In March I wrote a review of James Serpell’s 2nd edition of The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behavior and Interactions with People. In the review I said “This chapter [on social cognition] is the ultimate updated resource on social cognition in dogs, and is practically worth the price of the book.”
I’ve been reading through the chapter, and have decided it IS worth the price of the book, all by itself. That is, at least, if you find understanding a dog’s mind as interesting as how to influence his or her behavior. (Is there an emoji for “dog brain geek?”) “Social Cognition and emotions underlying dog behavior,” written by Friederike Range and Zsófia Virányi is chock full of information. It raises as many questions as it provides answers, but that’s exactly what it ought to do given how little we really know about what is going on behind those liquid eyes and furry foreheads.
FOCUS OF ATTENTION: Studies have consistently found that dogs attend to human behavior far more than members of other species, even wolves raised from a very early age by humans. Given how much information dogs can glean from our behavior, this is not surprising. But it is notable, because you might think that dogs would pay more attention to the behavior of another dog than a person, given that dogs are conspecifics.
The authors state: “Still, it is an intriguing question whether this close and selective attention is an expression of emotional dependency or a form of information seeking.” They argue that studies by Duranton et al. 2016 and Merola et al. 2012) support the latter. 80% of dogs in one study looked back at their owners when presented with a scary object, “suggesting that they were seeking information from their owner rather than seeking emotional support.” Less confident dogs looked back more than confident dogs, but did not approach their owners at higher rates–supporting, to some, the contention that dogs are looking for information from their owners rather than seeking support. I’m not enrolled in this argument yet–surely looking back could be both, as in “Is my human afraid of this object?” as well as “Is my human still there to provide safety and support if I need it?”
One thing we do know is that in many other species, especially primates, individuals with higher social ranks tend to attract visual attention more than those of lower ranks. Familiar individuals get far more attention than unfamiliar ones even in chickens. Given that we owners have 1) a lot of information that dogs need and 2) the ability to open doors and cabinet, it makes all the sense in the world that dogs tend to pay attention to us. But look at the results of this study (Szetei et al. 2003): Dogs “relied more on human direction than on their own first-hand knowledge of where a reward could be found.” That’s pretty amazing. In another study, dogs even chose one treat instead of 8 treats if a human called their attention to the one (Marshall-Pescini et al. 2011). (If I recall correctly, another study found that it made no difference if a dog was reinforced with a small amount of food or a large amount. Either quantity had the same effect on learning. That supports the practice of many of us of giving “jack pots,” in which the dog gets one treat right after another for a job well done, rather than one big treat just once.
HELLO HUMAN, ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION? Several studies have found that dogs can communicate to us where something is hidden that we can’t see (Gaunet 2010, Lakatos et al. 2012, Mikosi et al. 2000). And you know exactly how they do it: Look at the object, look at us, look at the object, look at us. We’ve seen the movies in which Lassie saves Timmy by running to the house, looking repeatedly at the parents, and back toward the woods, where Timmy has fallen into the creek/well/river/waterfall/abandoned washing machine. I just experienced it myself with Maggie, who couldn’t work sheep for two and a half months because of her own knee injury. Every evening, while I sat on the couch, Maggie would look out the window toward the sheep beside the barn, look at me, look at the sheep, look at me. Anthropomorphizing be damned, I’d bet the farm (and I have one to bet) that Maggie was trying to get my attention on the sheep, in hopes it would result in us going out to work them.
WHAT DO DOGS KNOW ABOUT OUR MINDS? That’s the million dollar question right now, in many cognition studies of any species. Called “Theory of Mind,” the question is can other animals reason about what’s going on inside our sparsely furred heads? Do they understand that we have beliefs, desires, consciousness and awareness of the emotions of others? You might say, of course they do, but keep in mind (ahem) that it takes humans several years to develop a full understanding that other’s have minds similar to their own. (Ask a one-year old child to hide from Daddy and she’s likely to cover her own eyes.)
There are a multitude of studies on theory of mind, but just a few so far on dogs. Virányi et al. (2006) did a study that found dogs indicated the location of a hidden toy “more intensively” if the owner was absent when the object was hidden. The suggestion here is that the dog understood that the owner was not present for the hiding of the toy, and therefore needed more help in retrieving it than an owner who saw it hidden. The authors conclude however, that we know surprisingly little about how much dogs understand about the minds of others, much less about their own minds. Here Here to that.
