Can Wolves Tell the Time?

Asked by: James Lunn

Amidst the excitement of playing What’s the Time Mr Wolf, James Lunn spotted a flaw in the logic of this popular playground game… can Mr Wolf actually tell the time? 

Our investigation begins with a general look at animals and their perception of time, using dogs as an example. All species of dog descend from grey wolves (yes, even chihuahuas) and their DNA is proven to be almost identical to that of their ancestors (according to research published by UCLA in 1997) therefore it can be inferred that their inherent comprehension of time is very similar. Any dog owner would argue that Rover definitely knows when it is dinnertime, and therefore can perceive what time of day it is, but is this because of a biologically built-in ticker, or is it because he has become accustomed to the rituals that precede dinnertime? 

William A. Roberts’ study Are Animals Stuck in Time compares humans and animals in their abilities to perceive time. Roberts states that because humans, ‘can remember events having occurred at particular times in the past… and anticipate new events occurring at particular times in the future,’ they therefore have a sense of time, aided by time-keeping technology. In contrast, ‘animals have no episodic memory or ability to anticipate long-range future events.’ Roberts goes on to discuss how animals can detect time of day, remember a pattern of events and therefore anticipate ritualistic events, but not remember or anticipate unique events. So in the same way that a wolf may gauge time of day by the position of the sun in the sky, domesticated dogs have learnt the pattern of a day and the rituals that signify events, i.e. when master puts his/her coat on, it must be time for a walk. Studies have shown that if a dog is exposed to a strict routine, like being given food at the same time every day, and then the routine is not adhered to, the dog will still wait by its food bowl at the usual time. Jill Connor Ph.D. backs up this theory in her article Canine Behaviour, stating, 

‘Dogs understand “time” in terms of our behavior and the anticipation of what happens next: i.e., a dog will learn how soon an owner is about to perform a habitual routine that occurs consistently enough to reinforce the dog’s perceptions, such as leaving the house. Most people have unconscious routines, behave in certain ways without deliberation.’(Jil Connor Ph.D. 2010)

So animals can detect time of day, but are they just living moment by moment, or can they perceive how much time has passed? Were you to pop to the shop, or go on holiday for 2 weeks, would your dog be just as excited at your return? Research has shown that they are far more aware of time passage than expected. Dogs left in kennels for extended periods show signs of depression (Shen Brave, Helium), and on advisory websites such as the People and Dogs Society it advises, ‘[dogs] are prone to depression if left totally alone for long periods of time.’ Amazingly in 2007 this prompted drugs company Eli Lilly, the makers of Prozac, to launch an anti-depressant for dogs, as the Times reported, ‘more than 10 million US dogs exhibit strange symptoms from being left alone too long.’ (Jenny Booth, The Times 2007)

As humans, our perception of time has proven to be very abstract – being able to anticipate unique events in the future, or knowing when a particular event happened in the past, are abilities we have developed for necessity and as part of our self-awareness. Such regimented systems as calendars and clocks are unnecessary for dogs and wolves, and beyond an ability to detect time of day and knowing lengths of time are passing, only Dr Dolittle will ever know whether dogs understand time as humans do.

So the moral of this story? Don’t be afraid to question the timekeeping credentials of Mr Wolf… although be warned, he will always know when it is dinnertime.

Written by Jenny Brewer

Reference

[Are Animals Stuck in Time – William A. Roberts, University of Western Ontario, copyright of the American Psychological Association]