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Bastos APM, Evenson A, Wood PM, Houghton ZN, Naranjo L, Smith GE, Cairo-Evans A, Korpos L, Terwilliger J, Raghunath S, Paul C, Hou H, Rossano F. How do soundboard-trained dogs respond to human button presses? An investigation into word comprehension. PLoS One 2024; 19:e0307189. [PMID: 39196871 PMCID: PMC11355551 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0307189] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2024] [Accepted: 07/01/2024] [Indexed: 08/30/2024] Open
Abstract
Past research on interspecies communication has shown that animals can be trained to use Augmentative Interspecies Communication (AIC) devices, such as soundboards, to make simple requests of their caretakers. The recent uptake in AIC devices by hundreds of pet owners around the world offers a novel opportunity to investigate whether AIC is possible with owner-trained family dogs. To answer this question, we carried out two studies to test pet dogs' ability to recognise and respond appropriately to food-related, play-related, and outside-related words on their soundboards. One study was conducted by researchers, and the other by citizen scientists who followed the same procedure. Further, we investigated whether these behaviours depended on the identity of the person presenting the word (unfamiliar person or dog's owner) and the mode of its presentation (spoken or produced by a pressed button). We find that dogs produced contextually appropriate behaviours for both play-related and outside-related words regardless of the identity of the person producing them and the mode in which they were produced. Therefore, pet dogs can be successfully taught by their owners to associate words recorded onto soundboard buttons to their outcomes in the real world, and they respond appropriately to these words even when they are presented in the absence of any other cues, such as the owner's body language.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amalia P. M. Bastos
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
| | - Ashley Evenson
- College of Arts and Sciences, Canisius College, Buffalo, New York, United States of America
- FluentPet, Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Patrick M. Wood
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Department of Psychological & Brain Sciences, Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, MD, United States of America
- FluentPet, Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Zachary N. Houghton
- Department of Linguistics, University of California, Davis, Davis, California, United States of America
| | - Lucas Naranjo
- FluentPet, Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
- Statistics and Operational Research Department, Universitat de València, Valencia, Spain
| | - Gabriella E. Smith
- Comparative Cognition, Messerli Research Institute, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Medical University of Vienna, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- School of Psychology and Neuroscience, University of St. Andrews, St. Andrews, United Kingdom
| | - Alexandria Cairo-Evans
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Lisa Korpos
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
- FluentPet, Inc, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Jack Terwilliger
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Sarita Raghunath
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Cassandra Paul
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Hairou Hou
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
| | - Federico Rossano
- Department of Cognitive Science, University of California, San Diego, San Diego, California, United States of America
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Ma X, Lazarowski L, Zhang Y, Krichbaum S, Smith JG, Zheng J, Cao W, Haney PS, Wilborn RR, Price SB, Singletary M, Waggoner P, Wang X. Associations between memory performance and Bifidobacterium pseudolongum abundance in the canine gut microbiome. iScience 2024; 27:109611. [PMID: 38638561 PMCID: PMC11024906 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2024.109611] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2023] [Revised: 03/18/2024] [Accepted: 03/25/2024] [Indexed: 04/20/2024] Open
Abstract
Memory has been identified as the least heritable cognitive trait in canines, suggesting a significant influence of non-genetic factors. We observed a trend that overall memory scores (OMS) improve with age in a cohort of 27 young dogs, but considerable plasticity exists. Employing linear discriminant analysis of gut microbiome data from dogs exhibiting low and high OMS, a single bacterial species, Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, was identified and confirmed to be correlated with elevated OMS. Subsequent analysis using a random forest regression model revealed that sex, litter, and breed identity had minimal predictive importance. Age had some predictive value but failed to achieve statistical significance in this dataset. In sharp contrast, the abundance of 17 bacterial taxa in the microbiome showed a stronger predictive capacity for memory performance. Our findings provide insights into microbiome underpinnings of mammalian cognitive functions and suggest avenues for developing psychobiotics to enhance canine memory and learning.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaolei Ma
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- Center for Advanced Science, Innovation and Commerce, Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Lucia Lazarowski
