STUDY: Dogs Are Confused by Magic

A new study from the Finnish Maaginen University found that dogs do not have a good handle on simple magic tricks.

“These are not even complex illusions,” said professor Jaakko Järvenpää. “Simple sleight of hand, but pups were completely flummoxed.”

The study was accompanied by the release of two videos taken during the tests (part 1 is above, part 2 can be seen here) which show a dogs from a variety of breeds acting baffled by beginner-level magic tricks. According to Järvenpää, the results are clear: dogs just lack the brain capacity to comprehend abstract concepts like illusion.

Canine defenders disagree.

“This study is bogus,” said Antoine Gilbert of the Puppy Alliance, and organization that fights for canine rights. “Just look at who funded it and you’ll see why we should approach it with skepticism.”

Following Gilbert’s tip, The Fluffington Post has uncovered documents that indicate that the bulk of the funding for the Maaginen study came from “Scratching Post, LLC.” Scratching Post is a shell company acting on behalf of a group of wealthy cats from New York City.

Representatives from the group could not be reached for comment.

H/T: The Daily Dot.