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.

Can dogs (Canis familiaris) use a mirror to solve a problem?

Tiffani J. Howell, Pauleen C. Bennett

Can dogs (Canis familiaris) use a mirror to solve a problem?

Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, Volume 6, Issue 6, November–December 2011, Pages 306–312

Abstract

The ability of animals to use a mirror, either as a problem-solving tool or for the purposes of self-recognition, has been tested in several species. However, there are no empirical reports of studies using mirrors with companion dogs, which differ from most animals in that they are from infancy often kept in complex environments containing many reflective surfaces, including household mirrors. We used a simple repeated measures design, with no pre-training, to test whether pet dogs (n = 40) understand the concept of reflection. Each dog accompanied their owner into a room containing a large covered mirror. They were given 1 minute to explore the room, following which the mirror was uncovered. After another minute of exploration, the dog was motivated to attend to the mirror by the owner. A second owner then appeared in an adjoining room displaying the dog’s favourite toy. The second owner stood behind the dog but could be seen in the reflective surface of the mirror. Dogs were more likely to attend to the mirror when the second owner was visible than when the owner was not visible in the mirror. Seven dogs turned away from the mirror to look toward the actual location of the owner. Of these, 2 then attended to the owner in the window more than the mirror. It is possible that these 2 dogs understood the real location of the owner and, therefore, the nature of reflection. However, none of these responses was completely unambiguous and most dogs tested showed no evidence of a capacity to spontaneously use the mirror to locate the second owner.