Dogs prefer belly rubs over treats

By Sean Dowling, Buzz60

When it comes to dogs, do you think they prefer a nice belly rub or a delicious treat?

While the dog from the Beggin' Strips commercial is always thrilled about devouring his treat, chances are he actually would have preferred a nice pat on the head, according to new research.

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Scientists at Emory University wanted to see if dogs value human companionship more than food. This led them to conduct brain scans of 15 dogs while presenting objects paired with rewards.

For example, after the dogs were shown a toy car, their owners would praise them.

Take a peek at these adorable puppies:

In another test, researchers gave the dogs a toy horse and a piece of hot dog on a feeding stick without any human interaction.

The scans showed that when praised, 13 of the 15 dogs showed equal or greater levels of brain activity associated with the area that controls decision-making and signals rewards than when they received food.

Another test had the dogs run through a Y-shaped maze. Their owner would stand on one end -- and the other end would have a big bowl of food.

Most dogs weren't tempted by the food and instead preferred to run to their owner for a belly rub.

Researchers suggest organizations use brain scans to see if a dog is a better fit for a certain job.

Therapy dogs do best with human interaction, while search and rescue dogs can do without the treats and find enough motivation in the treats that come after a job well done.

Now, feed a dog a treat while having his belly rubbed and you've got a pooch in paradise.