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Simple Summary: As dogs evolve to fill a new and increased number of roles in human societies, it is critical that we understand how they communicate with people. Here, we investigate whether markings on dogs' faces influence how expressive they are perceived to be by humans. Using standardized systems to analyze dogs' facial complexity and behaviors, we find that dogs with plainer faces (fewer markings) objectively score as more behaviorally expressive. Age and skill or training level also impact expressivity, with adult dogs being more expressive than senior dogs and dogs that are highly skilled being more expressive than those who have had no training or working experience. Interestingly, dogs tend to use their face more "wholistically" during highly social interactions with owners than when presented with ambiguous cues, and owners of adult dogs with plainer faces tend to be more accurate at judging their dog's expressivity. These data are important to consider as the human–dog relationship continues to develop, both from an evolutionary perspective and especially in the context of canine training and welfare. Facial phenotypes are significant in communication with conspecifics among social primates. Less is understood about the impact of such markers in heterospecific encounters. Through behavioral and physical phenotype analyses of domesticated dogs living in human households, this study aims to evaluate the potential impact of superficial facial markings on dogs' production of human-directed facial expressions. That is, this study explores how facial markings, such as eyebrows, patches, and widow's peaks, are related to expressivity toward humans. We used the Dog Facial Action Coding System (DogFACS) as an objective measure of expressivity, and we developed an original schematic for a standardized coding of facial patterns and coloration on a sample of more than 100 male and female dogs (N = 103), aged from 6 months to 12 years, representing eight breed groups. The present study found a statistically significant, though weak, correlation between expression rate and facial complexity, with dogs with plainer faces tending to be more expressive (r = −0.326, p ≤ 0.001). Interestingly, for adult dogs, human companions characterized dogs' rates of facial expressivity with more accuracy for dogs with plainer faces. Especially relevant to interspecies communication and cooperation, within-subject analyses revealed that dogs' muscle movements were distributed more evenly across their facial regions in a highly social test condition compared to conditions in which they received ambiguous cues from their owners. On the whole, this study provides an original evaluation of how facial features may impact communication in human–dog interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Aggressiveness in dogs is referred to as any threatening or harmful behavior toward other animals or humans. It can be triggered by several factors, including illness, anxiety, pain, frustration, fear, genetics, and social and homely settings. Patients affected by aggressive behavior generally experience this kind of psychiatric disorder via different actions, namely positioning the body in a dominant stance, showing teeth, barking, growling, lunging, snapping, snarling, or even biting. Here, we examined the case study of a pure-bred Lagotto Romagnolo, a 4-year-old neutered male dog, who repeatedly attacked one of two family owners (the oldest woman). We documented the beneficial effect of an alternative therapeutic approach based on the combination of the nutraceutical compound α-s1 casozepine as an add on to the conventional calming drug, fluoxetine, together with a specific rehabilitation program. Behavioral dysfunctions in dogs represent a critical issue of the human–animal relationship. In particular, aggression can make interspecific coexistence quite complicated within family units, thus exposing all members to greater health risks. In this present study, we documented multiple aggression episodes against one of the two family members caused by a 4-year-old neutered male pure breed Lagotto Romagnolo dog. To minimize impulsivity and anxiety-like behaviors of the patient as much as possible and improve his relationship with the adopting family, we used an interdisciplinary approach, employing specific skilled personnel, including a veterinary behaviorist and a rehabilitating dog instructor. Nine months after fluoxetine treatment (0.8 mg/kg, SID), in combination with oral α-s1 casozepine administration, and behavioral rehabilitation, the owners reported a significant reduction in aggressive events in terms of intensity and frequency. Collectively, our promising data pave the way toward a more detailed characterization of α-s1-casozepine to better evaluate the potential involvement of such a compound in the modulation of aggressive behaviors in dogs affected by relational dysfunctions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In a previous study, we found that Positive Reinforcement Training promoted relaxation in wolves and dogs. Here, we investigate aspects of the trainers' voices possibly involved in this effect. Dogs' great interest in high-pitched, intense speech has already been reported, but whether and how wolves respond similarly/differently to voice characteristics has never been studied. We analyzed 270 training sessions with nine mixed-breed dogs and nine wolves. We grouped human speech into three categories: nice, neutral, and reprehensive, and analyzed how their duration and their acoustic characteristics within training sessions were associated with animals' behavior and physiology. The longer the duration of nice speech