Dog Behavior Research Think Tank

The Indispensable Human-Canine Bond 10 Jan 2025, 12:54 pm

The remarkable bond between humans and dogs spans millennia, crossing cultural and geographical boundaries. Nearly every scientific discipline, including biology, anthropology, sociology, psychology, and linguistics, has something to tell us about the value of the bond between our two species. At the National Canine Research Council we examine the myriad ways the human-canine bond enriches people’s lives.

The Evolution of a Partnership

Tens of thousands of years ago—evolutionary biologists differ on how many—a few brave wolves began living closer to people (Coppinger and Coppinger, 2001). This proximity benefited everyone—the proto dogs found a food source in human rubbish, and the people gained an impromptu janitorial service and an early warning system when intruders approached. Gradually interactions increased and individual connections were made as the former wolves evolved into the creatures we now recognize as dogs. These dogs began to perform tasks useful to the people they dwelt among. They helped with essential parts of making a living. They served as hunting partners; and when people began to keep livestock, they protected, confined, and moved those animals from place to place. Gradually, in many cultures, the primary role of dogs has become that of companions, leading to a bond characterized by loyalty, trust, and amity. This is possible because dogs developed the ability to form attachments with us in ways that we easily recognize and respond to: they are similar to the ways we bond with one another as humans (Topal, et al, 1998). This unique connection has played an integral role in shaping both human and canine societies. Burial sites going back thousands of years show dogs treated as beloved companions (Morey and Jeger, 2022), and the story of how this friendship benefits us both continues to unfold (Coppinger and Coppinger, 2001).

For the many people who seek this unique inter-species bond, the benefits can be profound. Of course, a dog in the family is not a panacea for all that ails us (Scoresby 2021). Our physical, emotional, and social well-being is complex and influenced by many factors. But the benefits of our friendships with dogs are so dramatic for such a large number of people that it is in society’s best interest to support them.

Ways That Living with Dogs Can Improve Our Lives

Enhance emotional well-being

The human-canine bond offers profound impacts on our emotional well-being. Interacting with a dog can alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression (Ramirez and Hernandez, 2014). Dogs provide love and support, becoming loyal confidants during challenging times. The simple act of petting a dog releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with relaxation and bonding, fostering emotional resilience in humans (Handlin et al 2011).

This can be particularly helpful for people coping with adversity (Applebaum, 2021). Consider these examples:

Teens struggling with the sometimes brutal reality of adolescent peer culture find non-judgmental comfort with their dog.
Veterans coping with PTSD report that, since their dog came to live with them, they have felt calmer, less lonely and depressed, less fearful, and generally better able to care for themselves. They report exercising and enjoying nature more (Stern, 2013).
People experiencing discrimination of all kinds are supported by the loving acceptance of their dog (Applebaum, 2021).

People can also find comfort from the presence of dogs, even ones they don’t live with. Dogs are being brought into more kinds of anxiety-producing situations for just this reason, to provide access to some of that soothing brain chemistry that people stroking the dog on the couch next to them enjoy. We’ve become familiar with the idea of dogs visiting hospital patients and nursing-home residents. Children struggling with reading skills can gain confidence by reading to a dog, who, of course, never corrects their pronunciation or grows impatient with their efforts to sound out a word. Even the scariness of a dental visit or the grief of a visit to a funeral home can be eased for many people by contact with a calm, friendly dog.

Veterans with PTSD who live with a dog find it easier to interact with people than those who don’t.

Interacting with a dog can alleviate stress, anxiety, and depression

Facilitate and support relationships among humans

It has become commonplace to point out that dogs often serve as a social lubricant. We know that a person walking a dog is often seen as more approachable and is in fact more likely to be engaged in casual conversation in public than a person walking alone (McNicholas, and Collis, 2000). And we know that social interaction is a powerful component of emotional and physical health. As the percentage of the population living alone continues to grow, the help with initiating social contact that dogs provide becomes ever more important.

This effect extends to people with potentially isolating major emotional and mental challenges (Brooks et.al., 2018). Veterans with PTSD who live with a dog find it easier to interact with people than those who don’t (Stern et.al., 2013). The dog need not be a trained assistance dog for this to be true—living with a dog friend is enough to spark these benefits for many.