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Yue Zhang
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Sarah Krichbaum
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
| | - Jordan G. Smith
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
- Department of Psychological Sciences, College of Liberal Arts, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Jingyi Zheng
- Department of Mathematics and Statistics, College of Science and Mathematics, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Wenqi Cao
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Pamela S. Haney
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
| | - Robyn R. Wilborn
- Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Stuart B. Price
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Melissa Singletary
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Paul Waggoner
- Canine Performance Sciences Program, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36489, USA
- Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
| | - Xu Wang
- Department of Pathobiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
- HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Huntsville, AL 35806, USA
- Scott-Ritchey Research Center, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL 36849, USA
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Smith JG, Krichbaum S, Montgomery L, Cox E, Katz JS. A preliminary analysis of the effect of individual differences on cognitive performance in young companion dogs. Anim Cogn 2024; 27:30. [PMID: 38557907 PMCID: PMC10984887 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-024-01868-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/19/2023] [Revised: 03/04/2024] [Accepted: 03/15/2024] [Indexed: 04/04/2024]
Abstract
Many factors influence cognitive performance in dogs, including breed, temperament, rearing history, and training. Studies in working dog populations have demonstrated age-related improvements in cognitive task performance across the first years of development. However, the effect of certain factors, such as age, sex, and temperament, on cognitive performance in puppies has yet to be evaluated in a more diverse population of companion dogs. In this study, companion dogs under 12 months of age were tested once on two tasks purported to measure aspects of executive function: the delayed-search task (DST) and the detour reversal task (DRT). Owners also filled out the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) to evaluate how temperament influenced task performance. Contrary to prior research, performance did not improve with age on either task. However, the lack of age effects was likely the result of small sample sizes and individual differences across other factors influencing performance. Specifically, temperament differences as measured by the C-BARQ subscales for nonsocial fear and excitability predicted task performance on the DST, but the effect of temperament on task performance differed between males and females. Excitability also predicted performance on the DRT, but the effect depended on the age of the dog. In addition, no correlations were observed between task measures, indicating a lack of construct validity. Overall, these findings provide a preliminary analysis of factors that appear to influence cognitive task performance in young companion dogs and highlight suggestions for future research evaluating the impact of individual differences on cognitive performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jordan G Smith
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
- Canine Performance Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA.
- Auburn University, 104 Greene Hall, Auburn, AL, 36849, USA.
| | - Sarah Krichbaum
- Canine Performance Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Lane Montgomery
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Emma Cox
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
| | - Jeffrey S Katz
- Department of Psychological Sciences, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
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4
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McCartney JM, Leavens DA. The Role of Life History and Familiarity in Performance of Working and Non-Working Dogs ( Canis lupus familiaris) in a Point-Following Task. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:573. [PMID: 38396541 PMCID: PMC10885941 DOI: 10.3390/ani14040573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/18/2024] [Revised: 02/04/2024] [Accepted: 02/07/2024] [Indexed: 02/25/2024] Open
Abstract
Domestic dogs are very successful at following human communicative gestures in paradigms such as the object-choice task. Pet dogs also prefer responding to cues given by a familiar cue-giver and this had not been found in working dogs. Therefore, we tested three groups of dogs in the object-choice task (n = 54): the groups were "Actively working" dogs from working dog breeds, pet dogs from "Non-working breeds" and pet dogs from "Working breeds". We found that "Actively working" and "Working breeds" dog groups outperformed "Non-working breeds" in following a point in the object-choice task. We also found that both "Actively working" and "Working breeds" preferred a familiar cue-giver over an unfamiliar one, in contrast to previous findings. Therefore, we conclude that dogs' abilities to perform well in the object-choice task is influenced by the selective history of the breed, and this is then increased by life experience and training.
