Dogs and Moving Pictures

Kaipara and Waitemata Echo, 14 August 1914, Page 8

Dogs and Moving Pictures

A moving picture show was,recently given in Loodon to determine \tfhat effect a cinematograph picture had on the intelligence of animals. A series of motion pictures were reeled off in a darkened room before an audience of prize dogs. First some pictures of a dog chow were run through. The dogs walked up and had a look at it, and turned away, obviously bore.l and uninterested. Evidently the subject was too familiar. They woke up, however, when an. elephant came splashing into a pool of water and •appeared to be walking into the room. A massive bulldog made a dash for the screen. With his hear! up and ears pricked, he got readj to attack, and the whole audienct barked and bayed in blood-curdling discord. Pictures of birds calso irritated them, but when other animals were shown they quickly recog nised that they were not looking at the real thing, and in a few seconds quietened down completely. The general result of the experiment seemed to be that dogs do not understand still pictures, but that they appreciate motion, though it very largely depends upon the nature of the thing moving.