skip to main content
US FlagAn official website of the United States government
dot gov icon
Official websites use .gov
A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.
https lock icon
Secure .gov websites use HTTPS
A lock ( lock ) or https:// means you've safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

Explore Research Products in the PAR
It may take a few hours for recently added research products to appear in PAR search results.


Title: Pet dogs (Canis familiaris) re-engage humans after joint activity
Abstract Joint intentionality, the mutual understanding of shared goals or actions to partake in a common task, is considered an essential building block of theory of mind in humans. Domesticated dogs are unusually adept at comprehending human social cues and cooperating with humans, making it possible that they possess behavioral signatures of joint intentionality in interactions with humans. Horschler and colleagues (Anim Behav 183: 159–168, 2022) examined joint intentionality in a service dog population, finding that upon interruption of a joint experience, dogs preferentially re-engaged their former partner over a passive bystander, a behavior argued to be a signature of joint intentionality in human children. In the current study, we aimed to replicate and extend these results in pet dogs. One familiar person played with the dog and then abruptly stopped. We examined if dogs would preferentially re-engage the player instead of a familiar bystander who was also present. Consistent with the findings of Horschler and colleagues (Anim Behav 183: 159–168, 2022), pet dogs preferentially gazed toward and offered the toy to the player significantly more than the familiar bystander. However, no difference was observed in physical contact. These findings provide preliminary evidence for behavioral signatures of joint intentionality in pet dogs, but future work is needed to understand whether this phenomenon extends to other contexts.  more » « less
Award ID(s):
2051064
PAR ID:
10585201
Author(s) / Creator(s):
; ; ;
Publisher / Repository:
Springer
Date Published:
Journal Name:
Animal Cognition
Volume:
26
Issue:
4
ISSN:
1435-9448
Page Range / eLocation ID:
1277 to 1282
Format(s):
Medium: X
Sponsoring Org:
National Science Foundation
More Like this
  1. ; ; ; ; ; (, Scientific Reports)
    Abstract Among the animals on this planet, dogs are uniquely adapted for life with humans, a status that exposes them to risks of human-mediated traumatic experiences. At the same time, some lineages of dogs have undergone artificial selection for behavioral phenotypes that might increase risk or resilience to stress exposure, providing an opportunity to examine interactions between heritable and acquired traits. In a large-scale study (N = 4,497), English-speaking dog guardians reported on their dogs’ life histories, current living environments, and provided observer ratings of dog behavior using the Canine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Our analysis revealed that adverse experiences in the first six months of life, such as abuse and relinquishment, were significantly associated with increased aggression and fearfulness in adulthood, even when accounting for factors such as acquisition source, sex, and neuter status. Additionally, effects of adversity on fearful and aggressive behavior systematically varied at the breed level, suggesting heritable factors for risk and resilience for developing particular phenotypes. Our findings establish that breed ancestry and individual experience interact to show fear and aggressive behavior in pet dogs, confirming that socioemotional behavior is shaped by gene-environment interactions. 
    more » « less
  2. ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; ; et al (, bioRxiv)
    Cancers in pet dogs are prevalent, progress rapidly, and closely resemble human cancers, positioning them as powerful models for precision oncology. While genetic drivers of human cancer often transcend histologic boundaries, most comparative studies have focused on matched cancer types, leaving the broader scope of genomic similarity unresolved. We performed the first exome-wide, histology-agnostic comparison of canine and human cancers, analyzing 429 dog and 14,966 human tumors across 39 types. Mutational signatures and genes under selection are widely shared between species, and cancer types are as genomically similar between species as within species, with no greater similarity within dog breeds than between breeds. Machine-learning models identify genetic features shared by dog and human tumors of different histologies, mirroring cross-histology patterns in human cancer. These findings establish dog cancer as a powerful system for genomics-informed precision oncology and support pan cancer approaches to discover translationally relevant models beyond histologic classification. 
    more » « less
  3. ; ; ; ; ; (, Biology)
    Globally, habitat fragmentation has increased the proximity between wildlife, humans, and emerging predators such as free-ranging dogs. In these fragmented landscapes, encounters between primates and dogs are escalating, with primates often falling victim to dog attacks while navigating patchy landscapes and fragmented forests. We aim to investigate how these primates deal with the simultaneous threats posed by humans and predators, specifically focusing on the adaptive strategies of Central Himalayan langur (CHL) in the landscape of fear. To address this, we conducted a behavioral study on the CHL in an agro-forest landscape, studying them for a total of 3912 h over two consecutive years. Our results indicate that, compared to their most common resting behavior, CHLs allocate more time to feeding and locomotion, and less time to socializing in the presence of humans and predatory dogs. Additionally, they exhibit increased feeding and locomotion and reduced social behavior in agro-forest or open habitats. These behavioral patterns reflect adaptive responses to the landscape of fear, where the presence of predators significantly influences their behavior and resource utilization. This study suggests measures to promote coexistence between humans and wildlife through the integration of effective management strategies that incorporate both ecological and social dimensions of human–wildlife interactions. 
    more » « less
  4. ; ; ; ; ; (, Animal Behavior and Cognition)
    Impulsivity is an important behavioral trait in dogs that affects many aspects of their relationship with humans. But how well do owners know their dog’s levels of impulsivity? Two studies have investigated how owner perceptions of their dog’s impulsivity correlate with the distance traveled in a spatial impulsivity task requiring choices between smaller, closer vs. larger, more distant food treats (Brady et al., 2018; Mongillo et al., 2019). However, these studies have demonstrated mixed results. The current project aimed to replicate these studies by correlating owner responses to the Dog Impulsivity Assessment Survey (DIAS) and the dog’s maximum distance traveled in a spatial impulsivity task. We found that neither the DIAS overall score nor its three subcomponent scores correlated with dogs’ distance traveled. This result replicates Mongillo et al.’s lack of a relationship but does not replicate Brady et al.’s effect, questioning the generalizability of owner reports of dog impulsivity. The lack of replication could result from differences in methodology and sample populations, but it raises intriguing questions about possible differences in dog characteristics and owner knowledge of their dogs across cultures. 
    more » « less
  5. ; ; ; (, The Journal of Neuroscience)
    Although domestic dogs were the first domesticated species, the nature of dog domestication remains a topic of ongoing debate. In particular, brain and behavior changes associated with different stages of the domestication process have been difficult to disambiguate. Most modern Western breed dogs possess highly derived physical and behavioral traits because of intense artificial selection for appearance and function within the past 200 years. In contrast, premodern dogs, including primitive/ancient breeds, village dogs, and New Guinea Singing Dogs, have undergone less intensive artificial selection and retain more ancestral characteristics. Consequently, comparisons between modern and premodern dogs can shed light on brain and behavior changes that have occurred recently in the domestication process. Here, we addressed this question using a voxel-based morphometry analysis of structural MRI images from 72 modern breed dogs and 13 premodern dogs (32 females). Modern breed dogs show widespread expansions of neocortex and reductions in the amygdala and other subcortical regions. Furthermore, cortical measurements significantly predicted individual variation in trainability, while amygdala measurements significantly predicted fear scores. These results contrast with the long-standing view that domestication consistently involves reduction in brain size and cognitive capacity. Rather, our results suggest that recent artificial selection has targeted higher-order brain regions in modern breed dogs, perhaps to facilitate behavioral flexibility and close interaction and cooperation with humans. 
    more » « less
  • Citation Formats
  • MLA
  • APA
  • Chicago
  • BibTeX
  • Save / Share this Record
  • Send to Email