Roles for referential focus in effective and efficient canine signaling: Do pet and working dogs differ?

Working dogs trained to be detection/sniffer dogs must work closely with their human partners. Pet dogs are also often asked to perform tasks, whether in a casual context (e.g., going for a walk) or as part of more formal activity (e.g., competitive sport). For the best performance outcomes, each partner must signal well to the other, and accurately read and respond to the other ’s signals. As part of a larger study comparing problem solving behavior and information use in working dogs and pet dogs, we compared the detailed responses of 40 detection dogs and 80 pet dogs to verbal signals under 2 conditions: when the handler was facing the dog (front facing condition) vers us when the handler had his back to the dog while giving a verbal request (back facing condition).
Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research