during a session, the more often tail wagging was observed in both subspecies, while the opposite was found for reprehensive speech. The duration of reprehensive speech was also associated with a decrease in correct responses in dogs and with retreating in wolves, while a longer use of nice speech was associated with animals being next to the trainer for longer within a session. Sessions with a higher average pitch was more often associated to changes in dog behavior, while wolf behavior changes were more often associated to low intonations. Our results suggest that a friendly voice during training supports performance and positive emotional responses in wolves and dogs. The different response towards the pitch between the subspecies may be related to the domestication process, which selected, in dogs, characteristics that facilitate interaction with humans. In a previous study, we found that Positive Reinforcement Training reduced cortisol of wolves and dogs; however, this effect varied across trainer–animal dyads. Here we investigate whether and how the trainers' use of speech may contribute to this effect. Dogs' great interest in high-pitched, intense speech (also known as Dog Directed Speech) has already been reported, but whether and how wolves respond similarly/differently to voice characteristics has never been studied before. We analyzed 270 training sessions, conducted by five trainers, with nine mixed-breed dogs and nine wolves, all human-socialized. Through Generalized Linear Mixed Models, we analyzed the effects of (a) three speech categories (nice, neutral, reprehensive) and laugh; and (b) acoustic characteristics of trainers' voices on animals' responses (correct responses, latency, orientation, time at less than 1 m, non-training behaviors, tail position/movements, cortisol variation). In both subspecies, tail wagging occurred more often in sessions with longer durations of nice speech, and less often in sessions with reprehensive speech. For dogs, the duration of reprehensive speech within a session was also negatively related to correct responses. For wolves, retreat time was associated with more reprehensive speech, whereas duration of nice speech was positively associated with time spent within one meter from the trainer. In addition, most dog behavioral responses were associated with higher average intonations within sessions, while wolf responses were correlated with lower intonations within sessions. We did not find any effects of the variables considered on cortisol variation. Our study highlights the relevance of voice tone and speech in a training context on animals' performances and emotional reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dog trainers' word choice may provide information about how a trainer understands and relates to the dogs they work with. To date, there has been little analysis of the words trainers use or whether specific words or phrases can readily differentiate the type of training methodology practiced. We gathered demographic and educational information and the stated training philosophy from the websites of 100 dog trainers from 10 US cities, identified by a popular consumer review site, to determine whether there was a difference in word use between training methodologies, if women practiced non-aversive techniques more than men, and if non-aversive trainers were more often certified than aversive trainers. Trainers were identified as using either non-aversive methods (utilizing positive reinforcement and no use of aversive leash tools) or aversive methods (may use positive reinforcement but will also utilize aversive methods to punish) by trainer self-identification or training-tool use. We then qualitatively analyzed the website texts outlining training philosophy using the text analysis software MAXQDA. Specific words or phrases that were selected based on their importance within training were turned into 20 codes that were examined for their context and frequency of use across the 100 philosophies. Some codes differentiated between training methodologies, particularly those related to training-tool use. For example, aversive trainers referred to corrective collars as "electronic collars" and explained their use; non-aversive trainers called the same tool a "shock collar" and stated that it was never used in their training. We found women practiced positive reinforcement training significantly more often than men ( χ (2) 2 = 12.79, p < 0.05). Positive reinforcement trainers were also significantly more likely to be certified than balanced trainers ( χ (2) 2 = 18.75, p < 0.01). This shows that there is a wide variability in word use by dog trainers, which leads to inconsistencies in information provided to the public. The low rate of certification also raises concerns about the scarcity of licensing and lax oversight of dog trainers in the USA leading to potential safety risks for both owners and dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new training apparatus, with behaviorism at its core, defined training not as a way of dominating a dog but as a way of establishing a strong dog-human bond. This underlines Wlodarczyk's insistence that she is not promoting a narrative of progress; her genealogical method precludes this and enables her to demonstrate that, whatever form they take, all training apparatuses involve dog-human entanglements with power. This notwithstanding, Wlodarczyk demonstrates beyond a doubt, that studying the ways animal training is codified can teach us about human-animal relations and how they are infused with different modalities of power. [Extracted from the article]