And it goes even deeper. Scientists have begun to study how people speak to, for, and as their dogs, often to mediate their own intimate relationships, particularly as a safe way to express and resolve conflicts. Beloved dogs can serve as a sort of intermediary in potentially fraught interactions. So the linguist Deborah Tannen recounts how an argument is defused when the man says in baby talk tones to their tiny dog, “Mommy’s so mean tonight. You better sit over here and protect me” (Tannen, 2004). This can only happen when the person has mentally integrated the dog into the family with their own full identity as a family member, often one who is seen by everyone as particularly deserving of understanding and compassion.

Improve Physical Health

The physiological changes instigated by interacting with a dog have implications for physical health in addition to the emotional benefits described above. The changes in brain chemistry that make us feel calm and happy when we pet a dog also lower blood pressure and heart rate, much like often recommended strategies such as meditation and deep breathing for cardiovascular health interventions (Vrombrock and Grossberg, 1988).

Living with a dog often brings healthy lifestyle changes as well. The presence of a furry friend can help motivate daily walks, playful activities, and outdoor adventures, all of which contribute to a more active lifestyle. Some studies have linked dog ownership to lower blood pressure, reduced risk of cardiovascular diseases, and overall improvements in physical fitness (Arhant et.al., 2011). Moreover, the responsibility of caring for a dog instills a sense of purpose and routine, further enhancing our overall well-being (Hawkins, 2021).

Societal Impact

Some dog specialists still carry on their age-old role of practical assistance in everyday life. Their remarkable sense of smell allows them to detect things that people need to find, from termites in the foundation to cancer cells, and to do it more accurately than human-invented devices (Browne, et.al.2006). Dogs, of course, are indispensable in rescue and recovery efforts during disasters. Their ancient role as livestock guardians continues, discouraging predators and thereby fostering an environment where predators can coexist with cattle, sheep, and other domestic animals, minimizing conflict with ranchers’ interests (Potet et.al., 2021). Many are taught to go beyond their role as companions and perform specific tasks that make daily life easier for people living in a world that is often not designed with their needs in mind: the hearing-assistance dog alerts their handler to important sounds—the knock on the door, the phone, the fire alarm; the PTSD service dog provides a subtle barrier to keep anxiety-provoking people at a safe distance; the service dog brings objects and even food to the person who cannot reach them.

Matt Hersh and his service dog Gadget

"Having Gadget in my life has been amazing. I wake up in the morning feeling more confident that I can go out on my own, having him with me makes me feel more comfortable."

Matt Hersh

Education and Awareness

Continuing to learn about and appreciate the human-canine bond can promote awareness regarding responsible pet ownership. By fostering a deep understanding of dogs, we can ensure their well-being, nurture harmonious relationships, and prevent misunderstandings or conflicts. Encouraging proper training, socialization, and humane treatment is crucial for fostering a healthy bond between humans and canines.

Conclusion

Love is essential to a fulfilling life. And love is risky. A great philosopher, Francis Bacon, of the 16th century called loved ones “hostages to fortune.” Our bonds with dogs can create anxiety when essential resources are not available, compromising the powerful benefits we’ve outlined here (Applebaum 2021). The pet parent may feel guilty and undeserving of the relationship when they cannot afford veterinary care or even food for the dog. They may have to make the heartbreaking choice between a beloved canine family member and a roof over their heads. The victim of domestic abuse may be afraid of what the abuser will do to their dog if they leave. It is in society’s best interest to include support for this valuable part of human experience in every kind of social safety net. It is not in society’s interest to deprive some of its members of the profound benefits of sharing their lives with a canine best friend by limiting what that best friend may look like, based on prejudice and ignorance.

This enduring bond of humans and canines is a treasure that enriches our lives in ways we are only beginning to understand.

References

Applebaum, J.W., MacLean, E.L. and McDonald, S.E., 2021. Love, fear, and the human-animal bond: On adversity and multispecies relationships. Comprehensive psychoneuroendocrinology, 7, p.100071.

Arhant‐Sudhir, K., Arhant‐Sudhir, R. and Sudhir, K., 2011. Pet ownership and cardiovascular risk reduction: supporting evidence, conflicting data and underlying mechanisms. Clinical and Experimental Pharmacology and Physiology, 38(11), pp.734-738.

Brooks, H.L., Rushton, K., Lovell, K., Bee, P., Walker, L., Grant, L. and Rogers, A., 2018. The power of support from companion animals for people living with mental health problems: A systematic review and narrative synthesis of the evidence. BMC psychiatry, 18, pp.1-12.

