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Relevance of visual information for the associative learning in dogs
Full text linkDespite some experiments have been carried out to investigate dog’s visual cognitive abilities and to study the mechanisms underlying how they promptly modify their behaviour while interacting with humans, it is still not clear to which features of the stimuli they mainly attend when solving a task. In addition to physical proprieties, there are different factors that modulate the saliency of a visual stimulus in dogs, such as the previous experience and training received.
To investigate whether during the associative learning some aspects of visual information have different salience during the associative learning and the role played by previous experiences, the project was developed around three independent studies.
The purpose of the first study was to assess the visual processing of global and local levels of hierarchical stimuli in domestic dogs. Fourteen dogs were trained to recognise a compound stimulus in a simultaneous conditioned discrimination procedure and were then tested for their local/global preference in a discrimination test. As a group, dogs showed a non-significant trend for global precedence, although large inter-individual variability was observed. Choices in the test were not affected by either dogs’ sex or type of stimulus used for training. However, the less time a dog took to complete the training, the higher the probability that it chose the global level of test stimulus. Moreover, dogs which showed a clear preference for the global level in the test were significantly less likely to show positional responses during discrimination training. These differences in the speed of acquisition and response patterns may reflect individual differences in the cognitive requirements during discrimination training. The individual variability in global/local precedence suggests that experience with using visual information may be more important than predisposition in determining global/local processing in dogs.
The second study, composed by two experiments, investigated the relevance of visual stimuli using more complex images: human face pictures. Dogs exhibit characteristic looking patterns when looking at human faces but little is known about what the underlying cognitive mechanisms are and how much these are influenced by individual experience. In Experiment 1, seven dogs were trained in a simultaneous discrimination procedure to assess whether they could discriminate a) the owner’s face parts (eyes, nose or mouth) presented in isolation and b) whole faces where the same parts were covered. Dogs discriminated all the three parts of the owner’s face presented in isolation, but needed fewer sessions to reach the learning criterion for the eyes than for both nose and mouth. Moreover, covering the eyes region significantly disrupted face discriminability compared to the whole face condition while such difference was not found when the nose or mouth was hidden. In Experiment 2, dogs were presented with manipulated images of the owner’s face (inverted, blurred, scrambled, grey-scale) to test the relative contribution of part-based and configural processing in the discrimination of human faces. Furthermore, by comparing the dogs enrolled in the previous experiment and seven ‘naïve’ dogs we examined if the relative contribution of part-based and configural processing was affected by dogs' experience with the face stimuli. Naïve dogs discriminated the owner only when configural information was provided, whereas expert dogs could discriminate the owner also when part-based processing was necessary. The present study provides the first evidence that dogs can discriminate isolated internal features of a human face and corroborate previous reports of salience of the eyes region for human face processing. Although the reliance on part-perception may be increased by specific experience, our findings suggest that human face discrimination by dogs relies mainly on configural rather than on part-based elaboration.
For a more applied comprehension of the phenomenon and to understand what happens in a more natural situation, the third study explored the characteristic of dog’s attention to natural visual stimuli (humans) during a training session in which different type of exercises and levels of difficulty were requested. Moreover, the quality and quantity of training dogs had received during their lives was taken into account to investigate a possible influence on their attention to humans. As in the second study, the specific effect of training emerged also in the third. Having received a specific training modified dogs’ attention towards the caregiver. The variation of attention pattern did not emerge in a baseline condition but only when the caregiver asked the dog to perform some obedience exercises evidencing that the training had a very context-related effect.
In conclusion, dogs seem to acquire more quickly and spontaneously global/configural information of a visual stimulus and when an effect of previous experience such as training is present, this effect is specific and strictly context-related
Precedence of global or local elements in visual perception of dogs.
No full textIn processing a visual scene, humans encode the global aspects before proceeding to a more fine-grained analysis of visual inputs. In a previous study, we showed that dogs give priority to the global level in processing hierarchical visual stimuli. Notwithstanding, the dogs were also able to rely solely on differences at the local level to discriminate between stimuli. Following these results, we set out to investigate how the use of a global discrimination criterion affects the performance of dogs in a hierarchical stimuli discrimination task.
