:33the one that he's never seen before?
0:23:33 > 0:23:36Get Chris Packham.
0:23:36 > 0:23:37'What?!'
0:23:42 > 0:23:44- Yeah!- Yeah! Well done.
0:23:44 > 0:23:48- Yeah, look at that.- Chris Packham! - LAUGHTER
0:23:48 > 0:23:50Good lad, good lad!
0:23:52 > 0:23:55Bobby, this is Chris. Chris!
0:23:55 > 0:23:57Fetch Chris.
0:23:57 > 0:24:00Yeah. Perhaps we're some ways from teaching cats
0:24:00 > 0:24:02as many words as Gable knows.
0:24:02 > 0:24:06But you know what? It's not just about verbal communication.
0:24:06 > 0:24:09'Visual communication also plays a huge part
0:24:09 > 0:24:12'in how we relate to our cats.
0:24:12 > 0:24:17'And these cats have even been taught to understand sign language.'
0:24:27 > 0:24:29That is, I have to say, truly wonderful -
0:24:29 > 0:24:32but I can't let Liz have it all her own way.
0:24:32 > 0:24:34I'm here with Rosie and Horus.
0:24:34 > 0:24:37And Rosie, Horus is completely deaf, isn't he?
0:24:37 > 0:24:39Yep, he's completely deaf.
0:24:39 > 0:24:44But you've trained him to respond to a large number of hand commands.
0:24:44 > 0:24:46Yeah. The last time I counted,
0:24:46 > 0:24:49- he knows about 60 different hand signals.- Goodness me.
0:24:49 > 0:24:51Can we have a look at some of the signals, then?
0:24:51 > 0:24:53- Some of the things that you've taught him.- Yeah.
0:24:53 > 0:24:56So, we have a "sit". Good boy. And then "stand up". Good boy.
0:25:00 > 0:25:01Good boy, down.
0:25:02 > 0:25:04Down.
0:25:06 > 0:25:08- Yeah, good boy!- That's fantastic.
0:25:08 > 0:25:10Well, he's a remarkable dog.
0:25:10 > 0:25:12And I've got to say, you must be a remarkable trainer.
0:25:12 > 0:25:16'So far in our communication round, it's very close.
0:25:16 > 0:25:18'Dogs may be ahead by a whisker,
0:25:18 > 0:25:20'but they've got an unfair advantage.'
0:25:20 > 0:25:25Dogs are social animals and we've bred them to obey our every command.
0:25:25 > 0:25:28Cats, on the other hand, are solitary animals
0:25:28 > 0:25:30and we haven't domesticated them for anywhere near as long.
0:25:30 > 0:25:32So, the fact that they can understand us at all
0:25:32 > 0:25:35- is pretty remarkable. - You're absolutely right,
0:25:35 > 0:25:38but there is one other key relationship factor
0:25:38 > 0:25:42that we have to think about when it comes to making the best pet -
0:25:42 > 0:25:45and that is emotional understanding.
0:25:47 > 0:25:50'I've come to the Clever Dog Lab in Vienna
0:25:50 > 0:25:55'to meet Professor Ludwig Huber and a very clever dog called Mikhail.'
0:25:55 > 0:25:57Ludwig, like many dog owners,
0:25:57 > 0:26:02I think that my dogs can discriminate my facial expressions
0:26:02 > 0:26:04and you've come up with quite a neat and sophisticated test
0:26:04 > 0:26:07to see if this is the case. How does it work?
0:26:07 > 0:26:12First of all, we showed him an angry face next to a happy face
0:26:12 > 0:26:15and as you can see, only half of the face.
0:26:15 > 0:26:16In this case, it's the lower part
0:26:16 > 0:26:20and the dog is trained to touch with the nose one of those faces.
0:26:20 > 0:26:22Either the happy or the angry.
0:26:22 > 0:26:26'Mikhail has been trained to touch the smiling half face to get a treat.'
0:26:26 > 0:26:28Most of the dogs, not all...
0:26:28 > 0:26:3111 of 18, are able to make this discrimination.
0:26:33 > 0:26:35'But Ludwig now ups the ante
0:26:35 > 0:26:40'to test that the dogs are really recognising the emotion in the face
0:26:40 > 0:26:43'and not just a simpler cue, like the smile.
0:26:44 > 0:26:47'Can he correctly pick the happy eyes,
0:26:47 > 0:26:52'even though he was only trained with the lower half of the face?
0:26:52 > 0:26:53'Well, yes.
0:26:53 > 0:26:56'Incredibly, Mikhail appears to be able
0:26:56 > 0:27:00'to still pick the correct emotion from the eyes alone.'
0:27:00 > 0:27:02The dogs that we tested...
0:27:02 > 0:27:05all of them were significantly above chance
0:27:05 > 0:27:08when they first saw the other half.
0:27:08 > 0:27:10In the range of 70-80% correct.
0:27:10 > 0:27:1370-80%? That's more than convincing.
0:27:18 > 0:27:20Superb. Superb.
0:27:20 > 0:27:23You see, I feel vindicated as a dog owner.
0:27:23 > 0:27:24I thought all along
0:27:24 > 0:27:28that they would be able to distinguish my facial expressions -
0:27:28 > 0:27:30to tell when I was happy and sad.
0:27:30 > 0:27:33But the next big question is, of course,
0:27:33 > 0:27:38do they actually understand what those emotions mean?
0:27:38 > 0:27:40That's the tricky one.
0:27:42 > 0:27:45'And to find out, I'm meeting Professor Adam Miklosi
0:27:45 > 0:27:48'at the Family Dog lab in Budapest.'
0:27:48 > 0:27:51Tell me about this experiment we're going to look at now, then.
0:27:51 > 0:27:53Here we try to understand how
0:27:53 > 0:27:56and whether dogs are understanding human emotions.
0:27:56 > 0:28:00So, in order to do that, we put two bottles on the floor,
0:28:00 > 0:28:04one at each side and ask the owner to display
0:28:04 > 0:28:07either a happy emotion behind one of them
0:28:07 > 0:28:10and a disgusting emotion behind the other one -
0:28:10 > 0:28:15and ask the dog to retrieve one of them, whichever he likes.