Browne, C., Stafford, K. and Fordham, R., 2006. The use of scent-detection dogs. Irish veterinary journal, 59(2), p.97.

Coppinger, R. and Coppinger, L., 2001. Dogs: A startling new understanding of canine origin, behavior & evolution. Simon and Schuster.

Handlin, L., Hydbring-Sandberg, E., Nilsson, A., Ejdebäck, M., Jansson, A. and Uvnäs-Moberg, K., 2011. Short-term interaction between dogs and their owners: effects on oxytocin, cortisol, insulin and heart rate—an exploratory study. Anthrozoös, 24(3), pp.301-315.

Hawkins, R.D., Hawkins, E.L. and Tip, L., 2021. “I can’t give up when I have them to care for”: People’s experiences of pets and their mental health. Anthrozoös, 34(4), pp.543-562.

McNicholas, J. and Collis, G.M., 2000. Dogs as catalysts for social interactions: Robustness of the effect. British journal of psychology, 91(1), pp.61-70.

Morey, D.F. and Jeger, R., 2022. When dogs and people were buried together. Journal of Anthropological Archaeology, 67, p.101434.

Potet, B., Moulin, C.H. and Meuret, M., 2021. Guard dogs to protect sheep grazing in fenced pastures against wolf: a new and still challenging practice. Journal of Alpine Research| Revue de géographie alpine, (109-4).

Ramírez, M.T.G. and Hernández, R.L., 2014. Benefits of dog ownership: Comparative study of equivalent samples. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 9(6), pp.311-315.

Scoresby KJ, Strand EB, Ng Z, Brown KC, Stilz CR, Strobel K, Barroso CS, Souza M. Pet ownership and quality of life: A systematic review of the literature. Veterinary Sciences. 2021 Dec 16;8(12):332.

Stern, S.L., Donahue, D.A., Allison, S., Hatch, J.P., Lancaster, C.L., Benson, T.A., Johnson, A.L., Jeffreys, M.D., Pride, D., Moreno, C. and Peterson, A.L., 2013. Potential benefits of canine companionship for military veterans with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Society & Animals, 21(6), pp.568-581.

Tannen, D., 2004. Talking the dog: Framing pets as interactional resources in family discourse. Research on Language and Social Interaction, 37(4), pp.399-420.

Vormbrock, J.K. and Grossberg, J.M., 1988. Cardiovascular effects of human-pet dog interactions. Journal of behavioral medicine, 11, pp.509-517.

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What Do You Expect of Your Companions? 19 Dec 2024, 3:00 pm

Is your partner less than perfect? Does your sibling sometimes annoy you? Do your kids? How about your parents, or your friends? If you’re like pretty much everybody, the answers are probably, yes, all the way around. A new study confirms that our relationships with our pet dogs are the same. Sometimes they do stuff that gets on our nerves. Do we still love them? Of course.

The new study used data from more than 40,000 pet owners who filled out a very lengthy survey about themselves and their dogs, which included 42 questions about the dogs’ behavior. More than 99% of them reported that their dogs peed or pooped in the house, or got upset when left alone, or ate dog poop or behaved quite defensively or fearfully in response to things like meeting people or dogs or having their stuff taken away. And yet these were all dogs who were living successfully in homes. Moreover, these owners were sufficiently attached to them to spend a couple of hours filling out information about them and to commit to a study where they would be contacted repeatedly over the lifetime of their dogs.

It may well have been illuminating to know whether the owners considered any of this problematic, but that question was not asked. However, the mere participation in this study indicates that at least at the time of survey, these owners did not consider these behaviors to be deal breakers. Perhaps our expectations of our pet dogs are not that different from our expectations of one another.

More on dog behavior: The authors of Saving Normal: A new look at behavioral incompatibilities and dog relinquishment to shelters challenge the perception that behavioral incompatibilities are an important factor driving the relinquishment of dogs to shelters. In addition to finding little support for this belief in the relinquishment literature, they found that owners who were living happily with dogs reported no fewer incompatibilities with their pets than owners who relinquished their dogs.

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National Canine Research Council Appoints Cynthia Bathurst, Ph.D. as Managing Director 13 Dec 2024, 3:50 pm

National Canine Research Council (NCRC) is pleased to announce that Cynthia Bathurst, Ph.D. has been named its Managing Director. Cynthia has been an advisor to NCRC since 2010 and is the Animal Farm Foundation Secretary of the Board. She brings her experience and perspective as founder and CEO of the nonprofit Safe Humane and her expertise in rhetoric to her new role. She holds a Ph.D. through the English Department at The University of Iowa and a B.S. in Mathematics from the University of Alabama.

