Comparative Social Cognition: From wolf and dog to humans

Kubinyi, Enikő

doi:10.3819/ccbr.2008.20002

Cited by 67 publications

(79 citation statements)

References 62 publications

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“…At 2 months of age, wolves were relocated to a wolf pack where caregivers visited once or twice a week. Domestic dogs used for comparison, however, continued to live in human homes and had daily contact with humans (Kubinyi et al, 2007). In sum, while we do not deny the value of the results from the Kubinyi et al study or other studies utilizing this group of wolves (including Miklósi et al, 2003;Topál et al, 2005), we disagree that the results from that study should be considered of greater utility than those from other recent studies of dog and wolf responsiveness to human cues.…”

Section: Movement Toward An Interactive Approachcontrasting

confidence: 51%

“…Miklósi and Topál (2011) further argued that the wolf and dog comparisons from their own research are more valid than those we reported in Udell et al (2011), because their canid subjects were reared in a more controlled environment, with identical socialization experiences between dog and wolf subjects. However, according to their prior publications (for a review, see Kubinyi, Virányi, & Miklósi, 2007), individual dog and wolf subjects were raised at different houses in youth and were taken by their caretakers to a wide range of diverse environments-including formal training classesmany of which were not experienced by all individuals. Methodological differences can be noted.…”

Section: Movement Toward An Interactive Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Methodological differences can be noted. For example, wolves were sometimes tested outdoors from a standing position, while dogs were tested indoors from a kneeling position on pointing tasks (Kubinyi et al, 2007). At 2 months of age, wolves were relocated to a wolf pack where caregivers visited once or twice a week.…”

Section: Movement Toward An Interactive Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reevaluating canine perspective-taking behavior

Udell

Wynne

2011

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Udell, Dorey, and Wynne (2011) demonstrated that both domesticated and nondomesticated canids-specifically, gray wolves-have the capacity to succeed on perspectivetaking tasks, suggesting that dogs' ability to respond to the human attentional state is not a by-product of domestication alone. Furthermore, not all dogs were successful on the task. Instead, the occluder type used was a strong predictor of performance, indicating the important role of environment and experience for tasks of this type. Here, we address several commentaries reflecting on the methods and design of that study, as well as the interpretation of the results. We also discuss the positive shift toward more interactive approaches in the field of canine behavior and cognition. Finally, we question the functionality of describing canine social behavior in terms of theory of mind.

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Section: Movement Toward An Interactive Approachcontrasting

confidence: 51%

Section: Movement Toward An Interactive Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Movement Toward An Interactive Approachmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Reevaluating canine perspective-taking behavior

Udell

Wynne

2011

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“…All wolves were hand-reared in their caregivers' homes separated from the mother and the littermates at the age of 2-5 days (see Kubinyi et al, 2007 for more details). They were extensively socialised to humans during the first 4 months of their life living in the home of the caregiver, spending 24 hours a day with the caregiver and being walked regularly on leash.…”

Section: Subjectsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Wolves do not join the dance: Sophisticated aggression control by adjusting to human social signals in dogs

Gácsi¹,

Vas²,

Topál³

et al. 2013

Applied Animal Behaviour Science

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a b s t r a c tIn this study we aimed to investigate novel aspects of dogs' comprehension of human social behaviours by revealing potential differences in the responses of wolves and dogs when they interact with a human in socially ambiguous situations.In Experiment 1, pet dogs (N = 13) and hand-reared wolves (N = 13) encountered a stranger who approached them first in a friendly, then a threatening way, and finally switched back to friendliness again (Approaching stranger; AS) while the passive owner/caregiver was standing close to the subjects. In contrast to dogs, wolves avoided eye contact with both the caregiver and the stranger, however, only dogs showed aggressive displays towards the stranger.In Experiment 2, the same subjects were tested in an Object guarding (OG) situation. A familiar woman, communicating the playful nature of the encounter, pretended to aim at taking away her belt-bag from the subjects trying to make them respond with guarding behaviour. Finally, she tried to take away the object without using dominant/threatening behaviour. During the Game episode some dogs and wolves showed guarding displays, but only dogs switched their responses twice and finally allowed the human take hold of the object. All dogs but none of the wolves gazed at the owner/caregiver during the test.In Experiment 3, we tested trained Belgian shepherd dogs (N = 13) in AS, OG, and in a Food guarding (FG) situation. In FG a familiar woman challenged the subject to guard a bone by applying enticement but otherwise not communicating the playful/pretended nature of the encounter. Dogs displayed aggressive behaviours in all three situations as a response to the human's behaviour. In AS they adjusted their behaviour from passive/friendly to aggressive and then friendly again, according to the switch in the human partner's actions. In OG and FG situations, after showing aggressive guarding displays they allowed the human to take away the guarded object, both the bag and the food. A characteristic high-pitched vocalisation observed during both guarding situations, typically before the first aggressive display, could refer to the dogs' ambivalent emotions. This suggests that the human's challenging behaviour alone might be effective to evoke a simulated guarding behaviour. Our results support the view that dogs have advanced abilities and readiness to combine seemingly contradicting behaviour responses to respond to human behaviours or expectations, whilst even hand-reared and extensively socialised wolves tend to display less human centred behaviours and adjust their behaviours less to that of humans' in interspecific situations.

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“…Thus, dogs offer researchers a rich spectrum of psychological research opportunities, some of which are found in few other species. Recognition of dogs' unique research prospects has been part of the impetus for the recent renaissance in comparative dog behavior and cognition (e.g., Kubinyi, Virányi, & Miklósi, 2007).…”

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confidence: 99%

A History of Dogs as Subjects in North American Experimental Psychological Research

Feuerbacher¹,

Wynne²

2011

CCBR

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The modern resurgence in psychological experiments involving dogs follows a long and rich tradition of using dogs as experimental subjects in psychology. Except for a few exceptions (e.g., Pavlov, and Scott and Fuller), much of this research is often overlooked. We trace the history of dogs as experimental psychological subjects: The work of Darwin and Pavlov sets the stage for our focus on research emanating from North American laboratories. We end our review with the advent of the modern renaissance of dog research. This account tracks the history of psychology as a science, providing insight into psychological processes and theoretical corollaries of these processes generally, and shedding light on the behavior of dogs specifically. A rediscovery of this literature can only aid research being conducted today, including rejuvenating old questions, suggesting new ones, and highlighting useful methods for current issues. We hope through this endeavor that those working with dogs will see themselves as part of this rich tradition and that a historical perspective will help integrate dog research into a field greater than the sum of its parts.

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Comparative Social Cognition: From wolf and dog to humans

Cited by 67 publications

References 62 publications

Reevaluating canine perspective-taking behavior

Reevaluating canine perspective-taking behavior

Wolves do not join the dance: Sophisticated aggression control by adjusting to human social signals in dogs

A History of Dogs as Subjects in North American Experimental Psychological Research

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