Discriminating a known hierarchical stimulus on the exclusive base of a global or a local criterion does not result in different learning speed. Our results do not support the 'novel global discrimination task' as a viable procedure for the assessment of global and local processing by family dogs
Visual perception in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): global or local preference of stimulus encoding
No full textA global or local precedence in the visual perception of hierarchical stimuli has been found in humans and other animals; this study aimed to investigate if it also exists in domestic dogs.
Family dogs (N = 8) were trained to discriminate between two bi-dimensional compound forms (S+ and S-) differing at both their global and local level (GL phase). Afterwards (Test phase), the dogs’ global-local encoding precedence was assessed, presenting one stimulus with the same global shape and one with the same local shapes as that reinforced in GL. In the last phase (L) dogs were trained to discriminate between stimuli differing only for the local shapes.
In GL the number of trials needed to reach the learning criterion was 252±143 (mean±SD) and latency (time for choosing the stimulus) was 4.2±5.0 s (mean±SD). In the Test phase dogs chose the stimulus featuring the previously learned global shape more often than the one featuring the local shape (p=0.017; SE=7.13). In L dogs achieved the learning criterion in an average of 130±67 trials, which were fewer than those needed in GL (p=0.018; SE=5.90).
Dogs showed a global precedence in the visual processing of hierarchical stimuli, as seen in humans. L phase demonstrated that dogs could perceive local features. The faster acquisition of L might have been due to a previous reinforcement of the local shape during GL
Effects of owners' old age on pet's quality of life
No full textIn recent years, pet ownership has assumed an increasing role in the life of elderly. Because of the lack of data in literature about the characteristics of the relationship between elderly owners and their pets, this research intended to examine the possible effects of old age on the pet’s quality of life.
Elderly dog owners gave less total care, veterinary assistance and treatment against parasites, whereas no such difference was found between elderly and adult cat owners. Notwithstanding, no significant difference was found in the pets’ physical examination, nor in the owner-pet attachment level
THE PERCEPTION OF DOMESTIC DOGS (CANIS FAMILIARIS) BITING “OUT OF CONTEXT”: A STATISTICAL APPROACH.
No full textThe quality of life of pet dogs owned by elderlies depends on the living context, not on the owner’s age.
No full textSocial and physical changes associated with human ageing may influence the characteristics of the relationship between dogs and their owners and ultimately pets' quality of life. In view of the need of data on this aspect, this study examined the effects of owners' age on the quality of life of dogs. We compared parameters of dogs‟ quality of life (owners' care and attachment to them and pets' physical condition) between elderly and adult owners living in rural/suburban areas of two cities in Northern Italy. Within this context, the only finding was the lower degree of health care provided to dogs by their elderly owners, suggesting a lack of specific information about dog health care, rather than a general effect of the owners‟ age on the relationship with their pet. Dogs' quality of life parameters were also compared between elderly people living in rural/suburban areas and another sample of elderly people living in city centers. The latter were more attached to their dogs and provided them with a higher level of care. In conclusion, this study found very limited concerns about the adoption of dogs late in their owners' lives. However, in view of the importance of the living context of the elderly on their pets' quality of life, this aspect warrants further investigation
Can attention be taught? Interspecific attention by dogs (Canis familiaris) performing obedience tasks.