At NCRC Dr. Bathurst has been involved in developing resources for law enforcement on encounters with dogs. She co-authored the U.S. Department of Justice (USDOJ) manual “The Problem of Dog-Related Incidents and Encounters” and was the Content Producer for the video series “Police and Dog Encounters: Tactical Strategies and Effective Tools to Keep our Communities Safe and Humane,” which was distributed by the USDOJ COPS Office. She also served for twenty-two years on the City of Chicago’s Commission on Animal Care and Control (CACC), serving as its chair for more than ten years, and was the recipient of the American Veterinary Medical Association Humane Award, which is given to a non-veterinarian who has advanced animal well-being, shown exemplary dedication to the care of animals, and contributed to animals and society.

We at NCRC look forward to advancing our mission and projects with the growing and continued expertise of staff, consultants, and advisors.

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Hoping to increase the odds of choosing a healthy doggy companion? THINK MIX 16 May 2024, 7:52 pm

Looking to prioritize your canine companions well-being from the get-go? Consider embracing the charm and health benefits of mixed-breed companionship. Renowned cognitive scientist Alexandra Horowitz recently shed light on the alarming consequences of closed gene pools in purebred dogs. In her thought-provoking piece for The New York Times, she unveils the startling truth: many pedigreed dogs suffer from debilitating health issues due to extensive inbreeding.

Horowitz’s insights are backed by compelling research, revealing that certain breeds exhibit shockingly high levels of genetic similarity, akin to the offspring of full siblings. Such inbreeding not only amplifies the risk of various health ailments, including bleeding disorders and fatal heart defects, but also perpetuates extreme physical traits, like the pug’s flat face, which compromises essential functions like breathing.

n light of these revelations, Horowitz advocates for outcrossing – the introduction of diverse genetic lineages into purebred bloodlines. However, until this practice becomes widespread, opting for a mixed-breed companion presents a promising alternative for those prioritizing their pet’s well-being.

Fortunately, the intricate tapestry of personality remains untouched by the adverse effects of inbreeding, as highlighted by recent advancements in dog genomics. Each mixed-breed pup is an individual blend of traits, offering a delightful package waiting to be unwrapped. After all, the only way to truly understand the personality of a canine companion is to embark on the journey of getting to know them firsthand.

By embracing the diversity and vitality of mixed-breed dogs, prospective pet owners can not only increase the likelihood of finding a healthy and happy companion but also contribute to a brighter future in the world of canine companionship..

Explore additional canine related researchin our research library.

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Looking for safety in all the wrong places: India’s new ban on 23 dog breeds cannot succeed 24 Apr 2024, 6:18 pm

Thankfully, banning dogs of certain breeds is increasingly rare. But when this choice is made, as with the recent national BSL legislation in India, we are reminded of some of the reasons that it simply cannot help prevent dog bite injuries:

Behavioral genetic science shows conclusively that a dog’s breed simply cannot predict anything about whether they are likely to growl or snarl or snap at people, much less bite anyone hard enough to injure.

It is not possible to visually identify with any accuracy the breed ancestry of a mixed-breed dog. This means that enforcement attempts unfairly target and victimize specific people and their pets based on stereotypes.

BSL has never succeeded in reducing dog bite injuries anywhere it has been tried.

One of the "breeds" banned in the Indian law is "Terriers," which is not a breed but a huge breed group, that make up about quarter or more of all the the AKC breed populations.

In spite of all this, India’s central government has taken the unfortunate step of banning 23 breeds of dogs as pets (see list below). A much more productive approach is the one endorsed by every responsible animal behavior organization for decades: encouraging and helping pet owners to provide sound care and socialization for their animal companions.

For additional information about preventing breed-specific legislation head to: https://nationalcanineresearchcouncil.com/breedspecificlegislation/

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Introducing “The Relevance of Breeding in Choosing a Pet Dog” 30 Oct 2023, 8:16 pm

We are thrilled to announce the release of our latest version of the publication, “The Relevance of Breeding in Choosing a Pet Dog” This booklet, part of our NCRC Vision Series, delves into the important topic of how “breed” plays a role in choosing a companion dog.

As a non-profit canine behavior science and policy think tank, the National Canine Research Council aims to provide academically rigorous research that studies dogs in the context of human society. Our mission is to make this research accessible to everyone who loves, lives with, or is simply curious about dogs.