0:28:15 > 0:28:18And if dogs understand the human emotion,
0:28:18 > 0:28:20they should retrieve the happy bottle.
0:28:20 > 0:28:23- OK, let's see how he gets on.- Yeah.
0:28:23 > 0:28:25Off he goes.
0:28:25 > 0:28:27- Oh, it's going good.- Happy bottle.
0:28:29 > 0:28:32This is the happy emotion. He likes it.
0:28:34 > 0:28:37And that's the disgusting one. That's really disgusting.
0:28:44 > 0:28:47- He's gone straight for the happy bottle.- Yeah.
0:28:47 > 0:28:49What was the overall result that you found?
0:28:49 > 0:28:54Out of testing more than 120 dogs in this experiment,
0:28:54 > 0:28:59we found that dogs retrieved over 66% the happy object
0:28:59 > 0:29:02that was really preferred by the owner.
0:29:06 > 0:29:09This experiment seems to suggest
0:29:09 > 0:29:13that dogs can certainly read our emotions -
0:29:13 > 0:29:16maybe even understand them,
0:29:16 > 0:29:19especially when we're being happy.
0:29:20 > 0:29:22Now, your cats...
0:29:22 > 0:29:24Your cats can't do that, can they?
0:29:24 > 0:29:26No, no, no, no.
0:29:26 > 0:29:28A cat can't do that, can it? They can't, no.
0:29:31 > 0:29:33So, are dogs in a league of their own
0:29:33 > 0:29:35when it comes to reading our faces?
0:29:35 > 0:29:39Well, a new study published by Oakland University in Michigan
0:29:39 > 0:29:42has shown that when cat owners smile,
0:29:42 > 0:29:45their cats respond more positively and spend more time with them.
0:29:45 > 0:29:47That's not bad for a solitary animal
0:29:47 > 0:29:51that's been living alongside us for a relatively short time.
0:29:52 > 0:29:53In our survey,
0:29:53 > 0:29:5778% of you thought that dogs were the better communicators.
0:29:58 > 0:30:02But the latest science shows that when it comes to communicating,
0:30:02 > 0:30:04cats are catching up with canines.
0:30:04 > 0:30:06So, we're calling it a draw.
0:30:10 > 0:30:15This mutual understanding makes for a close relationship with our pets,
0:30:15 > 0:30:18which can be a great source of stress relief.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20So, that's what we're going to test next.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28In our survey of those people that have both cats and dogs,
0:30:28 > 0:30:32we asked them, which of the two gave them the greatest stress relief?
0:30:32 > 0:30:3549% said it was the dogs
0:30:35 > 0:30:37and 35% said it was the cats.
0:30:37 > 0:30:40I'll say no more. I'll let the great British public
0:30:40 > 0:30:42and the statistics do all the talking.
0:30:42 > 0:30:44Yeah, but we wanted to take it a little bit further than that,
0:30:44 > 0:30:47so we carried out a little competition to find out
0:30:47 > 0:30:51which of the cat or dog are better at calming frayed nerves
0:30:51 > 0:30:55and we called it, obviously, "Stress Factor". Sorry.
0:30:56 > 0:31:00'Back at Lincoln University, a group of animal lovers have volunteered
0:31:00 > 0:31:04'to take part in a scientific experiment with a terrifying twist.
0:31:05 > 0:31:08'They know that cats and dogs are involved,
0:31:08 > 0:31:09'but what they don't know
0:31:09 > 0:31:13'is that we're going to put them in a very stressful situation.'
0:31:13 > 0:31:16Our participants are going to come in here, the pet room,
0:31:16 > 0:31:19and a third of them will be given a kitten.
0:31:19 > 0:31:21A third of them will be given a puppy
0:31:21 > 0:31:23and the last third, unfortunately, won't be given anything,
0:31:23 > 0:31:26because we've got to have a control group.
0:31:26 > 0:31:29They're then going to be asked to open the envelope over there,
0:31:29 > 0:31:32which will reveal that they've got to sing in front of us -
0:31:32 > 0:31:36and that should induce quite an amount of stress.
0:31:36 > 0:31:38I'm going to leave Rio here with Emma
0:31:38 > 0:31:41and I'm going to join the judging panel.
0:31:41 > 0:31:43There you go, my lovely.
0:31:45 > 0:31:47- Hello.- Hi, Nigel. I'm Emma, this is George.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52'The question is, will cats and dogs reduce our singers' stress response?
0:31:52 > 0:31:55'And if so, which will reduce it more?
0:31:57 > 0:31:59'First of all, we measure
0:31:59 > 0:32:01'our volunteers' blood pressure and heart rate
0:32:01 > 0:32:05'while they're in blissful ignorance of what is about to come.
0:32:08 > 0:32:10'Then, they're left to play with their new friends.
0:32:10 > 0:32:13'The cat lovers play with the kitten,
0:32:13 > 0:32:15'while the dog lovers play with the puppy
0:32:15 > 0:32:18'and our controls are left to chat with Emma.'
0:32:18 > 0:32:21- I'm from Liverpool, originally. - Yeah, you said.- I probably said!
0:32:21 > 0:32:25'It's then time to find out what they have to do next.'
0:32:28 > 0:32:31- Er... - LAUGHTER
0:32:34 > 0:32:37"In 60 seconds, you have to sing a song...
0:32:37 > 0:32:39"..In front of a panel of people.
0:32:39 > 0:32:41LAUGHTER
0:32:41 > 0:32:44- "Your performance will be filmed... - "..For a TV documentary."
0:32:44 > 0:32:45Are you kidding?
0:32:45 > 0:32:47Oh, no, I can't...
0:32:47 > 0:32:49Do I really have to sing?
0:32:49 > 0:32:51'As the tension mounts,
0:32:51 > 0:32:55'we take another blood pressure and heart rate reading.
0:32:55 > 0:32:57'The discovery that they have to sing for us
0:32:57 > 0:32:59'should make them both shoot up.
