Does training make you smarter? The effects of training on dogs’ performance (Canis familiaris) in a problem solving task

Benefits of Dog Training

Sarah Marshall-Pescini, Paola Valsecchi, Irena Petak, Pier Attilio Accorsi, Emanuela Prato Previde

Does training make you smarter? The effects of training on dogs’ performance (Canis familiaris) in a problem solving task

Behavioural Processes, Volume 78, Issue 3, July 2008, Pages 449–454

Abstract

This study investigates the influence of training experiences on dogs’ performance in a problem solving task, namely opening a box to obtain food. One hundred and eighteen dogs allocated to two different groups according to their training experience (no/basic training vs high level training) were tested. In each group the dogs saw the researcher manipulating either the paw-pad or the lid, prior to being allowed free access to the apparatus. No effect of the locus of manipulation was observed. However, there was a strong effect of training on the dogs’ performance regardless of manipulation condition. Compared to untrained dogs, highly trained dogs were more successful in opening the box and spent significantly more time interacting with the apparatus; whereas untrained dogs spent significantly more time looking back at their owners and the researcher.

These results indicate that high levels of training improve dogs’ problem solving ability, with dogs appearing to be more proactive in the their interaction with novel objects.

Wolves outperform dogs in following human social cues

Monique A.R. Udell, Nicole R. Dorey, Clive D.L. Wynne

Wolves outperform dogs in following human social cues

Animal Behaviour, Volume 76, Issue 6, December 2008, Pages 1767–1773

Abstract

Domestic dogs, Canis familiaris, have been shown capable of finding hidden food by following pointing gestures made with different parts of the human body. However, previous studies have reported that hand-reared wolves, C. lupus, fail to locate hidden food in response to similar points in the absence of extensive training. The failure of wolves to perform this task has led to the proposal that the ability to understand others' intentions is a derived character in dogs, not present in the ancestral population (wolves). Here we show that wolves, given the right rearing environment and daily interaction with humans, can use momentary distal human pointing cues to find food without training, whereas dogs tested outdoors and dogs at an animal shelter do not follow the same human points. In line with past studies, pet dogs tested indoors were successful in following these points. We also show that the reported failure of wolves in some past studies may be due to differences in the testing environment. Our findings indicate that domestication is not a prerequisite for human-like social cognition in canids, and show the need for additional research on the role of rearing conditions and environmental factors in the development of higher-level cognitive abilities.