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Naughton V, Grzelak T, Naughton PJ. Association Between Household Location (Urban versus Rural) and Fundamental Care Provided to Domestic Dogs (Canis Familiaris) in Northern Ireland. ADVANCES IN EXPERIMENTAL MEDICINE AND BIOLOGY 2024; 1446:217-236. [PMID: 38625531 DOI: 10.1007/978-3-031-54192-6_10] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/17/2024]
Abstract
This study aimed to generate information regarding living conditions (e.g. indoors and outdoors, living space available), fundamental care (e.g. feeding and exercise) and owners' perceptions of dog's preferences (e.g. living conditions) in the urban and rural areas of Northern Ireland via a cross-sectional survey questionnaire. The responses were collected from May to August 2022, at 24 locations across Northern Ireland, including 15 agricultural shows and livestock markets and nine large supermarkets (single supermarket chain) located in an area of the show or market grounds. In all, 548 questionnaires were collected and after exclusion of questionnaires with missing or incomprehensible responses, 507 questionnaires were included in the final database. Out of 507 questionnaires, 264 respondents resided in a city while 243 respondents resided on farms. The majority of respondents from the city locations perceived their dogs as pets, while those living on farms regarded their dogs as working animals. The populations of dogs in the city locations and on the farms in this study were similar regarding the age range and numbers of the animals, but more female dogs were spayed in the city locations than on the farms. Most respondents in this study, regardless of their household location, declared that they did not monitor their animal's body weight or body condition. When feeding their dogs, the respondents from the city locations were predominantly following veterinary advice or instructions on food labels. On the other hand, the respondents from farm locations mostly reported that they fed their dogs based on 'a visual inspection of dog condition'; this type of feeding was associated with a certain type of household occupancy (more frequent in single and adults only households) and respondents' employment status (more frequent by retired and those managing the home). The living conditions of dogs in city and farm locations in this study were different, namely dogs in the city were kept predominantly indoors with access to outdoors while dogs from farm locations were kept predominantly outdoors. The dogs were reported to be walked daily for a shorter time (up to 1 h/day) in the city locations and longer on the farm locations (1-2 h/day). Regardless of household location (city versus farm) respondents believed that exercise needs depend on animal age, body condition and medical condition, that dogs need to be kept active by owners to keep them fit, that dogs cannot self-regulate the amount of food they eat daily, and finally that walking with a dog a few times a day is difficult due to other commitments. On the other hand, the respondents from farm locations more often believe that dogs can get all the exercise they need by themselves if kept outdoors and they are happier with living outdoors, while the respondents from city locations believed that dogs are happier with living indoors. In conclusion, the results of this study have shown a number of differences in basic care and perception of dogs kept in city locations and on farm locations. Further studies are required to understand the provision of health care and fulfilments of all welfare needs of the dogs kept on farms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Violetta Naughton
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland.
| | - Teresa Grzelak
- Department of Physiology, Poznan University of Medical Sciences, Poznan, Poland
| | - Patrick J Naughton
- School of Biomedical Sciences, University of Ulster, Cromore Road, Coleraine, Northern Ireland
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Cavalli C, Dzik MV, Barrera G, Bentosela M. Still-face effect in domestic dogs: comparing untrained with trained and animal assisted interventions dogs. Learn Behav 2023; 51:428-445. [PMID: 37407789 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-023-00589-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/01/2023] [Indexed: 07/07/2023]
Abstract
The still-face effect has been extensively studied in human infants and comprises the reduction in affiliative behaviors and increased stress that occurs after a sudden interruption of social interaction with a caregiver. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) are model candidates for showing this effect, as they form deep bonds with their owners and interspecific social interaction is reinforcing to them. The aim of these studies was to assess if companion dogs exhibit the still-face effect and whether prior experiences during ontogeny modulate this effect. To this end, Study 1 compared dogs with different levels of training (untrained, intermediate, and advanced), while Study 2 assessed dogs that participated in Animal Assisted Interventions (AAIs) and companion dogs (CDs). The procedure was carried out virtually and comprised three phases lasting 1 min: interaction, still-face (the owner turned suddenly indifferent), and reunion (the interaction was resumed). Dogs exhibited a decrease in proximity to and contact with the owner, as well as an increase in begging and stress behaviors during the still-face phase. Moreover, this was not observed in a control condition in which the interaction continued in the same way during all three phases, discarding alternative explanations for these changes. These results show that dogs experience a still-face effect in a similar way to infants, highlighting the value interspecific social interaction has for dogs. Nevertheless, the absence of differences according to their training level or participation in AAIs suggests this is a robust phenomenon, which appears to be less susceptible to the influences of ontogenetic experiences.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Cavalli
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - M V Dzik
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina
| | - G Barrera
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina
- EtoCanis - Comportamiento canino y vínculo humano - perro, Valencia, España
| | - M Bentosela
- Instituto de Investigaciones Médicas A. Lanari, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Facultad de Medicina, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Instituto de investigaciones Médicas (IDIM), Universidad de Buenos Aires, Combatientes de Malvinas 3150, Buenos Aires, Argentina.