0:33:01 > 0:33:05'But will having a kitten or a puppy reduce this stress response?'
0:33:06 > 0:33:08In... OK.
0:33:11 > 0:33:13Hi, there. Welcome to the Stress Factor.
0:33:13 > 0:33:17'Finally, it's time to sing for our highly discerning panel.
0:33:17 > 0:33:20'Dr Sophie Hall, Professor Daniel Mills and yours truly.'
0:33:20 > 0:33:22Come in.
0:33:22 > 0:33:24OK, are you ready?
0:33:24 > 0:33:27# You ain't nothing but a hound dog
0:33:27 > 0:33:29# Crying all the time... #
0:33:29 > 0:33:33'A third of our participants faced the music alone...'
0:33:33 > 0:33:35# They said you was high class... #
0:33:35 > 0:33:38'..while the others have a kitten or a puppy for moral support.
0:33:38 > 0:33:40# Well, that was just a lie. #
0:33:40 > 0:33:43# Pussy cat, pussy cat...
0:33:43 > 0:33:45# I love you. Yes...
0:33:45 > 0:33:48# Yes, I do... #
0:33:48 > 0:33:50- # You ain't nothing but a hound dog... #- Cat's running away.
0:33:50 > 0:33:52# Crying all the time...
0:33:52 > 0:33:54# You ain't never caught a rabbit
0:33:54 > 0:33:57# You ain't no friend of mine. #
0:33:57 > 0:33:58Aha-huh!
0:33:58 > 0:34:00APPLAUSE
0:34:04 > 0:34:08That looked really stressful, I've got to say - very, very stressful.
0:34:08 > 0:34:10It was, but the most important thing now is to find out
0:34:10 > 0:34:14how the cat or the dog affected those stress levels.
0:34:14 > 0:34:17Let's talk about the control group first.
0:34:17 > 0:34:19This is our control group, before they knew about the task.
0:34:19 > 0:34:24- OK.- So then, this is what happened when they were told about the task.
0:34:24 > 0:34:28So, you can see an increase of about 14% in heart rate
0:34:28 > 0:34:30and an increase of about 9% in blood pressure.
0:34:30 > 0:34:33I'm not surprised. That would have been my idea of hell.
0:34:33 > 0:34:36I think my heart would have leapt out of my chest, not just gone up by 14%.
0:34:36 > 0:34:38You should have gotten Chris to do it.
0:34:38 > 0:34:39You really missed a trick there.
0:34:39 > 0:34:43So then, let's take a look at when they were with a puppy.
0:34:43 > 0:34:46So, at this point, they didn't know what the task was going to be
0:34:46 > 0:34:49and then they find out about the task
0:34:49 > 0:34:52and we have an increase of nearly 7% in heart rate -
0:34:52 > 0:34:54half as much as what the control group is.
0:34:54 > 0:34:58And then, a decrease in blood pressure by nearly 6%.
0:34:58 > 0:35:00Don't look at me like that!
0:35:00 > 0:35:03- 6% decrease! What about that? In the presence of a puppy.- OK...
0:35:03 > 0:35:05I'm not surprised, my money was on the puppy.
0:35:05 > 0:35:08- But let's talk about the kitten now. - Kittens, right.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- So, again, this is before they knew about the task...- Yes.
0:35:11 > 0:35:13And then, they find out about the task
0:35:13 > 0:35:15and about the same as the puppies.
0:35:15 > 0:35:18- About the same, about the same? - About the same, look.
0:35:18 > 0:35:21No, 2.2 versus 5.7.
0:35:21 > 0:35:23Yes, but is that statistically significant?
0:35:23 > 0:35:26I'm afraid not, based on the sample size.
0:35:26 > 0:35:27There you go. There you go!
0:35:27 > 0:35:30So, our survey said that 49% of people thought
0:35:30 > 0:35:32dogs would be better at reducing stress levels,
0:35:32 > 0:35:34but this shows that cats and dogs
0:35:34 > 0:35:37are pretty much the same at doing that.
0:35:37 > 0:35:39Yes, doesn't seem to be much difference.
0:35:39 > 0:35:40Both have a beneficial effect.
0:35:40 > 0:35:43And it also ties in with other research that suggests that
0:35:43 > 0:35:46people who have cats and dogs suffer less from cardiovascular disease.
0:35:46 > 0:35:50So, in the long term, it's good for those pet owners
0:35:50 > 0:35:52when it comes to reducing stress.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56'So, cats and dogs are both fantastic stress busters.'
0:35:56 > 0:35:58That's one more point each.
0:35:58 > 0:36:00But are we always good for them?
0:36:00 > 0:36:03Next, we're going to test just how independent our pets are.
0:36:09 > 0:36:11'I want to know if a dog's eagerness to please us
0:36:11 > 0:36:15'is always a good thing, so I went to Lincoln University to find out.'
0:36:17 > 0:36:21Domestication seems to have shaped an already very strong tendency
0:36:21 > 0:36:27in dogs to use social cues and it's made for amenable and devoted pets.
0:36:27 > 0:36:29But it also means that, at times,
0:36:29 > 0:36:32dogs can be a little bit too dependent on us,
0:36:32 > 0:36:35even if the outcome isn't beneficial to them.
0:36:35 > 0:36:37And that's what we're going to be testing out
0:36:37 > 0:36:39with Professor Daniel Mills and his team today.
0:36:39 > 0:36:41Are you ready, Maya? You ready? Come on.
0:36:44 > 0:36:46Daniel, what's going on in this room today?
0:36:46 > 0:36:48It's a very simple little set-up.
0:36:48 > 0:36:51All we do is we have two plates and one of them's
0:36:51 > 0:36:54got a handful of food and the other one's just got one piece of food.
0:36:54 > 0:36:57But the person makes a real fuss over the one piece of food
0:36:57 > 0:37:00and then we see whether or not the cat or the dog
0:37:00 > 0:37:03prefers to go where the food is or whether they want to go
0:37:03 > 0:37:04where the owner's making a fuss.
0:37:04 > 0:37:07Well, I'd imagine, both animals, as they're food motivated,
0:37:07 > 0:37:10would go for the plate with all the food.
