Social cognition Dog intelligence

an english springer spaniel taking cues master.

dogs capable of learning through simple reinforcement (e.g., classical or operant conditioning), learn watching humans , other dogs.

one study investigated whether dogs engaged in partnered play adjust behavior attention-state of partner. experimenters observed play signals sent when dog holding attention of partner. if partner distracted, dog instead engaged in attention-getting behavior before sending play signal.

puppies learn behaviors following examples set experienced dogs. form of intelligence not particular tasks dogs have been bred perform, can generalized various abstract problems. example, dachshund puppies set problem of pulling cart tugging on attached piece of ribbon in order reward inside cart. puppies watched experienced dog perform task learned task fifteen times faster left solve problem on own.

the social rank of dogs affects performance in social learning situations. in social groups clear hierarchy, dominant individuals more influential demonstrators , knowledge transfer tends unidirectional, higher rank lower. in problem-solving experiment, dominant dogs performed better subordinates when observed human demonstrator s actions, finding reflects dominance of human in dog-human groups. subordinate dogs learn best dominant dog adjacent in hierarchy.

following human cues

dogs show human-like social cognition in various ways. example, dogs can react appropriately human body language such gesturing , pointing, , understand human voice commands. example, in 1 study, puppies presented box, , shown that, when handler pressed lever, ball roll out of box. handler allowed puppy play ball, making intrinsic reward. pups allowed interact box. 3 quarters of puppies subsequently touched lever, , on half released ball, compared 6% in control group did not watch human manipulate lever.

similarly, dogs may guided cues indicating direction of human s attention. in 1 task reward hidden under 1 of 2 buckets. experimenter indicated location of reward tapping bucket, pointing bucket, nodding @ bucket, or looking @ bucket. dogs followed these signals, performing better chimpanzees, wolves, , human infants @ task; puppies limited exposure humans performed well.

dogs can follow direction of pointing humans. new guinea singing dogs half-wild proto-dog endemic remote alpine regions of new guinea , these can follow human pointing can australian dingoes. these both demonstrate ability read human gestures arose in domestication without human selection. dogs , wolves have been shown follow more complex pointing made body parts other human arm , hand (e.g. elbow, knee, foot). dogs tend follow hand/arm pointed directions more when combined eye signaling well.

for canids perform on traditional human-guided tasks (e.g. following human point) both relevant lifetime experiences humans—including socialization humans during critical phase social development—and opportunities associate human body parts outcomes (such food being provided humans, human throwing or kicking ball, etc.) required.

in 2016, study of water rescue dogs respond words or gestures found dogs respond gesture rather verbal command.