The impact of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) on our combat veterans and their families is extensive. Without support, negative outlook, lack of trust in others, negative perception of self, and lack of trust in one's judgment persist. The support of loved ones is essential to treatment adherence and rehabilitation (Meis, Barry, Kehle, Erbes, & Polusny, 2010). The Veterans Administration (VA) has been using canines to assist combat veterans in reintegrating into civilian life, and most currently as a part of psychological therapy (Rubenstein, 2012). This research examined the impact of receiving and training a service dog on combat veterans with PTSD using Stake's collective case study model. Interviews were conducted with fifteen combat veterans diagnosed with PTSD participating in a 14-week program for receiving and training their own service dog. Anger symptom severity decreases were reported, which had the residual effects of improved relationships and socialization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Koala populations are declining. Conservation of this Australian icon requires a whole of community approach. To effect change, researchers and practitioners must effectively engage the target community, be open to different ways of thinking, and be receptive to new ideas and directions that match the times. This article reports the application of social marketing to decrease dog and koala interactions. A comprehensive program of formative research including a systematic literature review, expert interviews, online surveys and co-design sessions were employed to identify novel ideas and audience-focused strategies that can be applied to reduce dog and koala interactions. Results indicate that dog owners seek a non-koala focussed, dog training program that shows them what to do and a targeted approach alerting them to koala presence in addition to education and awareness efforts favoured by experts. This study indicates the need for more human centred research, which has been absent to date, given identified incongruence between expert and community views. We propose that audience-focused behaviour management strategies will, in turn, increase target audience adoption, campaign reach and promote effective community engagement with programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social science concepts of well-being are largely premised on notions of a common humanity with shared physical needs and broadly legible experiences of the world. While medical anthropologists have interrogated ideas of universal bodily subjectivities, articulations of well-being across species boundaries remain underexplored. This article offers a conceptualization of well-being that attends to species difference. Drawing on ethnographic research with an animal rescue organization, I argue that in the context of partially connected bodily experiences, rescue workers navigate distinctions between dogs' internal feelings and external actions, and they train their bodies alongside dogs' bodies to cultivate canine well-being. A multispecies perspective complicates ideals of autonomy and self-actualization long associated with well-being and opens up avenues for considering well-being as an intercorporeal relationship conditioned in unequal bodies and embodied interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs are popular pets in Taiwan but many owners fail to recognise and address undesirable behaviours exhibited by their dogs. Little is known about dog owner attitudes and perceptions in Taiwan. In this study, an online survey was distributed to Taiwanese dog owners to investigate their perceptions of five behavioural factors, including 35 behavioural descriptions, with 479 completed surveys received. Seven behaviour veterinarians in Taiwan were also invited to complete a similar survey to identify their perceptions of the urgency for seeking help for different behaviours. Results showed that Taiwanese dog owners were most likely to seek professional help when faced with behaviours relating to potential medical issues, fearfulness to sounds, and difficulty in handling. In contrast, Taiwanese behaviour veterinarians considered most of the listed behaviours to be urgent except for changes in appetite and mounting. Taiwanese owners were more likely to apply reward-based or environmental and day-to-day management approaches to deal with 26/35 of commonly seen undesirable behaviours, while aversive methods were more prevalently used in 9/35 of commonly seen undesirable behaviours, specifically behaviours related to destruction, aggression, and undesirable play behaviour. Respondents were most likely to ignore behaviours not involving immediate harm to humans or animals, for example, staring at nothing, mounting objects and people's legs, tail/shadow chasing, air-snapping and lip-licking. Lastly, human factors (e.g. gender, housing style, and owners' use of learning resources) influenced how owners perceived and responded to the canine behavioural issues posed in this study. In conclusion, there were discrepancies regarding the perceived urgency of seeking professional assistance between dog owners and behaviour veterinarians in Taiwan. To promote dog health and welfare as well as owner safety, veterinary and dog behaviour professionals in Taiwan are encouraged to incorporate the findings of this study by raising owner awareness of concerning behavioural issues, and promoting training approaches that support healthy dog-owner relationships. • Discrepancies found between Taiwanese dog owners and behaviour vets on the urgency of seeking help for dog behaviors. • Human factors like gender, housing style, learning resources shape owner perceptions and responses to canine issues. • Dog owners prefer reward methods for medical/stress behavior; aversive methods for