0:37:10 > 0:37:12You might imagine that, but let's wait and see.
0:37:12 > 0:37:14'The dogs are up first.'
0:37:16 > 0:37:17Here we go.
0:37:20 > 0:37:21Yes!
0:37:23 > 0:37:24Next, who's ready to go?
0:37:24 > 0:37:27'They go to the plate with less food just because their owner
0:37:27 > 0:37:30'is paying attention to it.
0:37:30 > 0:37:34'They're so influenced by us that it overrides their own self-interest.'
0:37:35 > 0:37:39They just go for whatever the owner's interested in.
0:37:39 > 0:37:42Mmm! Mmm!
0:37:42 > 0:37:43There we go, see?
0:37:43 > 0:37:45Well, that was a clear case, wasn't it?
0:37:45 > 0:37:47All the dogs went straight for the owner.
0:37:47 > 0:37:49- Yep. - And I am quite surprised at that
0:37:49 > 0:37:53because dogs will eat constantly unless they're stopped.
0:37:53 > 0:37:55Oh, yeah, a lot of the dogs are scavengers,
0:37:55 > 0:37:58but from a dog's point of view, if you're interested in it,
0:37:58 > 0:38:00I'm interested in it and that's a real feature of dogs.
0:38:00 > 0:38:02If we're paying attention to something,
0:38:02 > 0:38:05that becomes the most important thing in the world to them.
0:38:05 > 0:38:08You know, the common mistake is somebody says to their dog,
0:38:08 > 0:38:09"Leave that thing alone!" And, of course,
0:38:09 > 0:38:11they're bringing attention to it.
0:38:11 > 0:38:14So, the dog says, "Oh, I'd better go and investigate that."
0:38:14 > 0:38:16So we've got to be very wary about what
0:38:16 > 0:38:18we might inadvertently draw their attention to.
0:38:18 > 0:38:19Absolutely, yeah.
0:38:19 > 0:38:22OK. I'm really curious to see what the cats do now.
0:38:22 > 0:38:25Yeah, I am too cos we've done some sort of preliminary work,
0:38:25 > 0:38:27but we've never done exactly this study.
0:38:27 > 0:38:30- So, we don't know how it's going to go. So, let's see.- OK.
0:38:35 > 0:38:38There we go. Ignores the owner, goes for the food.
0:38:38 > 0:38:41'Despite their owner's efforts, the cats go for the plate
0:38:41 > 0:38:42'with more food.'
0:38:58 > 0:39:00That was utterly fascinating.
0:39:00 > 0:39:01What an eye-opener.
0:39:01 > 0:39:04Such different behaviour between these two species.
0:39:04 > 0:39:06Yeah, yeah, really neat, you know.
0:39:06 > 0:39:07The cat makes the decision and says,
0:39:07 > 0:39:09"Actually, I'll look after myself first,
0:39:09 > 0:39:13"I'll go for the food and yeah, I like my owner,
0:39:13 > 0:39:15"but actually there's food there - that's my priority."
0:39:15 > 0:39:19So, does that boil down to the fact that it's a solitary animal that was
0:39:19 > 0:39:23pretty much left to its own devices during the domestication process?
0:39:23 > 0:39:25Very different to how dogs are domesticated.
0:39:25 > 0:39:29Yeah. So, we've bred dogs to really focus on us and that's what...
0:39:29 > 0:39:32Because we've got to work with them in a lot of situations,
0:39:32 > 0:39:35but the downside is that can lead them into trouble.
0:39:35 > 0:39:37Whereas, in the cats, when we domesticated them,
0:39:37 > 0:39:40they really came in from the cold to go and hunt for the rats and mice
0:39:40 > 0:39:43and we don't tell them which rat or mouse we want killed.
0:39:43 > 0:39:44We just want them out of the grain store.
0:39:44 > 0:39:48And as a result, they think for themselves and that, for me,
0:39:48 > 0:39:50makes for a really interesting pet.
0:39:53 > 0:39:56So, a dog's ability to read and obey our signals
0:39:56 > 0:39:58can be counterproductive at times.
0:39:58 > 0:40:02I know, I know, but the thing is we're talking about petability here
0:40:02 > 0:40:05and what this shows is that dogs have evolved to be closer to humans.
0:40:05 > 0:40:08So, in my mind, that makes them the better pet.
0:40:09 > 0:40:11Yes, but there is a potential downside.
0:40:11 > 0:40:14'You see, dogs' closeness to us can make them prone
0:40:14 > 0:40:17'to suffering separation anxiety.
0:40:17 > 0:40:21'So, I decided to investigate this with my own dogs.'
0:40:21 > 0:40:24Meet Itchy and Scratchy, my two black poodles.
0:40:24 > 0:40:26They're 12 and a half years old now,
0:40:26 > 0:40:31though I've had them since they were little six-week-old puppies
0:40:31 > 0:40:36and you know, I'm not ashamed to say to you that
0:40:36 > 0:40:39I love these dogs as much as I love my stepdaughter or my partner.
0:40:39 > 0:40:41They're a MASSIVE part of my life.
0:40:43 > 0:40:45I wouldn't normally leave them on their own, but today,
0:40:45 > 0:40:49in the interest of science, that's exactly what I am going to do.
0:40:49 > 0:40:54Cos I want to see if they miss me as much as I miss them.
0:40:55 > 0:40:56Come on, boys. Come on.
0:40:59 > 0:41:03While I've been out with the poods, Professor Daniel Mills
0:41:03 > 0:41:05has been setting up cameras all around my house,
0:41:05 > 0:41:08so we can find out if Itchy and Scratchy
0:41:08 > 0:41:10suffer from separation anxiety.
0:41:10 > 0:41:14- Hello, Dan. How are you? - Good to see you.- All right?
0:41:14 > 0:41:16'We're also going to take some physiological measures
0:41:16 > 0:41:19'to quantify their stress levels.
0:41:20 > 0:41:22'First, we collect some saliva,
0:41:22 > 0:41:25'so we can measure the levels of the stress hormone - cortisol.