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Chira AM, Kirby K, Epperlein T, Bräuer J. Function predicts how people treat their dogs in a global sample. Sci Rep 2023; 13:4954. [PMID: 36973319 PMCID: PMC10042878 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-31938-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/20/2023] [Indexed: 03/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Dogs have an extraordinary relationship with humans. We understand, communicate, and cooperate remarkably with our dogs. But almost all we know about dog-human bonds, dog behaviour, and dog cognition is limited to Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, Democratic (WEIRD) societies. WEIRD dogs are kept for a variety of functions, and these can influence their relationship with their owner, as well as their behaviour and performance in problem-solving tasks. But are such associations representative worldwide? Here we address this by collecting data on the function and perception of dogs in 124 globally distributed societies using the eHRAF cross-cultural database. We hypothesize that keeping dogs for multiple purposes and/or employing dogs for highly cooperative or high investment functions (e.g., herding, guarding of herds, hunting) will lead to closer dog-human bonds: increased primary caregiving (or positive care), decreased negative treatment, and attributing personhood to dogs. Our results show that indeed, the number of functions associates positively with close dog-human interactions. Further, we find increased odds of positive care in societies that use herding dogs (an effect not replicated for hunting), and increased odds of dog personhood in cultures that keep dogs for hunting. Unexpectedly, we see a substantial decrease of dog negative treatment in societies that use watchdogs. Overall, our study shows the mechanistic link between function and the characteristics of dog-human bonds in a global sample. These results are a first step towards challenging the notion that all dogs are the same, and open questions about how function and associated cultural correlates could fuel departures from the 'typical' behaviour and social-cognitive skills we commonly associate with our canine friends.
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Affiliation(s)
- Angela M Chira
- Department of Linguistic and Cultural Evolution, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Kathryn Kirby
- Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, DogStudies, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada
| | - Theresa Epperlein
- Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, DogStudies, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Am Steiger 3, 07743, Jena, Germany
| | - Juliane Bräuer
- Max Planck Institute for Geoanthropology, DogStudies, Kahlaische Strasse 10, 07745, Jena, Germany.
- Department for General Psychology and Cognitive Neuroscience, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, Am Steiger 3, 07743, Jena, Germany.
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8
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Following the human point: Research with nonhuman animals since Povinelli, Nelson, and Boysen (1990). Learn Behav 2023; 51:34-47. [PMID: 36175744 DOI: 10.3758/s13420-022-00546-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/14/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
For this special issue in honor of Dr. Sarah (Sally) Boysen's career, we review studies on point following in nonhuman animals. Of the 126 papers that we documented on this topic published since the publication of Povinelli, Nelson, and Boysen (1990, Journal of Comparative Psychology, 104, 203-210), 94 (75%) were published in the past 15 years, including 22 in the past 5 years, indicating that this topic is still an active area of interest in the field of animal behavior and cognition. We present results of a survey of publication trends, discussing the species tested and the sample sizes, and we note methodological considerations and current multilaboratory approaches. We then categorize and synthesize the research questions addressed in these studies, which have been at both the ultimate level (e.g., questions related to evolutionary adaptiveness and phylogenetic differences) and proximate level (e.g., questions related to experiential and temperamental processes). Throughout, we consider future directions for this area of research.