In this groundbreaking publication, author Janis Bradley explores the impact of breed on canine behavior and its implications on public policy and the matchmaking process for people working in rehoming. By taking a closer look at the individuality of dogs in a human-made environment, this booklet offers valuable insights into the importance of a thoughtful approach when selecting a companion dog.

With a commitment to sound methodology and accurate characterization of dogs as individuals, we strive to bring you the most current research in the field of canine behavior. Through “The Relevance of Breeding in Choosing a Pet Dog,” we hope to further our understanding of the intricate relationship between dogs and humans.

Whether you are concerned about public policy, working in rehoming, considering adding a new dog family member, or simply interested in expanding your knowledge on the subject, we invite you to dive into this informative booklet. Stay tuned for further updates and publications from the National Canine Research Council, as we continue our mission to strengthen the bond between people and dogs.

Learn more, access the full version of the booklet “The Relevance of Breeding in Choosing a Pet Dog,” here. We look forward to sharing this valuable resource with you.

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The Truth Behind Dog Impulses: What They Mean and How They Shape Behavior 14 Jul 2023, 1:56 pm

You cry. I feel weepy. We all have impulses that just pop up naturally, and unless we have learned to inhibit them for some reason, we tend to act them out whenever the trigger events for them happen. They don’t need to make sense in a “thinking about it” way.

In people, these can be contagious reactions like yawning or crying or laughing when other people do. You don’t have to learn to respond this way; you just see a person yawning and feel the urge to yawn yourself. Or you don’t. Many animals do this too. Dogs yawn and not just when other dogs yawn, but also when people do. You can choose not to yawn, of course, but that choice isn’t part of the impulse. It doesn’t even happen in the same part of your brain. (I have to actively fight my unconscious urge to continually yawn while watching this video of a yawning chimpanzee)

These automatic impulses can even be self-defensive reflexes, like the normally mild mannered guy who finds himself in the middle of a bar fight and swings on anyone who taps him on the shoulder, sometimes finding to his later dismay that that person was his best buddy just trying to get his attention. Even human babies, like many animals, once they are old enough to motor around on their own, don’t have to be taught to pull back from a vertical drop. Our brains come already equipped to tell us to automatically feel like doing very simple things that will help us survive, especially when the reaction needs to be so quick that there’s no time for thinking it over or a mistake would be so expensive (even fatal) that learning from experience wouldn’t be practical

The sciency term for expressing these impulses is “action patterns.” What’s important to understand about them is that the traits that we think of as personality, have nothing to do with these automatic impulses. Nothing. Personality is about traits like friendliness, and how easily we form emotional attachments, and paying attention to other individuals and such. These are all profoundly influenced by experience and most of the ones people care about have to do with social competencies, the psychologist’s term for having learned how to get along with others. So when you hear the term, action pattern, it just means automatic impulses. They don’t have anything to do with intentions or learning, although learning can affect whether or not the impulses are expressed in actions. The prefrontal lobe in our brains can override them. But the impulses themselves just pop up whenever the triggering event happens.

Dogs have these too. The ones that people have historically been interested in are ones that helped dogs’ ancestors make a living way back before domestication, when eating was mostly dependent on successful predation. These include impulses like wanting to give chase when you see something running away, or feeling like freezing when you smell something lunchy close by (reducing the risk of scaring it away before you can catch it) or crouching and sneaking up on that prey, or getting excited when you scent the critter to begin with and feeling like following it. If you’re born with these impulses ready to pop up, you’re more likely to be a successful hunter, but the desire to eat itself doesn’t necessarily come into it in any intentional way. You just feel an urge to do this stuff. It’s fun and exciting.

These urges may be stronger when you’re hungry or weaker when you’re full—not really any research on this—but a wolf or a fox or a dog or a cat or a bear doesn’t have to put together a chain of reasoning like, “hmmm, I’m a bit peckish, better go track something.”

Not all of these impulses are of the hair trigger variety. Migrating birds, for example, feel the urge to travel as the weather and duration of sunlight change with the seasons, but it’s still an automatic impulse. And not all of these impulses spark behaviors that people have ever cared about. And the behaviors are so automatic that animals often express them even outside the context of their original usefulness. So your dog may be a “cacher,” meaning they try to bury their valued stuff “for later” in the sofa cushions, even though this doesn’t actually hide the bully stick fragment very well, given that your sofa cushions are probably not made of loose dirt.