0:41:27 > 0:41:30'Next, we measure their ear temperature,
0:41:30 > 0:41:35'which Daniel's latest research shows is an indicator of stress.'
0:41:35 > 0:41:37When they're happy, then often the left ear seems to be warmer
0:41:37 > 0:41:40than the right ear, and you can see that the left ear's
0:41:40 > 0:41:43actually about a degree higher than the right ear at the moment.
0:41:43 > 0:41:44Good lad.
0:41:44 > 0:41:46- Happy dogs at the moment. - Happy dogs.
0:41:47 > 0:41:50'Lastly, we're putting on heart rate monitors
0:41:50 > 0:41:52'to measure their pulse.
0:41:52 > 0:41:56'We want to see if all of these measures of stress increase
0:41:56 > 0:41:58'when I leave the house.
0:41:58 > 0:42:01'So, now it's time for me to pretend to pack up and go.'
0:42:02 > 0:42:05This is the bit they really don't like.
0:42:05 > 0:42:07Chris Packham packing.
0:42:08 > 0:42:11So, I'll just make sure that they see that I've got
0:42:11 > 0:42:14all my normal things. There's my wash bag, look at that.
0:42:14 > 0:42:17You know that when the binoculars go,
0:42:17 > 0:42:19the man who looks at birds is going.
0:42:19 > 0:42:22'The dogs might look calm here, but their hearts are racing
0:42:22 > 0:42:26'at over 225 beats a minute -
0:42:26 > 0:42:29'a sure sign that they're stressed by the impending separation.'
0:42:31 > 0:42:35Sorry, boys. I know, I know.
0:42:35 > 0:42:38This is where it really sinks in. See you later.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41See you later and you. See you later, too.
0:42:41 > 0:42:42Yeah.
0:42:44 > 0:42:47Look at the looks on their faces.
0:42:47 > 0:42:48All right, let's get this over quick.
0:42:48 > 0:42:52OK, you guys better step out and I'll lock up.
0:42:52 > 0:42:53OK.
0:42:54 > 0:42:55Sorry, boys.
0:42:58 > 0:42:59Here we are.
0:43:00 > 0:43:03Oh, boys. No, no, no, you can't come. You can't come.
0:43:03 > 0:43:05You can't come, seriously.
0:43:05 > 0:43:07THEY WHINE
0:43:11 > 0:43:13I feel mean, I feel mean.
0:43:13 > 0:43:15Oh, dear.
0:43:15 > 0:43:18There's a good scientific reason for this, of course.
0:43:18 > 0:43:20See you, boys, goodbye!
0:43:22 > 0:43:25When I shut the door, their heart rate spikes again.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29'I join Daniel to watch them on the monitor.
0:43:29 > 0:43:32'I've never actually seen what happens after I've gone,
0:43:32 > 0:43:34'so I am genuinely curious...
0:43:34 > 0:43:35'but worried.'
0:43:44 > 0:43:46I feel really bad, honestly.
0:43:49 > 0:43:53This seems terrible to me. Absolutely terrible.
0:43:53 > 0:43:56Why is it, Dan, that they get so upset like this?
0:43:56 > 0:43:58It can be that they're just frustrated
0:43:58 > 0:44:02and they want to get out, but we're not seeing that here.
0:44:02 > 0:44:04And the other option is that it's the relationship with you
0:44:04 > 0:44:07and they're so dependent on you for their safety and security,
0:44:07 > 0:44:09when you go it's really hard.
0:44:09 > 0:44:11It's like a mother leaving her baby, to be honest, and
0:44:11 > 0:44:15- from that baby's point of view, it's a life-and-death situation.- Yeah.
0:44:17 > 0:44:18I mean, I don't leave them often.
0:44:18 > 0:44:21I normally leave them with a lady that looks after then.
0:44:21 > 0:44:23So, this situation is rare.
0:44:23 > 0:44:26I knew it would be bad. I didn't think it would be quite this bad,
0:44:26 > 0:44:28- to be quite honest with you. - Yeah, I'm...
0:44:28 > 0:44:30I can assure you, I've seen a lot worse than this.
0:44:30 > 0:44:32THEY WHINE
0:44:35 > 0:44:37- So, now I should go back in. - Yep.
0:44:37 > 0:44:39- See you in a minute.- OK.
0:44:40 > 0:44:42'It's now been half an hour.
0:44:42 > 0:44:45'Time to get the rest of the data.'
0:44:45 > 0:44:46Boys!
0:44:49 > 0:44:51THEY BARK Boys!
0:44:51 > 0:44:54Hello, boys. Hello!
0:44:54 > 0:44:55Oh, I'm a terrible person!
0:44:55 > 0:44:57Come on in.
0:44:57 > 0:44:59I know. Oh, I know, I know, I know.
0:44:59 > 0:45:02'I quickly take another saliva sample to see
0:45:02 > 0:45:05'if being left alone by me has made the cortisol go up...'
0:45:05 > 0:45:06Good boy.
0:45:06 > 0:45:08'and we measure their ear temperate again too.'
0:45:08 > 0:45:13I know. What a rotten person I was. I was pretending.
0:45:13 > 0:45:15I wasn't even gone. I was just outside!
0:45:15 > 0:45:19Ha-ha! But we've collected loads of data, yes.
0:45:19 > 0:45:23Back at the clinic, it's now been analysed.
0:45:23 > 0:45:27I've got to say, I always knew that Itchy and Scratchy got stressed
0:45:27 > 0:45:29when I left, but I didn't think it would be THAT bad.
0:45:29 > 0:45:30It was terrible.
0:45:30 > 0:45:34I felt terrible and, to that end, I have honestly only left them
0:45:34 > 0:45:37on their own twice since that.
0:45:37 > 0:45:39I'll do everything I can to minimise it.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42But I've got to say, the scientist in me still wants to know
0:45:42 > 0:45:45the results and Butty Villiers here,
0:45:45 > 0:45:48head of the Path Lab, has got the cortisol results.