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Foraita M, Howell T, Bennett P. Executive Functions as Measured by the Dog Executive Function Scale (DEFS) over the Lifespan of Dogs. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:ani13030533. [PMID: 36766423 PMCID: PMC9913113 DOI: 10.3390/ani13030533] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/16/2022] [Revised: 01/10/2023] [Accepted: 01/31/2023] [Indexed: 02/05/2023] Open
Abstract
Executive Functions (EFs) are needed for effortful self-regulation of behaviour and are known to change over the lifespan in humans. In domestic dogs, EFs can be assessed through behavioural rating scales, such as the Dog Executive Function Scale (DEFS). The primary aim of this study was to investigate whether the DEFS, developed initially using a sample of adult dogs, can be used in juvenile (<1 year) and senior (>8 years) dogs. Confirmatory factor analysis of a juvenile and senior dog sample led to good model fit indices, indicating that juvenile and senior dogs' EF structure follows the same functional organisation as found in the DEFS. The secondary aim was to analyse the lifespan development of EFs. Analysis of subscale scores revealed multifaceted relationships with age for four subscales. Working Memory and Attention Towards Owner showed the u-shaped curve traditionally associated with the lifespan development of EFs. Forms of inhibition showed complex associations with age, i.e., Delay Inhibition declined in aging and Motor Regulation increased during aging. Training history and Working Status influenced performance independent of age. More highly trained dogs and working dogs exhibited higher EF skills. Training history appeared more important for EF in non-working dogs than working dogs, perhaps because all working dogs receive a high level of training.
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Farrar BG, Vernouillet A, Garcia-Pelegrin E, Legg EW, Brecht KF, Lambert PJ, Elsherif M, Francis S, O'Neill L, Clayton NS, Ostojić L. Reporting and interpreting non-significant results in animal cognition research. PeerJ 2023; 11:e14963. [PMID: 36919170 PMCID: PMC10008313 DOI: 10.7717/peerj.14963] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/10/2022] [Accepted: 02/06/2023] [Indexed: 03/11/2023] Open
Abstract
How statistically non-significant results are reported and interpreted following null hypothesis significance testing is often criticized. This issue is important for animal cognition research because studies in the field are often underpowered to detect theoretically meaningful effect sizes, i.e., often produce non-significant p-values even when the null hypothesis is incorrect. Thus, we manually extracted and classified how researchers report and interpret non-significant p-values and examined the p-value distribution of these non-significant results across published articles in animal cognition and related fields. We found a large amount of heterogeneity in how researchers report statistically non-significant p-values in the result sections of articles, and how they interpret them in the titles and abstracts. Reporting of the non-significant results as "No Effect" was common in the titles (84%), abstracts (64%), and results sections (41%) of papers, whereas reporting of the results as "Non-Significant" was less common in the titles (0%) and abstracts (26%), but was present in the results (52%). Discussions of effect sizes were rare (<5% of articles). A p-value distribution analysis was consistent with research being performed with low power of statistical tests to detect effect sizes of interest. These findings suggest that researchers in animal cognition should pay close attention to the evidence used to support claims of absence of effects in the literature, and-in their own work-report statistically non-significant results clearly and formally correct, as well as use more formal methods of assessing evidence against theoretical predictions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Benjamin G Farrar
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Institute for Globally Distributed Open Research and Education (IGDORE), Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | | | - Elias Garcia-Pelegrin
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.,Department of Psychology, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore
| | - Edward W Legg
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.,Division of Cognitive Sciences, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.,Centre for Mind and Behaviour, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
| | | | - Poppy J Lambert
- Messerli Research Insititute, University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Mahmoud Elsherif
- Department of Psychology, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, United Kingdom.,University of Leicester, Leicester, United Kingdom
| | - Shannon Francis
- Comparative Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Laurie O'Neill
- Comparative Cognition Research Group, Max Planck Institute for Ornithology, Seewiesen, Germany
| | - Nicola S Clayton
- Department of Psychology, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
| | - Ljerka Ostojić
- Department of Psychology, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.,Division of Cognitive Sciences, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia.,Centre for Mind and Behaviour, University of Rijeka, Rijeka, Croatia
