Most of us think of our dogs as one of the most trusting animals we come in contact with. While the cat stares at you from across the room – clearly sizing up whether your existence is acceptable – the dogs comes running to you for pets, kisses or just to be near you.
However, the results of a study published in Animal Cognition, a scientific journal, suggest that not only are dogs skilled at interpreting human body language (pointing), but that they quickly learn when someone is not “telling the truth” and will make judgments about listening to that person in the future.
The Experiment
The study was led by Akiko Takoka of Kyoto University in Japan. They tested 34 pet dogs in a version of the “object choice task” – where they put food under one of two containers. Then they ran several tests.
Phase 1 – they had a person point to the container with food.
Phase 2 – after showing the dog the contents of both containers, the person would point to the empty container.
Phase 3 – they repeated Phase 1.
What did they find?
They found that after the person had pointed to the wrong container in Phase 2, in Phase 3 the dog would not “trust” the human’s pointing and would not go to the container.
Then, they brought in a new experimenter to do Phase 1 again, and the dog’s followed the pointing.
Takaoka told BBC.com “that she was surprised that the dogs ‘devalued the reliability of a human’ so quickly.”
Training Implications
While this study is interesting for anyone wondering about how a dog thinks, it is particularly interesting in terms of training your own dog.
We asked Amber Burckhalter CNWI, CDBC Chairman, APDT Board of Trustees a few questions about the study and how it’s results SHOULD affect how you continue to train your dog.
The article mentions that dog’s learn quickly whether a person is “trustworthy” – i.e. giving them correct information or not. What does this mean for training?
AB: The relationship between a dog and their trainer must be a relationship based in trust. By building trust with your dog, the dog will look to you for all leadership and guidance in his or her daily life. If the dog does not trust you, the dog will behave as such, possibly displaying avoidance behaviors as well as fear and/or reactive behaviors, if the dog has serious trust issues with the you.
Do think, for some dogs, this is why it’s hard to wean them off rewards (such as a treat or toy for each behavior) and still get a response? How should they train to avoid this issue?
AB: No, a lack of trust is not the issue when weaning dogs from a constant use of simple reinforcers (toys and treats). A lack of proper timing, lack of hierarchy of reinforcers (also known as rewards) and poorly used reinforcers (treats and toys) are the root cause of the inability of the trainer to move to variable reinforcers (or treats and toys sometimes). Dogs, like people, do not work for free. While you expect to go to work and get a paycheck, our dogs expect a reinforcement or reward when they preform obedience, or work, for us. The dog’s trainer must spend the time educating him or herself on the proper use and timing of reinforcers, fading reinforcers, reinforcement schedules and hierarchies. Reinforcers can be praise, treats, toys, life rewards and many others. Proper fading of a lure such as a ball, for example, will train a dog that preforming the behavior is the reward and that sometimes he will get the ball but even if he does not, he will get reinforced in some way. If the trainer does not reinforce for correct behaviors and choices made on the behalf of the dog, the dog will likely stop working for the trainer and make different choices he does find rewarding.
The research also showed that dogs showed interest in new people, more, and were eager to trust them at first. Do you think this is too broad of a statement?
AB: Yes, I believe this is too broad of statement. Many dogs are not keen to be friendly to strangers and are even less inclined to train or work for them without first building trust and a relationship.
H/T: BBC.com
