Waiting for more: the performance of domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) on exchange tasks

Abstract

Five domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) were tested in a cooperative exchange task with an experimenter, as previously tested in non-human primates. In the first task, the dogs exchanged to maximise payoffs when presented with food items of differing quality. All consistently exchanged lower-value for higher-value rewards, as determined by their individual food preference, and exchanges corresponded significantly with the spontaneous preferences of three dogs. Next, all subjects demonstrated an ability to perform two and three exchanges in succession, to gain both qualitative and quantitatively increased rewards (group mean = 72 and 92% successful triple exchanges, respectively). Finally, the ability to delay gratification over increasing intervals was tested; the dogs kept one food item to exchange later for a larger item. As previously reported in non-human primates, there was considerable individual variation in the tolerance of delays, between 10 s and 10 min for the largest rewards. For those who reached longer time lags (>40 s), the dogs gave up the chance to exchange earlier than expected by each subject's general waiting capacity; the dogs anticipated delay duration and made decisions according to the relative reward values offered. Compared to primates, dogs tolerated relatively long delays for smaller value rewards, suggesting that the socio-ecological history of domestic dogs facilitates their performance on decision-making and delay of gratification tasks.

Reward type and behavioural patterns predict dogs’ success in a delay of gratification paradigm

“…Also dogs have been tested in a delay of gratification paradigm using this exchange method13. Results revealed that dogs tolerated surprisingly high delay times of up to 18 minutes, hence excelling most primate species (except for chimpanzees and macaques1415), but also showing enormous individual variation in dogs’ ability to delay gratification (range from 10 to 640 seconds13).…”

Flexible decision-making relative to reward quality and tool functionality in Goffin cockatoos (Cacatua goffiniana)

“…So far, among non-human animals, there is evidence that some primates, dogs, corvids and parrots can overcome immediate drives for more than a couple of seconds in order to maximize their future profits and can flexibly assess costs and benefits of an action before executing it (e.g. refs 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10). …”

Goffin cockatoos wait for qualitative and quantitative gains but prefer ‘better’ to ‘more’

“…Indeed, rodents and most birds tested wait only few seconds for a delayed gain, and many monkeys wait less than a minute [2][3][4][5][6][7]. Some primates and dogs (possibly as an effect of domestication) do, however, accept delays over a minute and even show outstanding plasticity in decision-making relative to the benefits involved [8][9][10][11].…”