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11
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Junttila S, Valros A, Mäki K, Väätäjä H, Reunanen E, Tiira K. Breed differences in social cognition, inhibitory control, and spatial problem-solving ability in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Sci Rep 2022; 12:22529. [PMID: 36581704 PMCID: PMC9800387 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-26991-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2022] [Accepted: 12/22/2022] [Indexed: 12/31/2022] Open
Abstract
The extraordinary genetic and behavioural diversity of dog breeds provides a unique opportunity for investigating the heritability of cognitive traits, such as problem-solving ability, social cognition, inhibitory control, and memory. Previous studies have mainly investigated cognitive differences between breed groups, and information on individual dog breeds is scarce. As a result, findings are often contradictory and inconsistent. The aim of this study was to provide more clarity on between-breed differences of cognitive traits in dogs. We examined the performance of 13 dog breeds (N = 1002 dogs) in a standardized test battery. Significant breed differences were found for understanding of human communicative gestures, following a human's misleading gesture, spatial problem-solving ability in a V-detour task, inhibitory control in a cylinder test, and persistence and human-directed behaviour during an unsolvable task. Breeds also differed significantly in their behaviour towards an unfamiliar person, activity level, and exploration of a novel environment. No significant differences were identified in tasks measuring memory or logical reasoning. Breed differences thus emerged mainly in tasks measuring social cognition, problem-solving, and inhibitory control. Our results suggest that these traits may have come under diversifying artificial selection in different breeds. These results provide a deeper understanding on breed-specific traits in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Saara Junttila
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | - Anna Valros
- grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Production Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
| | | | - Heli Väätäjä
- grid.448926.50000 0004 4649 1976Digital Solutions, Lapland University of Applied Sciences, Jokiväylä 11C, 96300 Rovaniemi, Finland
| | - Elisa Reunanen
- grid.1374.10000 0001 2097 1371Department of Finnish and Finno-Ugric Languages, University of Turku, 20014 Turku, Finland
| | - Katriina Tiira
- smartDOG Ltd, 05800 Hyvinkää, Finland ,grid.7737.40000 0004 0410 2071Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Cavalli C, Dzik M, Brarda M, Bentosela M. Trained dogs do not give up. Effects of advanced training on the persistence of domestic dogs. Behav Processes 2022; 203:104769. [DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104769] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/18/2022] [Revised: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 10/21/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
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13
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Hirschi A, Mazzini A, Riemer S. Disentangling help-seeking and giving up: differential human-directed gazing by dogs in a modified unsolvable task paradigm. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:821-836. [PMID: 35020108 PMCID: PMC8753593 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01595-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/20/2021] [Revised: 12/09/2021] [Accepted: 12/20/2021] [Indexed: 11/01/2022]
Abstract
Dogs are renowned for 'looking back' at humans when confronted with a problem, but it has been questioned whether this implies help-seeking or giving up. We tested 56 pet dogs from two breed groups (herding dogs and terriers) in a modified unsolvable task paradigm. One reward type (food or toy) was enclosed in a box, while the respective other reward was accessible. With both reward types, human-directed gazing in relation to the box was significantly positively correlated with interaction with the box, as long as an alternative was available. This suggests that both behaviours served to attain the unavailable reward and reflected individual motivation for the inaccessible vs the accessible reward. Furthermore, we varied whether the owner or the experimenter was responsible for handling the rewards. In the owner-responsible group, dogs rarely gazed at the experimenter. In the experimenter-responsible group, dogs preferentially directed box-related gazing (prior to or after looking at or interacting with the box) at the owner. Still, they gazed at the experimenter significantly longer than the owner-responsible group. Conversely, toy-related gazing was directed significantly more at the experimenter. Thus, dogs adjust their gazing behaviour according to the people's responsibility and their current goal (help-seeking vs play). Gaze duration did not differ between herding dogs and terriers. We conclude that dogs use gazing at humans' faces as a social problem-solving strategy, but not all gazing can be classified as such. Dogs' human-directed gazing is influenced by the social relationships with the persons, situational associations, and context (unsolvable problem vs play).