0:45:48 > 0:45:52Yes, Chris. Well, I'm afraid for Itchy we didn't get enough saliva,
0:45:52 > 0:45:54but for Scratchy we have got some results.
0:45:54 > 0:45:57So this here is the level before the separation at 64
0:45:57 > 0:46:00and then afterwards when you came back and got the second sample,
0:46:00 > 0:46:04it went up to 166 and that is a significant increase.
0:46:04 > 0:46:07There is a bit of variation in dogs throughout the day, but not
0:46:07 > 0:46:10this much and so that really does correspond to a stress response.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12- That's down to stress? - Yes, exactly, yes.
0:46:12 > 0:46:14- What about the ears? We were looking at those as well.- Yes.
0:46:14 > 0:46:17We found that after separation, the temperature in the right ear
0:46:17 > 0:46:20was higher than the left ear and the right side of the brain
0:46:20 > 0:46:24is where you have more activity in negative emotional states and,
0:46:24 > 0:46:27according to Daniel's latest ongoing work, it's a sign of distress.
0:46:27 > 0:46:29- So that hot ear...- Yes.
0:46:29 > 0:46:31- Was showing mental distress? - Indeed it was.
0:46:31 > 0:46:34So we've got metabolic and mental distress in my poodles
0:46:34 > 0:46:36- when I've gone out the door.- Yes.
0:46:36 > 0:46:38Not at all happy about this, but then again,
0:46:38 > 0:46:41I shouldn't be surprised really because studies have shown that
0:46:41 > 0:46:45up to 70% of dogs at some point in their lives
0:46:45 > 0:46:48show separation anxiety.
0:46:48 > 0:46:51I have to say, although I'm batting for the dogs here,
0:46:51 > 0:46:52this is a bit of a downside.
0:46:52 > 0:46:57They're so dependent upon us that sometimes we upset them.
0:46:57 > 0:47:00The vast majority of people want to give their pets
0:47:00 > 0:47:03as much love and care as possible.
0:47:03 > 0:47:06But most dogs demand almost the same amount of attention
0:47:06 > 0:47:08as a small child does
0:47:08 > 0:47:11and cats are just not as demanding
0:47:11 > 0:47:14and that can make them much easier pets to keep.
0:47:14 > 0:47:17But what do cats get up to when they're alone?
0:47:19 > 0:47:23Bob lives in Bristol with his owner, Karen, who works full time.
0:47:23 > 0:47:27But when Karen goes out, Bob isn't pining at home.
0:47:27 > 0:47:29Like many cats, he has his own independent life.
0:47:31 > 0:47:34So Karen, tell me when you first got Bob?
0:47:34 > 0:47:36Bob moved in about four years ago.
0:47:36 > 0:47:38I came home one day and he was standing in the kitchen
0:47:38 > 0:47:40and he just never left. That was it.
0:47:40 > 0:47:43So you didn't acquire Bob, Bob acquired you.
0:47:43 > 0:47:46Bob acquired me. That's Bob's style.
0:47:46 > 0:47:48Bob chooses who he wants to live with.
0:47:48 > 0:47:52How much do you know about what Bob gets up to when you're at work?
0:47:52 > 0:47:54I think he wanders a lot round Bristol.
0:47:54 > 0:47:58But it's kind of OK because Bob's character suits my lifestyle.
0:47:58 > 0:48:01So I'll go out during the day and Bob goes out during the day and I'll
0:48:01 > 0:48:04come home at night and I know that he's been completely entertained,
0:48:04 > 0:48:08that he'll have probably gone into half a dozen houses.
0:48:08 > 0:48:10He pimps his way around Bristol.
0:48:10 > 0:48:14I mean it's like... It is like having a philandering husband.
0:48:14 > 0:48:18He... He's here most of the time, but I know I'm not exclusive.
0:48:18 > 0:48:21And actually that ... I'm cool with that. That's fine.
0:48:21 > 0:48:24I wouldn't be cool if it were the husband.
0:48:24 > 0:48:27OK, Karen. What we're going to do is attach this little tracker
0:48:27 > 0:48:30and cat camera to Bob
0:48:30 > 0:48:34so we can see exactly where he wanders to today.
0:48:35 > 0:48:37You're all set, Bob.
0:48:39 > 0:48:42While Karen goes off to work, Bob heads out on his daily rounds.
0:48:42 > 0:48:44Let's see what he gets up to.
0:49:01 > 0:49:04Right then, our trusty tracker and cat cam should tell us
0:49:04 > 0:49:06a lot more about Bob's social life.
0:49:06 > 0:49:09But I've also heard of a couple of places nearby
0:49:09 > 0:49:12that Bob does visit so I'm going to check them out now.
0:49:19 > 0:49:20- Hi.- Hi.
0:49:20 > 0:49:22- Are you Kate?- Yes. - I'm Liz.- Hi Liz.
0:49:22 > 0:49:24- Nice to meet you. How are you? - Good.
0:49:24 > 0:49:27- You know I'm here to ask you about Bob.- Yes, Bob.- Bob the cat.
0:49:27 > 0:49:30I'm beginning to understand that he visits a lot of people around here.
0:49:30 > 0:49:32Well, apparently but we didn't know that
0:49:32 > 0:49:35when we thought we'd got a new cat.
0:49:35 > 0:49:38So he visits you fairly regularly, then?
0:49:38 > 0:49:41Oh, yeah, yeah. Well, he thinks he lives here.
0:49:41 > 0:49:43- Right.- And I thought he did.
0:49:43 > 0:49:45- LAUGHS - Till I found out.
0:49:45 > 0:49:48That he only lives with you for a short amount of time
0:49:48 > 0:49:50and he lives in other places along the time too.
0:49:50 > 0:49:51He's a tart.
0:49:52 > 0:49:55I don't know how he fitted us all in now I know what he's been up to.
0:49:57 > 0:50:00Like many cats, Bob seems to have
0:50:00 > 0:50:01adopted more than one home
0:50:01 > 0:50:05and he comes and goes between them as he pleases.
0:50:05 > 0:50:09He's also been known to visit the local school, Clifton College,
0:50:09 > 0:50:11which is over a mile away.