This is just an appetizer of the many issues raised in this chapter, from Imitation to the concept of Fairness. The best part of reading it for me was seeing more evidence that dogs have finally become accepted subjects for scientific study. In the mid 1980’s, when I was working on my dissertation, one of the members of my committee said “I’m not sure you can do good research on dogs.” You could study arctic wolves or sea cucumbers or snow fleas, but clearly familiarity bred contempt at that time. I said over and over again that dogs are the perfect vehicle for us to study a massive number of things–the fact that they live with us and cooperate with us makes them more valuable, not less. What a joy for me that the decades have finally evolved such that kind and respectful research on dogs is being done allover the world.
Here’s my question to you: What do you want to know about dogs that we don’t know? What studies would you do if you had the time and the money? Any question is welcome, including the question I’ve wondered about for decades: What do dogs think we do with all the poop we pick up?
MEANWHILE, back on the farm. That’s where I am, still recharging my batteries, healing my body, immersed in friends, flowers, dogs and new recipes. Here’s Polly, lolling on top of my car in the sun.
Not on the farm, but close by is Black Earth Creek, a Class 1 Trout Stream and a source of wonderful bird life.
I couldn’t resist posting this photo of Snow White in the midst of scratching her head with her hind hoof. An ungainly posture for a sheep, much less a princess.
Finally, here’s the tent that Jim worked so hard to build (and rescue after it was damaged by an especially heavy snow). I’m looking forward to many mornings waking up to bird songs and the sun on Blue Mounds in the distance.
Charlotte Kasner says
Still want to know why they roll in fox poo. Not sure that I buy the “covering their own scent predation” theory.
Alexis says
I’d like to know how Yankee, my guide dog, knows where the milk is at CVS without ever being shown the target. He took me there perfectly last week. I’d had assistance locating it previously, but I never deliberately matched the name with the object for him. I merely told the assistant I needed 2% milk, and he or she took us there. Yankee has unlocked my dog cognition geekiness.
gail lilly says
Would love to know more about the variability of impulse control in dogs. Right now, I have two dogs, one has a great deal of impulse control and the other, older dog, has virtually none.
The older dog will go after any forbidden item, food, trash, etc. knowing that she is not to do so. The second dog will usually lie down or sit next to me with a look of horror on his face knowing we are both witnessing a crime being committed before our eyes. The older, impulse control challenged dog, will release the forbidden item when I approach; she knows she was not supposed to eat, chew, destroy the item. She is a very good dog otherwise; she will on request, sit, twirl, lie down, even stay- in my presence- but seems unable to control her own impulses if a scent or food is within her grasp.There is a huge difference between the two in this realm. It took me quite awhile to realize that my older dog cannot stop herself. She does not have the ability to manage scent driven impulses. How many other dogs are seen as being willfully disobedient who may be, like my girl, without adequate dopamine receptors or some such( ?) and what does the canine bell curve/ continuum look like with regards to impulse control? ( older dog has always had this trait- not age related)
Grace says
I loved seeing the photo of Basenjis on this post. I have a 3-1/2-year-old male who watches me like a hawk. He is my first Basenji and one of the smartest, most vocal, and challenging dogs I’ve parented. I use the neighborhood squirrels (high-value motivator) to work on his impulse control. Most of the time it works, but sometimes the “touch” (target) to my hand before I let him chase the squirrel up the tree is too much. *No squirrels are harmed; they are aware of the dog’s presence and interest, and are well out of reach when he gives chase.* There seems to be a correlation between his ability to control himself and the level of physical and mental stimulation he’s had before the squirrel sighting. I am continually fascinated by the desires and emotions we are able to communicate to each other. Thank you for the thought-provoking posts!
Carmen LeBlanc says
I recently raised the topic of ToM (theory of mind) research in a Facebook discussion, but I didn’t really have a good summary of its extent with dogs. I really appreciate the overview/summary here. What a wonderful blog and beautiful pictures. Love you, Trish (though you don’t really know me, just a fellow ACAAB). I deeply appreciate all you do for the scientific world of applied animal behavior and wish you a complete and speedy recovery.
Lou W. says
My Pyr, a rescue, 9 months ago, is happy as long as he has eyes on me. Whenever he is left in the van, he clumsily makes his way to sit in the front seat where I always sit. If we park rear towards the door, he remains in the rear. Next, if my granddaughter and I go downtown without him, leaving him with my adult son who he loves, is handled by daily, he is miserable, howling like a wolf ( even all night when we had to be away). I have never felt comfortable leaving him home alone for fear he might do himself harm. My question is, why this devotion? I am handicapped and he does show natural desire to ” help” me. I am trying to wait until he is settled to put the extra pressure of learning the necessary tasks to help me. He obviously was abused but his true owner loved and nurtured him. Her dad gave him away without her knowledge or consent. My groomer says that we both”lucked out” because he obviously was raised with love. I am in touch with his first mom, Emily. My granddaughter and I are his support and focus. He loves the men in our family, but is inconsolable if the women must be away. I would like to understand more deeply what causes this behavior. The sorrow in his eyes when we prepare to go out is palpable. Not anthropomorphism here, but to see his reaction to short grey haired people, we are sure that that is the basis for abuse. Children can do whatever they want. Trying to pry a 9 year old off his neck and a 13 year old off his. Chest and midsection not necessary, he loved it! ( Though we did explain that that isn’t a good way to meet a dog).
