If you're a dog owner who has ever come home on a Friday night after drinking a little too much, you've probably wondered if your dog judged you for puking in the bathroom.
Well, chances are, you could be right.
According to a study published in the journal Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews and highlighted by New Scientist, your dog knows when you're being an asshole, and it uses that information to decide how it should interact with other humans.
During the study, dog owners were asked to participate in a lil' bit of play acting, during which they pretended to struggle with opening a container.
Then, they turned to two researchers who were part of the scene and asked for help.
In the first condition, one bystander would offer to help, and the other would stand there passively ignoring the request.
In the second condition, one researcher would be a real dick face and say something like, "GET A JOB, LOSER. LEARN TO OPEN YOUR OWN CONTAINERS!" while the other researcher continued to do nothing.
After acting out both conditions, the bystanders would offer the dog a treat to see if it showed any kind of preference for where the food came from.
Interestingly enough, in the second condition, the dog would shun the jerk-faced researcher for the treat that was being offered by the researcher who was passive.
What this led researchers to argue is that amazingly, dogs have a sense of morality similar to that of human babies. So when they see antisocial behavior, they actually have an emotional reaction to it.
This probably comes as a surprise to everyone in the world with the exception of every single person who has a dog.
So yeah, maybe your canine buddies aren't judging you for throwing up in the toilet, but they're more likely to side with the porcelain throne if it were to grow arms and offer them treat.
Citations: Your Dog Is Judging You For Being A Jerk (NYmag)
