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.

Birds of a feather flock together? Perceived personality matching in owner–dog dyads

Borbála Turcsán, Friederike Range, Zsófia Virányi, Ádám Miklósi, Enikő Kubinyi

Birds of a feather flock together? Perceived personality matching in owner–dog dyads

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 140, Issues 3–4, September 2012, Pages 154–160

Abstract

Partner choice is strongly affected by similarity in physical and psychological characteristics. Although there is a popular belief that dogs share similar personality characteristics with their owners, no studies have yet addressed the topic. Here, we tested for associations between the dog and owner personality in two countries (Austria and Hungary) and found significant positive correlations between owners and their dogs in all the five investigated personality dimensions (neuroticism, extraversion, conscientiousness, agreeableness, and openness). This similarity could not be attributed solely to the owners’ self-projection, since the similarity in the first four dimensions was also significant when an independent peer person assessed the dog instead of the owner. The similarity was not affected by the length of ownership, however, we found cultural differences in the correlation pattern; more and stronger correlations were found in the Hungarian sample. Moreover, in multi-dog households the dogs’ similarity patterns complement each other, suggesting possible differences in the dogs’ role. Our results provide the first evidence that dogs do resemble their owners suggesting potential applied utility as well as indicating that dog–owner relationship could be a useful model of human social relationships.

Dog attachment to man: A comparison between pet and working dogs

Chiara Mariti, Eva Ricci, Beatrice Carlone, Jane L. Moore, Claudio Sighieri, Angelo Gazzano

Dog attachment to man: A comparison between pet and working dogs

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, Available online 26 October 2012

Abstract

Shared activities are known to create a good relationship between dog and man. Therefore, it can be expected that animals working in harness with their handlers, such as search and rescue dogs, show a higher attachment to man.

The aim of the current research was to assess whether there are differences between pet and working dogs in the attachment to owners/handlers.

Forty dogs were involved, 26 pets and 14 search and rescue dogs (taken home when not working). Their attachment to owners/handlers was analyzed by using a modified version of the Ainsworth Strange Situation Test and a recall test, while owners and handlers filled in a questionnaire and were scored on the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale.

Statistical analysis revealed no statistically significant differences between pet and working dogs for behaviors indicating an attachment bond: behavior oriented to door/chair/shoe during the absence of owner/handler (which represents “search of absent person”; U = 132.000, P = 0.156), contact with/proximity to owner/handler (i.e., “contact maintenance effect”; U = 157.000, P = 0.478), whining during owner's/handler's absence (“protest at the separation”; U = 147.000, P = 0.288), and individual play (U = 146.000, P = 0.288) and exploration (U = 138.500, P = 0.215) in presence of owner/handler, representing the “secure base effect.”

Despite the lack of statistical differences, the formulated hypothesis may be not completely rejected, as a trend of a higher attachment in search and rescue dogs existed. It can be concluded that in carefully owned dogs, the level of attachment is increased by working as a search and rescue dog, but the difference does not lead to statistically relevant results.

Quality of life of the pet dog: Influence of owner and dog's characteristics

Lieta Marinelli, Serena Adamelli, Simona Normando, Gabriele Bono

Quality of life of the pet dog: Influence of owner and dog's characteristics

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 108, Issues 1–2, 10 December 2007, Pages 143–156

Abstract

The present study investigates how characteristics of both the dog, Canis familiaris, and their owner influence the quality of life (QoL) of the pet dog. The investigation was carried out using a multiple approach: (1) three questionnaires which investigated characteristics of the dog and their owner and care given to the dog, (2) simple physical examination of the dog, (3) the Strange Situation Test to investigate the dog's attachment to their owner and (4) the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) test.

A sample of 104 dog–owner dyads participated in the study. The level of care was found to be positively influenced by marital status (single) and negatively by the age of the dog, length of the dog–owner relationship and neutering. The best physical condition was found for pure breed dogs belonging to men and to people who prefer dogs among pets while physical condition decreases for aging dogs or those with a long relationship with their owner. Attachment to the owner was stronger for dogs with a long relationship and those belonging to people who had had previous experience with pets and those with many emotional bonds. Conversely, the attachment level was lower for pure breed dogs and those whose owners shared the property with other people. LAPS was influenced only by owner features: people more attached to their dogs are those who do not live with children and who do have many emotional bonds. Finally, the majority of dogs had a high level of QoL which was influenced positively by the number of emotional bonds of the owner and negatively by the dog's age and length of the dog–owner relationship.

The personality of “aggressive” and “non-aggressive” dog owners

Deborah L. Wells, Peter G. Hepper

The personality of “aggressive” and “non-aggressive” dog owners

Personality and Individual Differences, Volume 53, Issue 6, October 2012, Pages 770–773

Abstract

The relationship between pet-keeping and owner personality has attracted considerable attention. Little focus, however, has been directed towards the personality of pet owners in relation to the type of pet owned. This study therefore explored the personality of pet owners in relation to the type of dog breed owned, focusing specifically on owners of breeds widely considered to be “aggressive” versus those more generally perceived as “non-aggressive”. One hundred and forty seven owners of “aggressive” (German shepherd dogs, Rottweilers) or “non-aggressive” (Labrador retrievers, Golden retrievers) dog breeds completed the Eysenck Personality Questionnaire short scale. Breed of dog owned was significantly related to owners’ psychoticism scores, with people who kept “aggressive” dogs having significantly higher scores on this trait than owners of “non-aggressive” dogs. Dog breed ownership was not significantly related to neuroticism, extraversion or lie scale scores, although male owners of “aggressive” dogs were found to be significantly less neurotic than women who kept “aggressive” or “non-aggressive” dogs. Overall, findings suggest that there is a significant relationship between dog breed ownership and specific personality traits, with owners of breeds widely considered to be “aggressive” harbouring more psychotic tendencies than people who choose to keep dogs with a reputedly less aggressive temperament.