No full textIn the context of dog training it would be of utmost importance to understand the mechanisms that control how attention to humans is allocated by dogs, and how this can be modified by training. This study aimed at characterising the patterns of attention paid to their handler by dogs with different training level, while performing typical obedience tasks in conditions of increasing difficulty. The study involved 64 dogs, classified as expert (completed an obedience course of 6 months, N = 20), intermediate (in training, N = 21) and novice (no training received, N = 23). In the experiment, the handler had to make the dog perform a sequence of three exercises. As first exercise (stay), handlers had to obtain a waiting posture by the dog, step back by 2.5 m and wait 30 s. The following two exercises were identical to the stay, but respectively a bowl with some food (food) and a toy (toy), were placed close to the dog before asking the desired waiting posture. The average duration of gazes (GL) and the frequency of gaze shifts towards the handler (GF) were collected in the two minutes preceding the exercises (baseline attention) and while the dogs were performing the requested exercises. In baseline GL was affected by the dog’s sex (F2,57 = 4.98, P = 0.011, GLM anova), being highest in intact females, and training level (F2,57 = 5.27, P = 0.008) being highest in expert dogs. During obedience exercises GL was affected by the exercise (F2,158 = 11.57, P < 0.001) being highest in stay, and by the training level (F2,158 = 25.02, P < 0.001), being highest in expert and lowest in novice dogs. The frequency of gaze shifting was affected by an exercise*sex interaction (F2,154 = 2.48, P = 0.046), with intact females showing higher GF in toy than all other exercise*sex combination. Moreover, GF was affected by the dog’s training level (F2,154 = 6.64, P = 0.002), being highest in novice dogs. Different mechanisms could contribute to explain our results, including direct effects of training on interspecific attention patterns as well as indirect effects of the dog-owner relationship. The role and weight of such mechanisms in shaping dogs’ attention to owners’ remains to be addressed
Hierarchical Stimulus Processing by Dogs (Canis Familiaris).
No full textThe purpose of this study was to assess the visual processing of global and local levels of hierarchical stimuli in domestic dogs. Fourteen dogs were trained to recognise a compound stimulus in a simultaneous conditioned discrimination procedure and were then tested for their local/global preference in a discrimination test. As a group, dogs showed a non-significant trend for global precedence, although large inter-individual variability was observed. Choices in the test were not affected by either dogs’ sex or type of stimulus used for training. However, the less time a dog took to complete the discrimination training phase, the higher the probability that it chose the global level of test stimulus. Moreover, dogs which showed a clear preference for the global level in the test were significantly less likely to show positional responses during discrimination training. These differences in the speed of acquisition and response patterns may reflect individual differences in the cognitive requirements during discrimination training. The individual variability in global/local precedence suggests that experience with using visual information may be more important than predisposition in determining global/local processing in dogs
Attention to social and non-social stimuliin family dogs
No full textTwelve family dogs underwent a test as described in Mongillo et al. [Animal Behavior, 2010, 80:1057-1063], which involves the simultaneous presentation of two stimuli. In the present study, the test was run with
three different pairs of stimuli: two strangers (SS); two strangers, one of which visibly carrying the dog’s leash (SL); a stranger and the owner (SO). Moreover, a fourth test
was run with the owner as the only stimulus present (O).
The results suggest that dogs give preferential attention to social and non-social relevant stimuli, although social ones are more effective in eliciting a preferential response. Moreover, attention to relevant social stimuli seems scarcely affected by the presence of distractors
Attention of dogs and owners in urban contexts: public perception and problematic behaviors
No full textThis study aimed at a) characterizing problematic behaviors expressed by dogs during walks in urban areas, b) assessing how owners and non-owners perceive the phenomenon, and c) evaluating if such problematic behaviors are associated with peculiar dog-owner attention patterns. Of 176 dogs filmed, seven expressed excitement, ten avoidance and five aggression. Owners of problematic dogs considered their dogs less reliable and declared paying higher attention to them than owners of non-problematic dogs. However, no difference was found in the perceived expression of problematic behaviors and in actual attention levels. This suggests that, while somehow aware of their dogs’ particular need for attention, problematic dog owners are incapable of complying appropriately with such requirement. Non-owners perceived owners as less attentive and dogs as less reliable than what perceived by owners, but reported a similar occurrence of problematic behaviors. As for problematic dogs, their levels of attention to owners were not different from those of non-problematic dogs. Aggressive dogs were the only ones in which attention levels varied significantly during the problematic behavior, as they never looked at their owner during the aggression episodes. Avoidant dogs showed a trend for increased frequency of gazes to the owner during avoidance episodes, suggesting an attempt to establish communication with the owner, although the short duration of gazes may question their efficacy. While we cannot provide a detailed analysis of factors that contribute to dogs problematic behaviors in public, we identify a crucial point in the owners’ lack of awareness and inability to deal with them
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