What is it about dogs and their eagerness to make owners so happy? The latest research from Abertay University in Dundee suggests that a dog's ability to anticipate its human companion's every whim isn't necessarily a result of training. From the Telegraph:
It is predicted that dogs will be able to perform basic chores without being told or trained to, such as retrieving a paper, due to their increased cognitive abilities.

Clare Cunningham, the leader of this project, said: "As dogs have become domesticated, one of the abilities that has been selected for is attending to human behaviour. As they get to know particular humans, they pay more attention to them and this may mean they can read, and even predict human behaviour with more efficiency as familiarity grows."
What's even more interesting is that the shelter dogs with little or no training were found to be better at anticipating human behavior as their better-trained counterparts. This suggests that their DNA has a bigger role to play than training in a dog's cognitive development. And that is why dogs will forever be known as 'man's best friend.'