Dog-human relationship affects problem solving behavior in the dog

Abstract

In this paper we present evidence that simple problem solving in the dog is strongly influenced by the relationship with the owner. Twenty-eight dog-owner pairs were observed in a novel situation and when performing a simple problem-solving task. Dogs were categorized according to their relationship with the owners ("companionship" or "working relationship"). In addition to the behavioral analysis of the dogs, the anthropomorphic attitudes of the owners were assessed by a questionnaire. Factor analysis showed two factors of correlated behavioral variables ("social dependence," "social play") of the dogs that referred to the dog-human relationship. Dogs in a companion relationship behaved socially dependently, showing a decreased performance in the problem solving task and were viewed more anthropomorphically by the owners. Results suggest that the dogs' decreased problem-solving performance is less dependent on their cognitive abilities; instead the strong, dependent relationship with the owner prevents them from completing the task successfully. On the basis of our results, we argue that the decreased problem solving ability in the domestic dog is not due to their domestication but their strong attachment to humans.