[Jeff Higgins]

I have to admit I have never considered the possibility of any kind of ethical code among animals. That would be something to see. Have they pursued that with Koko? In my admittedly limited experience with dogs and other domestic animals, I have never seen any indication of this. Maybe because it never occured to me to look for it. The only decision making criteria I have picked up on with my dogs has been based on a very simple reward vs. punishment "decision gate" that they use. "If I do this, he'll clobber me; if I do this, he'll pet me and feed me" is about as far as I have seen it go. If they do not know you are watching, even this simple decison gate is not used - possibly the simplest form of "situational ethics". Dogs very much do whatever they think they can get away with no matter how well trained. They are even worse than kids that way.