Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) use visual attention cues when play signaling

Alexandra Horowitz

Domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) use visual attention cues when play signaling

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, Volume 4, Issue 2, March–April 2009, Pages 53–54

ABSTRACT

Recent research has shown that dogs are able to recognize varying attentional states of humans ( [Call et al., 2003] and [Schwab and Huber, 2006]) and to use visual attention cues as an indication of a human's perceptual access (Virányi et al., 2006). The present research examines dogs’ use of visual attention cues when communicating with conspecifics in play.

Given dogs’ success at producing and interpreting communicative and attention cues of humans, a logical next step is to examine dogs’ abilities to use attention cues when communicating to conspecifics. The present research looks at 39 bouts of dyadic play in a natural setting. Sequential behaviors and head direction of both dogs were noted throughout the bouts. After coding, analysis considered the use of those behaviors identified as “play signals” (invitations to play) or “attention-getting behaviors” (acts which disrupt the partner's sensory [visual, auditory, tactile] experience) with respect to the visual attention cues of the recipient.

Of the 397 observed play signals, 376 were to a forward-facing audience (z = 5.25, n = 37 bouts, P < 0.001). When play signals were used in combination with attention getters, the actor preceded the play signal with the attention getter more often than the inverse (χ² = 9.52, df = 1, P < 0.01).

Dogs used attention getters more often when their partners were looking away than throughout the bouts (P[away] = 0.82, P[bout] = 0.34; z = 4.93, n = 33 bouts, P < 0.001). Further, dogs used more visual attention getters when their partner had their side to them (z = 1.93, n = 19 bouts, P = 0.0536), and dogs directed more tactile attention getters to dogs who were looking away or distracted (z = 2.37, n = 33 bouts, P = 0.0178). When a partner was socially distracted, tactile attention getters were used more often than visual attention getters (z = 2.22, n = 12 bouts, P = 0.0264).

Play behaviors were differentially used according to the partner's posture. Play signals were sent nearly exclusively to forward-facing conspecifics; attention-getting behaviors were used most often when a playmate was facing away, and before signaling an interest to play. In addition, the mode of attention getter matched the degree of inattentiveness of the playmate; stronger attention getters were used when a playmate was looking away or distracted, and less forceful ones when the partner was facing forward or laterally. The current evidence provides support for the claim that dogs can use behavioral indications of elements of attention in others to guide their own behavior.(Horowitz et al. 2009)