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Affiliation(s)
- Annina Hirschi
- Companion Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Alja Mazzini
- Companion Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefanie Riemer
- Companion Animal Behaviour Group, Division of Animal Welfare, Vetsuisse Faculty, University of Bern, 3012, Bern, Switzerland.
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14
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Gould K, Iversen P, Sikkink S, Rem R, Templeton J. Persistence and gazing at humans during an unsolvable task in dogs: The influence of ownership duration, living situation, and prior experience with humans. Behav Processes 2022; 201:104710. [PMID: 35870551 DOI: 10.1016/j.beproc.2022.104710] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 07/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/02/2022]
Abstract
The experiences that domestic dogs have with humans take many forms. We hypothesized that more experience with humans would lead to greater dependence on humans in problem-solving situations. We used the unsolvable task to compare persistence and gazing in dogs with differing degrees of experience with humans: 1) dogs living in a home for a year or more; 2) dogs living in a home for less than a year (including foster dogs); and 3) shelter dogs. Dogs first learned a solvable task; we then measured persistence as well as gazing at humans when the task was unsolvable. Dogs living in a home for a year or more gazed sooner and longer than shelter dogs. Formally trained dogs from breeders also gazed sooner than formally trained dogs from shelters. There were no differences in overall persistence among the three types of dog. However, shelter dogs spent more time biting the box and gazing at it than dogs in the home. Former shelter dogs, former strays, and dogs that had no formal training also spent more time biting the box. We conclude that ownership duration, background, and prior experiences with humans influence human-directed communication and persistence behaviors in dogs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Kristy Gould
- Department of Psychology, Luther College, Decorah, IA, 52101, USA.
| | - Philip Iversen
- Department of Mathematics, Luther College, Decorah, IA, 52101, USA.
| | - Senia Sikkink
- Department of Psychology, Luther College, Decorah, IA, 52101, USA.
| | - Rachel Rem
- Department of Psychology, Luther College, Decorah, IA, 52101, USA.
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15
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Wirobski G, Range F, Schaebs FS, Palme R, Deschner T, Marshall-Pescini S. Life experience rather than domestication accounts for dogs' increased oxytocin release during social contact with humans. Sci Rep 2021; 11:14423. [PMID: 34257399 PMCID: PMC8277847 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-93922-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/12/2021] [Accepted: 06/24/2021] [Indexed: 12/04/2022] Open
Abstract
Dogs' increased human-directed sociability compared to wolves may be the result of increased oxytocin system activity and decreased stress responses, but comparative studies accounting for life experience are lacking. We compared hand-raised, pack-living wolves' and dogs' behavior and hormone concentrations after interacting with a closely bonded and a familiar human. Both preferred the bonded partner, but dogs showed less variability in human-directed sociability than wolves. Physical contact was not associated with oxytocin but correlated positively with glucocorticoids in the pack-living animals when the human was not bonded. To clarify the role of life experience, we tested pet dogs and found that oxytocin concentrations correlated positively with physical contact with their owners, while glucocorticoids remained unaffected. Results show that, given similar experiences, wolf-dog differences in human-directed sociability and associated hormones are subtle and indicate that factors related to life as a pet dog rather than domestication account for oxytocin release during human-dog interactions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gwendolyn Wirobski
- Domestication Lab, Wolf Science Center, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria.