Rande Mathers says
Caiya, the older Basenji in the picture was an intense communicator. The more I tried to communicate with her the more she tried to communicate with me. That made me think that dogs will try to communicate with us but may give up trying when we don’t respond accordingly.
She spoke to me with her eyes. It was almost telepathic. I would tell my husband when she looks at me it’s like I can hear what she is thinking.
Often, if I was sitting reading or computing, she would come and look at me until I looked back at her. If I didn’t look right away she would give me that yawning sound that Basenjis often make. If I said, “What?” She would move her head and look even more intensely. If I stood up, she would trot off to whatever it was she wanted to have or wanted to show me.
One day, my husband and I were talking about all the lady bugs that had gotten in the house.
Caiya became very excited like she does when we talk about someone she knows. What was she so excited about? Then we realized, of course, years earlier when she was a puppy, she had met another Basenji called Lady Bug…maybe played with her once. We hadn’t considered the fact that she was actually listening to our conversation; plus it hadn’t occurred to us that she would remember a dog she had seen just a few times and years earlier.
Gayla says
In answer to your question: Everything!
God, I love this blog…
Barb Byer says
I’m going to Lisa Bataska’s Reading Dog Body Language seminar this coming weekend. I attended one you led in Madison many years ago and try to learn more every chance I get. It got me thinking about some of the dogs I’ve had and how easy or hard they were to learn to read. My Jazzy is very social, loves people, and seems to work very hard at communicating with me through facial expression, movement, body language, and vocalizations. She picks up my signals easily sensing and interpreting my body movements, words, facial expression and who knows what else. Cowboy, my younger dog that I got at 7 months, is harder to read and he is the one I am taking to the seminar in hopes that others will pick up on signals I’m just not seeing. He does seem to read me pretty well but is not constantly working to communicate, as Jazzy is. So I would do more research on factors that make dogs that are good people readers. It’s more than just behavior modification.
Monika & Sam says
Fascinating stuff here! I’d love to know the inner workings of a 4 year old rescued puppy mill survivor. There’s so much to try to figure out with them particularly while building their trust which comes with such minute baby steps.
LisaW says
Gayla, or did you mean, “Dog, I love this blog” 🙂
Thinking about “Theory of Mind” and the example of the child asked to hide from Daddy and she covered her own eyes, we had a dog many moons ago that if you called her to come in and she wasn’t ready, she would hide behind a tuft of grass in the Buffaloian theory that if she couldn’t see us, we couldn’t see her. Her mind’s eye literally had a mind of its own. Funniest sight to see a full-grown, black dog standing stock still behind a blade of grass.
This was also the dog that would spend each day on the farm hanging out with different animals. One day she’d be a chicken, the next a cow, the next an ox. She’d eat and sleep like the animal she was with (including their poop). Rosie was one of our more doggie dogs — happy to see you but not really that into humans.
Kat says
Clearly I’ll be adding this book to my reading very soon.
The section talking about dogs looking to their people reminded me of one of our Therapy Dog visits. We visit as a group so I got to observe four different dogs and handlers who were suddenly confronted with an unexpected event. We were in a lounge area when a resident took a fall in the hallway outside the door. Every one of the dogs alerted to the distressed resident, then looked to their partner. My strong impression was that the dogs were looking to see how to react (emotional support) and for guidance (what should I do) and that the amount of emotional support and amount of requested guidance each dog needed depended on the dog. In other words, my very confident Ranger didn’t need much reassurance but he did need a clear signal about what he should do while the less confident dogs needed more emotional support and less guidance about what to do.
The description of dogs telling people what they need made me laugh. Ranger is a brilliant communicator and has no trouble making himself understood even to people who don’t know dogs at all; the more clueless he thinks the person is the more exaggerated his actions become. And I remember when Finna discovered that I can’t see as well in the dark as she can. She was astonished that I couldn’t see the dirty squeaky ball sitting on the dirt in the dark. She’s now decided I’m so blind in the dark that if I ask her where the ball is she’ll walk over and point at it with her nose about six inches away. Even I can’t miss that.
