Tuesday, March 5, 2013

Do dogs regard humans as tools?


A fascinating article at Scientific American suggests that dogs instinctively regard humans as their assistants - in effect, tools to be used to overcome particular problems.  Here's a brief excerpt.

... it isn’t only the source of their food that changed as wolves became dogs; their entire social ecology changed. Instead of sharing social space primarily with other wolves, dogs came to treat humans as social partners. This is one of the critical differences between a domesticate and a wild animal that is simply habituated to the presence of humans. Domestication is a genetic process; habituation is an experiential one. Domestication alters nature, habituation is nurture.

Several years ago, scientists at Eotvos University in Budapest wanted to determine whether the social-cognitive differences among dogs and wolves was primarily genetic or experiential. To do this, they hand-raised a group of dog puppies and a group of wolf pups from birth, resulting in roughly equivalent experiences. Any differences between the two groups’ social cognitive skills, then, would be attributable to genetics.

. . .

Would wolves, having been raised by humans, demonstrate social-cognitive skills that approached the sophistication of dogs? Or is social-cognitive aptitude encoded in dogs’ genes, a direct result of domestication?

There's more at the link.

Hmm . . .  Having been 'raised' by a Labrador retriever, I can confirm from personal experience that they (Labradors in particular) regard human children as sources of food, from whom they may steal with impunity!



Peter

7 comments:

Christina RN LMT said...

I saw a documentary that incorporated some of this research. It was fascinating, because the puppies also figured out almost immediately that if a human POINTS at something, it should be investigated. The researchers hid a treat underneath an overturned plate (one among several), and the dogs learned quickly to go to the one pointed at to get the food, as opposed to testing each plate. Fascinating stuff!

Shrimp said...

It would be really interesting to see this test repeated with the offspring of this group (of wolves) and see if the results change over generations of interactions with humans. I believe it would support/confirm the theory that the multitude of generations of contact leads to the sort of "symbiotic" relationship we see today.

Unknown said...

...So dogs are as mercenary as cats, but more devious in hiding it? They have us completely fooled, don't they?

Toejam said...

Anyone who was a fan of Rin Tin Tin and Lassie would have known dogs are devious creatures that manipulate humans.

Rin Tin Tin had a fabulous life. Google and learn.

Jason G. Goldman said...

Glad you liked the post. To answer commenter #2's question, the only way that the offspring of these human-reared wolves would improve their ability, for example, to spontaneously use human pointing gestures would be under a strong artificial selection program for multiple generations, effectively turning them into dogs!

Chris said...

There was an article in National Geographic March 2011 http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/03/taming-wild-animals/ratliff-text that profiles, among other things, a research team in Siberia that has domesticated foxes. The experiment began decades ago under the Soviets, but continues today with help from the NIH and others. Fascinating!

Anonymous said...

BRM says: "I can confirm from personal experience that they (Labradors in particular) regard human children as sources of food, from whom they may steal with impunity!"

And who, I might add, would guard that human child with its life.

Labradors are wonderful creatures, but so are all of their species... particularly the 'domestic' versions. I've seen a collie stand guard over a motherless lamb until help could arrive, willing to fight off all comers. This says a lot given the kind of 'comers' that were around in the rural townships of Quebec province.

They are our partners, , friends and members of our families and to treat them in any other way is barbaric.