But for a very long time, people have worked at applying selective pressure specifically to predation related impulses to try to direct them toward things those people would like dogs to do. So the chase impulse becomes racing, and the freezing impulse becomes pointing, and the sneaking up impulse becomes herding, and the scenting impulse becomes tracking, and so on. This means that people have tried to mate animals who seemed to have the strongest expression of whatever impulse they considered desirable, in order to increase the likelihood of more puppies who would have the impulse too. There appears to be some evidence of success in these selection attempts among the ancient lineage of large groups of dogs (Dutrow, 2023). It’s important to remember, though that we still don’t really have solid evidence that this selection has produced more dogs who chase, for example, than the proportion of all dogs who chase. But certainly, many many people believe that these impulses carry through as behavioral correlations among groups of dogs (not specific breeds so much). We may, of course, ultimately find that this falls into that category of beliefs that Mark Twain reportedly described as, “It ain’t what you don’t know that gets you into trouble, it’s what you know for sure that just ain’t so.” But for now, we can give the idea a solid maybe.

But in terms of choosing a pet, whether the dog you are considering strongly feels urges like these probably won’t have much impact on how satisfying either of you finds your relationship.

Here’s an example. My sweet dog Ollie was born with a large helping of the “chasing stuff and bringing it back is the very most fun thing there is” world view. One day he was with me and a group of friends walking at the local marina. One of my friends had been making Ollie’s day by repeatedly throwing a stick for him to chase and bring back. But my friend eventually got tired of this and of Ollie pestering him to keep throwing, so he (my friend, not Ollie) decided to end the game by throwing the stick into the water. By the time I realized his intention, the stick was airborne, accompanied by my too late shout of “Noooooooooooo!” as Ollie ran full speed down a dock and leapt into the yucky water.

Justice prevailed, as we had come in my friend’s van, so that’s where all 110 pounds of my sopping wet woolly black mutt rode home. I suppose life with Ollie might have been a bit easier if he had not been inclined to fetch until he dropped, or if I had been inclined to teach him that I reserved the right to end the game, but it certainly did nothing to compromise our bond of friendship. Generally speaking, this is the level of significance the presence or absence of a strong version of one of these sorts of automatic impulses will have on your relationship.

Most of us can be content living with a dog whether or not they love to chase, or follow scents, or freeze when they smell something, or sneak up on stuff. What we need them to love is us. And love us they do.

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Two Myths about Behavior Evaluations for Shelter Dogs 17 May 2023, 11:01 pm

You might think behavior evaluations make placing shelter dogs safer. But, research shows that some of the most common beliefs about shelter dogs and evaluations are actually just myths.

Myth #1

Dogs living in shelters are behaviorally diﬀerent from dogs living with families

There is a prevailing myth that shelter dogs are “damaged” or “have something wrong with them.” This myth can lead to shelters running a battery of tests, called behavior evaluations, on the dogs in their care, in an effort to find problems that are rarely there.

According to two decades of research, there is simply nothing diﬀerent about dogs who live in a shelter from dogs who have a cozy couch. They are just dogs who are living in a shelter environment while they are between homes. There is nothing that sets them apart, behavior-wise, from dogs acquired from a breeder or a friend or a next door neighbor

Sometimes, of course, dogs are surrendered by their owners because there was a behavioral incompatibility between them, although much more often for some other reason entirely. And what’s incompatible varies dramatically from one owner to another.

Myth #2

We have a valid, reliable way of assessing a shelter dog’s behavior

For the sake of argument, let’s pretend the aforementioned research doesn’t exist. Let’s say that these dogs are naughtier than dogs living with families. How can we measure that? Is there a way we can suss out behaviors that all or most adopters will find incompatible? Many people believe that we can.
But that belief is wrong.

Behavior evaluations do not have the sensitivity to identify dogs with the target behaviors even if we knew what those were. Nor do they have the speciﬁcity to correctly identify the ones who do not have behaviors we decide to target.

If we’re talking specifically about safety issues, in other words, the likelihood of any individual dog threatening or biting a person, even if we had far better tests than any that have been designed, there would only be a 50/50 chance that the current tests would shed any insight into a dog’s future behavior in a home environment. In other words, even a really great test would be no better than ﬂipping a coin. And with the tests we actually have, the odds are much much worse.

A dog’s life is worth more than a coin toss.