0:50:11 > 0:50:15- So I believe you've had a feline visitor to the college.- Yeah.
0:50:15 > 0:50:17A couple of years ago we had a cat.
0:50:17 > 0:50:19In fact, he followed me down this corridor and he...
0:50:19 > 0:50:22Just on the left here is a history classroom
0:50:22 > 0:50:24and he went into a lesson there.
0:50:24 > 0:50:27The teacher obviously said, you know, "Get out, we don't want cats in here."
0:50:27 > 0:50:30So he followed me back and my office is just through that door,
0:50:30 > 0:50:33- just to the right there and he came in. I bought a photo to show you.- Aw...
0:50:33 > 0:50:36He's obviously the most sociable cat in Clifton.
0:50:36 > 0:50:37- SHE LAUGHS - Clearly.
0:50:39 > 0:50:42But today Bob is sticking closer to home.
0:50:42 > 0:50:45So I'm dropping in on another neighbour he regularly visits.
0:50:48 > 0:50:50- Hello.- Hi. - Are you Andrea?- Yes.
0:50:50 > 0:50:52- I'm Liz, nice to meet you. - Oh, hello, Liz.
0:50:52 > 0:50:54I hear that Bob sometimes comes to visit you.
0:50:54 > 0:50:57- Can we have a chat about that for a quick second?- He does.
0:50:57 > 0:50:59- He's actually here at the moment. - Is he here?- Yes.
0:50:59 > 0:51:03- Amazing. Can I have a look? - Do, yes.- That's such good news.
0:51:03 > 0:51:05All right, sweetheart.
0:51:05 > 0:51:06Where did you first meet him?
0:51:06 > 0:51:09Well, I was sitting here...
0:51:09 > 0:51:11in the lounge with the back door open
0:51:11 > 0:51:15and he suddenly jumped up on my knee out of nowhere...
0:51:15 > 0:51:17LIZ CHUCKLES
0:51:17 > 0:51:19..and made himself comfortable
0:51:19 > 0:51:22and sat there as if he had been here forever.
0:51:22 > 0:51:24He kept coming back
0:51:24 > 0:51:28and made himself a part of my life, really,
0:51:28 > 0:51:31which was very nice because it was lovely to have the cat
0:51:31 > 0:51:33but not the responsibility.
0:51:35 > 0:51:40So when it comes to independence, cats beat dogs by leaps and bounds.
0:51:40 > 0:51:43It's now three-all.
0:51:43 > 0:51:45Which brings us to the final round.
0:51:45 > 0:51:48Now they say that love makes the world go round,
0:51:48 > 0:51:54but do our beloved pets actually love US?
0:51:58 > 0:52:00I can tell you one thing, Liz, I'm pretty convinced...
0:52:00 > 0:52:04I know it's going to sound subjective, that my dogs love me
0:52:04 > 0:52:06as much as I love them
0:52:06 > 0:52:09and I just can't see that coming from a cat.
0:52:09 > 0:52:11Aren't they just too independent for that?
0:52:11 > 0:52:14Well, cats behave in fundamentally different ways to dogs,
0:52:14 > 0:52:16but does that mean they don't love us?
0:52:16 > 0:52:20All you cat owners out there I'm sure will swear that your cats love you.
0:52:20 > 0:52:23But we can't ask our cats or indeed our dogs,
0:52:23 > 0:52:26- so we've got to turn to science to get some answers.- Mmm.
0:52:27 > 0:52:31In California, we commissioned the world's first scientific study
0:52:31 > 0:52:34to see if cats can love their owners.
0:52:36 > 0:52:39Professor Paul Zak, from Claremont Graduate University,
0:52:39 > 0:52:41is known as the "love doctor".
0:52:41 > 0:52:45He's an expert on the biochemistry that underlies bonding in mammals.
0:52:45 > 0:52:49All mammals make a chemical in their brains called oxytocin
0:52:49 > 0:52:51and it helps them form social bonds.
0:52:51 > 0:52:55These include bonds between mothers and offspring
0:52:55 > 0:52:57and between males and females.
0:52:57 > 0:53:01It's released during birth, breast-feeding and sex.
0:53:01 > 0:53:05Oxytocin really is the gold standard to assess
0:53:05 > 0:53:08if two creatures love each other.
0:53:10 > 0:53:14Paul is testing cats and dogs to see if being with their owners
0:53:14 > 0:53:16affects their oxytocin levels.
0:53:19 > 0:53:24He's recruited cat and dog owners who are all very much in love
0:53:24 > 0:53:26with their pets and believe their pets love them back.
0:53:28 > 0:53:30I feel like we have an emotional connection. I do.
0:53:30 > 0:53:33I think that she definitely loves me out of the family.
0:53:33 > 0:53:36These dogs absolutely do love me.
0:53:36 > 0:53:38These dogs are like the children that I never had.
0:53:38 > 0:53:41She likes me.
0:53:41 > 0:53:45She loves Stuart and she has picked him as her person.
0:53:45 > 0:53:48I think he loves us a lot and he's attached to us.
0:53:48 > 0:53:52Currently it's a love-hate relationship.
0:53:52 > 0:53:56I think they like us. What do you think? Do you like me, dog?
0:53:56 > 0:53:58Yeah, you do? OK.
0:53:59 > 0:54:02A couple of small-scale studies have shown that when owners interact
0:54:02 > 0:54:04with their dogs,
0:54:04 > 0:54:07the human and the dog appear to release oxytocin.
0:54:07 > 0:54:10Cats and oxytocin release have never been studied
0:54:10 > 0:54:15so we designed an experiment to test cats versus dogs.
0:54:15 > 0:54:16Where's your puppy?
0:54:16 > 0:54:21Paul and vet Zara get a baseline measurement of the animal's oxytocin levels.
0:54:23 > 0:54:24We'll put them in a room with their owners.
0:54:24 > 0:54:26Let's go see John.
0:54:26 > 0:54:29Allow them to play in any way that they normally do.
0:54:29 > 0:54:33The owners now have ten minutes to stroke and make a fuss over their beloved pets.
