Gazing during an unsolvable task in dogs participating in animal‑assisted interventions and pet dogs

CAVALLI, C.; CARBALLO F.; DZIK, M.V.; BENTOSELA M.

Congreso; Canine Science Forum 2021; 2021

Introduction. Dogs who participate in Animal Assisted Interventions (AAI) are a population of interest in the study of the ontogeny of dogs? sociocognitive abilities, as they interact with a greater number of people during their lives than pet dogs. Prior studies have emphasized the importance of gazing in their communication. One protocol which has been widely used to study gazing behavior is the unsolvable task, in which dogs tend to use direct gazing and gaze alternation towards people when confronted with inaccessible food. Question/Hypothesis. The aim of this study is to compare the behavior of dogs participating in AAI and pet dogs during an unsolvable task. It would be expected for AAI dogs to gaze and alternate their gaze more towards people than pet dogs. Method. Dogs participating in AAI (n=15) and pets (n=16), of 1 to 9 years old, from both sexes and a variety of breeds and mixes, participated in an unsolvable task. During the test, a container fixed to a wooden board held inaccessible food, while the owner and an unfamiliar woman stood facing each other at the sides of the board and ignored the dogs. Measured behaviors included gazing, gaze alternations and physical contact towards each person as well as interaction with the apparatus. Results. Dogs from the AAI group gazed (U=54.5, p=.01) and alternated their gaze (U=45, p=.002) significantly more than pet dogs. No significant differences were found in contact with the people nor interaction with the apparatus (ps>.12). In addition, AAI dogs spent significantly more time in contact with the unfamiliar person than the owner (Z=− 2.43, p=.015), but no other significant differences were found (ps>.13). Conclusion. In line with prior findings, these results highlight the importance of gazing behavior in AAI dogs. These dogs interact with a great variety and quantity of people during their lives which may lead to an increase in communicative abilities such as gazing. In addition, greater visual communication with the handler may help guide their behavior during their visits. AAI dogs may use their gaze to request information and seek support as the sessions may be challenging. As AAI dogs interact often with strangers, it is understandable that they spent more time in contact with the unfamiliar person than pets. These results emphasize the importance of ontogenetic experiences in dogs? social cognition. In addition, a deeper understanding of AAI dogs may aid their selection and training.