Dogs and Moving Pictures

King Country Chronicle, Volume IX, Issue 793, 4 August 1915, Page 3

Dogs and Moving Pictures

A moving picture.show was,recently'given in Loodoti to -determine what effect a cinematograph picture had on the intelligence of animals. A series of motion pictures were reeled off in darkened room before an audience of prize dogs.

First some picture. 7 ; "f a dog chow were run through. The dogs walked up and had a look at it. and turned away, obviously bore. I and uninterested. E\ idently 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 head up and ears pricked, he got ready to attack, and the whole audience barked and bayed in blood-curdling discord. , Pictures'of'birds also irritated them, but when other animals were shown they quickly recognised 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 "•he thing moving.