I would love to know why both my dogs but especially Finna prefer to eat in my presence. Finna gets her breakfast in a silicone bear and if I give her her breakfast right before I have to leave she’ll almost always save it until I’m back home.
Barbara Rogers says
Wow, going through so many thoughts to find the right research question. I’ll settle for one right now … what determines that one dog is SO much better at generalizing than another? I had two dogs at roughly the same time, both from the Humane Society but adopted a year apart, so don’t know all the background, and one was just so good at generalizing (a large corgi cross), and the other (an English Shepherd mix) was so not, and needed things very specific. In fact, with the second dog, if I said the wrong obstacle name while running an agility course, would stop on course and bark at me, as in “you suck as a handler, that’s not a tunnel!”). Is there some clue in upbringing, or some part of it genetic, what?
Jann Becker says
They think we eat it. What else would we do?
HFR says
I’m not sure this is theory of mind, but I’ve always wondered if dogs have a sense of self. Someone recently asked me if I thought dogs recognized another dog of their own breed. At first I thought, well, it’s possible, I guess. But then I started thinking more about it. In order for them to recognize their own breed, they’d need to know what they looked like, recognize an image in a mirror as themselves and then see another dog that looks like them and think that’s a good thing. Seems really complicated to me. It reminded me of that experiment with young children where a red spot is painted on their nose. There is a specific point in development when they can look in the mirror and realize the spot is on their nose and not a spot on the mirror. Do dogs ever get there?
I’ve never been lucky enough to have a dog that I felt could read my emotions. My favorite story to tell is when I was walking my dog in the city and I fell and broke my arm. I passed out for a second, so I dropped the leash. When I came to, she was traipsing down the street, tail wagging and seeming to sing “I’m off the leash, I’m off the leash!” I had to pull myself up and call her back. This was not a crazy, hyper dog either. She was a lovely girl and we spent all our time together, much of it on off leash walks in the park. So much for Lassie. Never had a dog who cared if I was sick or upset either. After hearing so many stories about compassionate dogs, I’ve concluded it must be me.
Frances says
Poppy has worked out that it is not worth trying to steal food where I can see her; she seems not to consider that I also have ears, though, and can hear her attempts on the kitchen rubbish bag… Sophy uses exaggerated body language to communicate with humans, a mixture of canine and human taught (lying flat is Please, used for treats, help or anything else she wants). A friend with very little experience with dogs asked me the other day how I knew Sophy was in pain (she was going through a bout of sciatica at the time). I said because Sophy told me so, and then had to stop and think about all the tiny signals she used to communicate, and the changes in stance, gait and movement in general that told me she was feeling better or worse – the things that become so obvious when you have animals or small children.
On research – what scents, sights, sounds do dogs find innately pleasurable or reassuring, and whare is the overlap with those appreciated by humans?!
Vicktoria Jones says
My dog thinks that I am helping him to cover his tracks from the predators, we do have bears in our neighborhood.
Thank you for such a brainstorming article!
Gretchen says
Even though I occasionally feel like crying, I can not let the tears flow…but my Golden Retriever always, always knows that deep inside I am crying. She will come and lay on me. She looks me in the eye and pulls up the corner of her mouth to say “I love you and I am here”. She has done this since she was 9 months old.
Donna in VA says
The one thing I would find REALLY helpful would be finding a way for dogs to communicate to us if they are OK/not OK physically. Aside from the obvious reaction to injury or illness. We know they are good at covering/hiding injury or illness. So often I would just like to know “how bad/well do you feel?” or a way to let him indicate this to me. Dealing with a 16 year old dog this just becomes more paramount each day.
On rainy days, does the dog not want to be outside just because he doesn’t like the rain? Or does it aggravate his arthritis? When is more pain medication wanted? I tend to go by willingness to engage in play, facial expression, enthusiasm for treats.
And of course once the poop is in the bag, it has left the universe through a magic portal. The same magic portal from which treats appear from the fanny pack. It amazes me that he must KNOW the treats are in the fanny pack, but never helps himself uninvited even though the fanny pack hangs on the door knob well within reach.
Issia Jordan says
Love your posts. I’d like to know how a dog’s innate sense of time works? I feed my dogs at 6pm and at exactly five minutes to six they come to tell me to stop whatever I’m doing and get busy in the kitchen. They’re great observers, they know exactly which shoes, sneakers or booties I wear for walks and go wild with joy when I put any of these on, but don’t react to e.g. riding booties or tennis shoes I wear only for sports. I’ve adopted ten strays and illtreated dogs, all hugely affectionate, but was surprised when one died in the presence of two others that they showed little interest. No apparent subsequent mourning either.