When it comes to domesticated pets, cats and dogs are perhaps some of the most common. But the number of pigs being taken in as domesticated pets as opposed to being raised for slaughter is on the rise.
Pigs are intelligent creatures, which may lead some to wonder whether they’re as smart as domesticated dogs. While it’s challenging to know for sure, one science experiment involving food and human companions showed both creatures to have similar levels of intelligence and also suggested that dogs are more social animals than pigs are.
In this experiment, owners pointed dogs and pigs to a food dish, and the dogs continuously went where the owners pointed. The pigs seemed to have a mind of their own, walking to the dish of their choice. At the end of the experiment, the dogs stared at the humans much longer than the pigs did, with the latter walking away and finding something else to do afterward.
The findings aren’t particularly surprising given that dogs have been domesticated for several thousand more years than pigs, but it’s undoubtedly captivating to see how both types of animals respond to human interaction, especially in the face of a free and tasty treat.
The results don’t necessarily suggest that one animal is smarter than the other, but instead validates the fact that these are two very different animals with different evolutionary histories.