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Embracing Dogs as Individuals at the Latest Insurance Conference 21 Mar 2023, 8:49 pm

Nicole Juchem

Manager of Operations and Public Policy

March 9th, 2023, San Diego CA, I’m standing at the NCRC exhibitor booth, where I’m speaking to a gentleman about removing dog breed restrictions in insurance. He starts with a heartwarming story about his childhood dog. When he was a boy, his neighbor, a member of the armed forces, was called to duty, putting him in the sad position of having to find his dog a new home. The gentleman’s mother agreed to take the dog, much to the chagrin of his father who wanted no part of it. The dog quickly became a beloved member of their family and naturally, the gentleman’s father and the dog became inseparable.

This story is not unique, it underscores the ever-changing dynamic of the human-canine relationship. According to 2021-2022 APPA National Pet Owners Survey 54% of American families include at least one dog. Dogs have gone from the backyard, to the couch, to the bed.

Dog owners are budgeting more money for the care and well-being of their dogs than ever before. This data and related research show the continued rise in the sense of connection that we feel for our canine companions.

The importance of canine companionship in our lives was reinforced by the number of photos members gleefully presented me with. I found myself wondering if our booth hadn’t become a little oasis in a desert of otherwise dry insurance-driven information…a thought further reinforced by the absence of excitement happening at the accuracy table to our left. All joking aside, it was satisfying to find common ground with so many people who see breed restrictions as detrimental and ineffective and who believe that all dogs are individuals.

Many of my discussions were focused around a study from the Broad Institute of MIT and Harvard where canine geneticists reported that breed is not a reliable predictor of an individual dog’s behavior; and that behaviors commonly labeled as “aggression,” differentiated not at all between breeds. They were simply of no use in predicting behavior in individual dogs. In addition, even attendees who preferred and had owned one type of breed their entire lives couldn’t agree more with this study’s findings. They recounted how their dogs throughout the years. while the same breed, had very different personalities.

I got such joy out of the reaction from the members when they played our “Guess the DNA” games. It reminded me of when I began my career. Seeing those results for the first time, was a true aha! moment for me. Realizing that my anecdotal ideas about dogs were comical after I had a better understanding of canine science and genetics was a revelation.

One of the greatest things to hear from members is that they believe responsible dog ownership, not discrimination against owners based on their dog’s presumed breed, is key to reducing dog-related incidents. I could not have hoped for better conversations with the truly wonderful members of NCOIL.

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Does Your Dog’s Breed Make Them Smarter Than Other Dogs? 8 Feb 2023, 10:09 pm

I have to confess that I have always thought of my dog, Tommy, as … well, not the very brightest bulb in the box.

This has no effect whatever on how adorable I consider him to be, nor on my resulting level of adoration for him. But it’s true, my training idea when he needed weight-bearing rehab on a broken leg at the same time I was recovering from a hip injury and couldn’t walk him very far didn’t proceed at lightning speed. He was not super quick to pick up on the solution behavior I came up with, sending him walking down to the end of a hallway, touching a traffic cone and coming back for a treat over and over.

My other dog, Annie, had long since learned this, and she occasionally appeared to demonstrate it to him, with a clear thought-bubble over her head reading, “oh for God’s sake, it’s just targeting. Do THIS.”

This winter we’re looking for ways to avoid cabin-fever boredom in a place where it’s just too cold and icy for either of us to take walks of much duration. So I thought I’d teach Tommy to do some nose work—the trainerly name for finding stuff by scenting it out. He’d never seemed very keen to sniff out stuff, but we really needed something to do, so I thought we’d try.

We’ve been playing around with this for only about 3 weeks now, and Tommy has figured out, at pretty much doggy warp-speed learning, how to find the box with the little piece of cheese in it from among 8 to 12 empty ones scattered around a 1200-square-foot space.

He can do it when the baited box is partially hidden, and no matter how much I change around the configuration of boxes, and even when I put the goodie somewhere outside of a box. And he’s figured out that this terrific game is only afoot when I say the “find it,” cue. He ignores the boxes otherwise.

We’ll have to switch to non-food scents pretty soon just to make sure there’s some challenge. And this from a dog who’s never shown all that keen an interest in investigating scents. Maybe he’s a bit cleverer than I thought?

Meanwhile, reports from a study from Finland about various doggy cognition (thinking to you and me) abilities have been popping up in the popular press. The folks who write stories about dog science for the popular media know perfectly well that we all take vicarious pride in saying—or at least thinking if we’re trying to be polite—“my dog’s smarter than your dog, na na na na naaa na.”