0:54:33 > 0:54:36They said you're a good boy.
0:54:36 > 0:54:39After which it's time to measure their oxytocin levels again.
0:54:39 > 0:54:41We'll take another sample from the animal
0:54:41 > 0:54:45and we'll look at the change from baseline on oxytocin.
0:54:45 > 0:54:49Paul prepares the samples to be sent off to the lab for analysis.
0:54:49 > 0:54:53So this is the plasma, oxytocin lives in here
0:54:53 > 0:54:56and in two weeks after we analyse it, we'll find out
0:54:56 > 0:55:00how much oxytocin went up after this animal played with its owner
0:55:00 > 0:55:03and that will tell us how much dogs and cats love their owners.
0:55:08 > 0:55:11What can I say, this is the moment of truth and I'm very pleased
0:55:11 > 0:55:14to say that Paul Zak has come all the way from California.
0:55:14 > 0:55:15- Thanks for coming over.- Right.
0:55:15 > 0:55:18- I'm excited about this. I know you are too.- OK.
0:55:18 > 0:55:20- Will we start with dogs? - Let's start with dogs.
0:55:20 > 0:55:23In our survey we asked our dog and cat owners
0:55:23 > 0:55:26whether they thought that their dogs loved them or not.
0:55:26 > 0:55:28Now 3% said no,
0:55:28 > 0:55:32and a whopping 94% of people, like myself,
0:55:32 > 0:55:34are convinced that their dogs love them.
0:55:34 > 0:55:37But Paul, what did the oxytocin tell us?
0:55:37 > 0:55:40So the science supports the survey. It does?
0:55:40 > 0:55:43We found an average increase in oxytocin
0:55:43 > 0:55:46when dogs played with their owners of 57.2%.
0:55:46 > 0:55:50Does that mean that the dogs genuinely love us?
0:55:50 > 0:55:54Probably. We really don't know what love feels like to dogs.
0:55:54 > 0:55:57But at least the physiology that mammals have for love
0:55:57 > 0:56:00is being stimulated when these dogs play with their owners.
0:56:00 > 0:56:03So we have pretty good evidence that dogs actually love their humans.
0:56:03 > 0:56:06- What about that? Dogs love us. - Your dogs love you, Chris.
0:56:06 > 0:56:08Oh, well, I... I knew.
0:56:08 > 0:56:11Enough about you. It's not all about you.
0:56:11 > 0:56:13- Can we...- You can try and trump it, if you like.
0:56:13 > 0:56:16Could we now talk about the cats?
0:56:16 > 0:56:17Our survey said that
0:56:17 > 0:56:1922% of you thought,
0:56:19 > 0:56:21"No, my cat doesn't love me."
0:56:21 > 0:56:2566% of you, though, thought that your cats did indeed love you.
0:56:25 > 0:56:27Paul, what did you get with your oxytocin results?
0:56:27 > 0:56:30- So this is a first scientific study...- Ever?
0:56:30 > 0:56:32..of oxytocin in cats.
0:56:32 > 0:56:33So very exciting.
0:56:33 > 0:56:36- Only ten cats, so the results are preliminary.- Mm-hm.
0:56:36 > 0:56:39We find an average increase in oxytocin of 12%.
0:56:39 > 0:56:43OK, so that's an increase. I know what you're going to say.
0:56:43 > 0:56:46They don't love their owners as much as dogs but they DO love them.
0:56:46 > 0:56:48Hang on a second.
0:56:48 > 0:56:51Can we actually say that just because the increase in oxytocin isn't quite as high
0:56:51 > 0:56:55as that in dogs, that they don't love their owners as much?
0:56:55 > 0:56:58It's a very small sample so it's got to be replicated.
0:56:58 > 0:57:01In addition, cats are territorial and we put them
0:57:01 > 0:57:03in my laboratory, which is an unusual setting for them.
0:57:03 > 0:57:05But they produced oxytocin.
0:57:05 > 0:57:08That's really quite extraordinary.
0:57:08 > 0:57:10That's right. The first time we've seen this in science.
0:57:10 > 0:57:14So it means, at least for now, cats at least, some of the time,
0:57:14 > 0:57:15seem to really bond to their owners.
0:57:15 > 0:57:17Well, thank you so much. Fascinating stuff.
0:57:17 > 0:57:19It's remarkable. Thank you.
0:57:19 > 0:57:21I don't know about you but that, for me, confirms that
0:57:21 > 0:57:25cats are capable of forming very strong bonds with their owners.
0:57:25 > 0:57:26That's pretty extraordinary.
0:57:26 > 0:57:28It's pretty extraordinary but...
0:57:28 > 0:57:30- Dogs love us more. - Stop it.
0:57:30 > 0:57:32Just stop it.
0:57:35 > 0:57:37Yes, the score's 4-3,
0:57:37 > 0:57:41making dogs our overall champions tonight.
0:57:41 > 0:57:42And there you have it.
0:57:42 > 0:57:47Two shows, two pets and a lot of new science.
0:57:47 > 0:57:49Tonight the dogs have romped ahead.
0:57:49 > 0:57:53They really are man's best friend.
0:57:53 > 0:57:57But last time, cats reached new heights with their superior
0:57:57 > 0:57:59senses and athletic abilities.
0:57:59 > 0:58:01When all's said and done,
0:58:01 > 0:58:03they're both remarkable animals
0:58:03 > 0:58:04and which would make the best pet
0:58:04 > 0:58:07is, in fact, not down to them, it's down to you.
0:58:07 > 0:58:10It's down to your personality, your lifestyle.
0:58:10 > 0:58:13But one thing's for sure, the more you put into that pet,
0:58:13 > 0:58:16the more you love it, the greater chance there is you'll find
0:58:16 > 0:58:19yourself the perfect friend, the perfect companion.
0:58:19 > 0:58:23And many happy, stress-busted years with a loving pet.
0:58:23 > 0:58:25I say get one of each, actually.
0:58:25 > 0:58:26- One of each?!- Yeah.
0:58:26 > 0:58:29- I'm not sure about that. - Goodbye.- Bye.