Everyone knows that dogs like getting gifts. If you are a dog, getting gifts is pretty much right up there with going in the car, sloppy kisses, and sniffing butts.

But according to a new Austrian study published in Nature’s Scientific Reports finds that dogs also understand that sometimes it’s better to give than to receive—and not just with their human buddies. Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine found that dogs pay it forward to their dog friends, even when they don’t get anything out of it.

The dogs involved in the study were separated into two groups: one with donor dogs and one with receiver dogs. Each donor dog had to choose to pull a string with their mouths, which would either move a tray with a treat to his partner or send an empty tray over. When they donor dogs saw that a dog-friend (and not a stranger) was on the other side, they were much more likely to send a treat-tray.

“The fact that donors pulled the giving tray significantly more with the familiar receiver than in these control conditions confirms that dogs were capable of distinguishing between conditions in which the partner received food, and when they did not,” the researchers explain. “Hence, their giving behavior was not driven by a simple social facilitation response.”

The experiment was small—and only 16 dogs were tested—but this was the first study that sought to test how canines treat their chums. While they can’t say for sure what caused prosocial behavior in dogs, they expect that it might stem from their wolf ancestry who operate in a pack (or perhaps they just got soft after hanging out with humans so much).

To find out more, the researchers have called for more studies into the whys and hows behind their behavior—and if gift-giving goes as far with other animals.

But until then, it’s still safe to say your dog would love to see something special under the tree. And who knows—one day he might just return the favor.