So when these Finnish researchers reported different levels of performance between dogs of various breeds on abilities that are characterized as social cognition, problem‑solving, and inhibitory control, it spawned lots of stories.

Ones with titles like, “Is the Labrador Retriever the dumbest dog?” Or, “which is the smartest dog breed? It’s not what you think.” This last is a reference to the finding that Malinois did better on some of the tests than Border Collies did, the latter having come up on top in a very old poll that asked which breeds obedience judges thought were the smartest

Why obedience judges would be experts on this question is anybody’s guess, but that’s a story for another time. The researchers, of course, never claimed that they had established a “smartest breed” among any of those they had tested. In fact, on the tests they used that they believed could measure “logical reasoning” and “memory,” the functions that we would ordinarily associate with what we think of as intelligence (never mind that this is a pretty tricky concept to define, even among humans), they found no breed differences at all. But the test battery they used had been regrettably named “smartDOG,” by the person who compiled it, who is also one of the authors of the paper. It’s a compilation of tests that have been used over the last couple of decades to determine whether dogs as a species are able to do certain kinds of thinking and social interactions that psychologists tend to think of as pretty sophisticated.

For example, can dogs look in the direction a human points their finger toward to find a treat? Can they figure out they have to move away from food by going around a barrier to get to it, even though they can see and smell it right there. The answer, by the way, when you ask these kinds of questions in these ways about dogs is, generally, yes. This has led to huge changes in scientists’ ideas about dogs’ thinking abilities and emotions over the last 2 or 3 decades. This gets much trickier, though, when you try to divide dogs into groups and figure out which ones are best at what. Nevertheless, the clickbait production line went into action.

Remember what I said about Tommy not having spent much energy in the past using his nose to find things? Annie was the one with her nose to the ground all the time following this or that, with Tommy sort of following along without seeming very interested.

That is, until the day, on one of our usual walks, Annie suddenly had a seizure. The vet thought she had recovered, but she died later that day.

The next day, Tommy’s nose was glued to the ground at the spot where Annie’s episode had occurred, and he kept it there following where we had walked from there on that last day.

He did this every day for weeks, until (I assume) there had been enough rain to degrade the scent to the point where he couldn’t detect it. Or maybe until he gave up and decided he wasn’t going to find her at the end of that rainbow.

If I had concluded, prior to this, that his lack of scenting behavior was due to any lack of aptitude, I would have been, well, dead wrong.

He just needed a good enough reason to spend brain power and energy on this task.

Searching for Annie was clearly a good enough reason. Turns out even getting a break in a boring winter day is too.

Which brings us back to why our Finnish researchers were probably wise to keep their claims about the significance of differences they found modest. Although very likely not modest enough, since they only acknowledged one of the major limitations.

They realized, and stated in the paper, that they had no way of knowing the extent to which previous learning and experience might have influenced the very small differences they found between breeds on performance on some, though by no means all, of the tests they used.

They referenced anecdotal reports they had from the participating owners that many, if not most, of the dogs tested had been trained in various sports and working dog tasks. These included herding trials, gun dog trials, nose work, police work–which usually includes tracking and what’s called “bite work”–agility and so on.

Apparently assuming that training is training, they inferred that the dogs’ histories of learning from humans should be roughly analogous. Nothing could be further from the truth. The training for these various kinds of competition and work vary enormously in the behaviors that are reinforced and therefore rendered more likely to be expressed.

A dog, like any other successful organism, is more likely to try to solve a problem with strategies that have worked for them in the past. So a dog who’s learned he can get food by following his nose is much more likely to search by scent for a goodie under one of several cups than to try the one a person is pointing to at first.

He has, in fact, probably learned during his training not to pay attention to the “hides” his handler has messed with before sending him, as this is a common training-proofing tactic. Much of training is about learning what to pay attention to and what to ignore, and this is different according to the task.

Even more important, though, is what I think of now as the “Tommy question,” which is the why question.

Do we really imagine that every dog is likely to be exactly as strongly motivated at a given moment to work hard to find a treat as every other dog? How can we possibly assume that one dog’s response of taking a little longer than the next one is more a matter of having trouble figuring out the solution than simply of: “Ya’ know, I’m just not that into that right now?”

The post Does Your Dog’s Breed Make Them Smarter Than Other Dogs? appeared first on National Canine Research Council.

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