| | - Friederike Range
- Domestication Lab, Wolf Science Center, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Franka S Schaebs
- University of Leipzig, ZLS, Prager Str. 34, 04317, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Rupert Palme
- Unit of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Experimental Endocrinology, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
| | - Tobias Deschner
- Interim Group Primatology, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Deutscher Platz 6, 04103, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Sarah Marshall-Pescini
- Domestication Lab, Wolf Science Center, Konrad Lorenz Institute of Ethology, Department of Interdisciplinary Life Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine, Veterinaerplatz 1, 1210, Vienna, Austria
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16
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A review of the unsolvable task in dog communication and cognition: comparing different methodologies. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:907-922. [PMID: 33754284 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01501-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2020] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2021] [Indexed: 12/31/2022]
Abstract
Communication between dogs and humans is a topic of growing interest, and the "unsolvable task" is a common method used to measure human-directed communication. In this task, dogs learn how to solve a problem to obtain a reward. After a fixed number of trials, the reward becomes impossible to access, arguably leading to communicative attempts from the dog. Although useful to observe dogs' communicative behaviors in a fairly naturalistic situation, the methodology varies among studies regarding apparatus, number of trials, and other factors. The proxies used, for instance, gaze duration or frequency of gaze alternation, also vary, and there are discrepancies and a debate regarding what the task actually measures. Therefore, in this study, we reviewed the usage of the unsolvable task in canids of the genus Canis, searching Web of Science and Scopus for the terms "dog*", "Canis", "dingo*", "wolf" or "wolves" in the title and "unsolvable task" or "impossible task" in the topic. We included thirty-five studies in this review and discussed their different methodologies and proxies, such as different apparatuses, number of solvable trials, and different interpretations of "looking back", pointing out how they can affect results and hinder comparisons. Lastly, we used current data to propose strategies to homogenize the use of this important paradigm, with an ethogram of possible behaviors and their interpretation and a predefined set of methodological aspects for future research.
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Foraita M, Howell T, Bennett P. Environmental influences on development of executive functions in dogs. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:655-675. [PMID: 33611642 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01489-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/28/2020] [Revised: 01/21/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Executive functions (EFs) are a set of cognitive processes used for effortful self-regulation of behaviour. They include inhibition, working memory, cognitive flexibility and, in some models, attention. In humans, socioeconomic factors and life experiences shape development of EFs. Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) must often regulate their behaviour in the human environment (e.g. no jumping up on humans or chasing cats), and life experiences also probably influence the development of EFs in dogs. Research into dog cognition and behaviour has been thriving, and some methods used to explore these concepts (e.g. object-choice task, questionnaires measuring traits like distraction and aggression) are likely to be sensitive to differences in EFs, even if that is not their stated aim. Here we examine relevant studies to identify experiential factors which may influence the development of EFs in dogs living in human care. These are early experience, training, housing and stress. We conclude that the development of dogs' EFs may be negatively affected by hardships, and positively by surmountable challenges, early in life. Training methods appear important, with punishment-based methods leading to poorer dog EFs. Kennel environments seem to affect dog EFs negatively. While mild stressors might enhance the development of EFs, too much stress seems to have negative effects. Regulation of behaviour, a key outcome of EFs, is crucial for dogs' integration into human society. We should, therefore, strive to better understand how the environment shapes dogs' EFs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maike Foraita
- Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia.
| | - Tiffani Howell
- Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Pauleen Bennett
- Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychology and Public Health, La Trobe University, Melbourne, Australia
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Dog-human social relationship: representation of human face familiarity and emotions in the dog brain. Anim Cogn 2021; 24:251-266. [PMID: 33598770 DOI: 10.1007/s10071-021-01475-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2020] [Revised: 01/01/2021] [Accepted: 01/05/2021] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
This study investigated the behavioral and neural indices of detecting facial familiarity and facial emotions in human faces by dogs. Awake canine fMRI was used to evaluate dogs' neural response to pictures and videos of familiar and unfamiliar human faces, which contained positive, neutral, and negative emotional expressions. The dog-human relationship was behaviorally characterized out-of-scanner using an unsolvable task. The caudate, hippocampus, and amygdala, mainly implicated in reward, familiarity and emotion processing, respectively, were activated in dogs when viewing familiar and emotionally salient human faces. Further, the magnitude of activation in these regions correlated with the duration for which dogs showed human-oriented behavior towards a familiar (as opposed to unfamiliar) person in the unsolvable task. These findings provide a bio-behavioral basis for the underlying markers and functions of human-dog interaction as they relate to familiarity and emotion in human faces.
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