aggression, destructive and biting acts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clicker training is a training technique whereby a signal (e.g. the ‘click’ of a clicker) is emitted by the trainer immediately after an animal offers a desirable behavior, following which a reward is delivered. Beyond improvements in training time, dog owners report that clicker training can make training more fun and strengthen the relationship between dog and handler. However, it can also be challenging for beginners and make some dogs overly excited or frightened. The aim of this study was to evaluate benefits and disadvantages of clicker training novice pet dogs. Local community members and their dogs (N = 45) volunteered for a 6-week trick training program in a randomized, waitlist-controlled, treatment design with pre- and post-intervention assessments conducted by blinded experimenters. There were three groups: Clicker + food training, Food-only training (without a deliberate signal), and Waitlist Control. Survey-based and behavioral data were collected, measuring the dog-owner relationship, dog impulsivity, and owner-reported training session experiences. Repeated measures mixed effects models were used to evaluate group differences. The Clicker + food and Food-only groups reported improved performance relative to the Control group on tasks included in the training course ( F (20, 68) = 2.960, p <  0.001, η p 2  = 0.465). No differences were identified between the two training groups in dog-owner relationship or dog impulsivity measures (all p   ≥  0.102, η p 2  ≤ 0.103). The Clicker + food participants found teaching their dogs to nose-target an object significantly less challenging than the Food-only group ( t (28) = 2.511, p   =  0.018, d  = 0.917), with no differences between groups ( p   ≥  0.167, d  = 0.499) in any other sessions. This study provides the first evidence that clicker training may make certain tricks less challenging to train, but also that it may not have the disadvantages or benefits previously reported, at least when taught to community-based dog owners in the context of a six-week, beginners, trick training course. Additional intervention-based follow-up studies are recommended to address some of the questions raised by the unexpected findings of the present study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Past research has shown that many factors, including training history, informal experience and genetics, play a role in how certain populations of dogs behave during a problem-solving task. Less understood is how a dog’s relationship with an attending human, as well as the actions of the human during the task, may affect a dog’s independent problem solving behaviour. In the current study, two experiments were conducted to compare the performance and persistence of pet dogs and working dogs on a puzzle box task under a variety of conditions. In experiment one, search and rescue dogs and pet dogs were compared on the same independent task under three conditions: a neutral-human condition, an alone condition, and a human encouragement condition. No significant differences were found in the persistence of the pet dogs and search and rescue dogs (neutral-human, p   =  0.4516; alone, p   =  0.3722; encouragement, p   =  0.8392); however search and rescue dogs solved the task more than pet dogs when encouraged to do so ( p  = 0.038). Pet dogs changed their behaviour depending on the human behaviour; pet dogs touched the object ( p   =  0.0098) more during the neutral-human condition compared to the alone condition. In addition, pet dogs gazed at the human ( p   =  0.0016) more during the encouragement condition. Search and rescue dogs did not show these differences in their behaviour: no differences were found across any of the conditions. In experiment two, we assessed the potential for testing-order effects by evaluating the problem solving behaviour of experimentally naive pet dogs under one of three conditions: a neutral human phase followed by human encouragement phase, human encouragement phase followed by a neutral human phase, and a neutral human phase followed by a second neutral human phase. No significant differences were found in the persistence of the dogs regardless of order of test, suggesting there were no order effects for this particular test. Our results suggest that factors such as human behaviour and training history may influence canine problem solving performance, however these effects may be limited in certain contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique relationship between dog and owner has been demonstrated in several experimental procedures, including tests in which dogs are left alone or with a stranger, tests of dogs' appeasement or social approach when petted by their owner or a stranger, and their ability to learn when taught by their owner or a stranger. In all cases, dogs responded differently to their owner, which has been referred to as a specific attachment, and likely a product of a prolonged history of reinforcement. In the current study, we used a concurrent choice paradigm in which dogs could interact with two people, both of whom provided the same petting interaction, to test whether owned dogs would prefer their owner over a stranger and whether the familiarity of the testing context would influence preference. We also investigated whether shelter and owned dogs tested with two strangers would show a preference between strangers and whether that preference would be similar in magnitude to any preference between the owner and stranger. Owned dogs preferred to interact with their owners when in an unfamiliar context, but allocated more time to the stranger in a familiar context. Both shelter and owned dogs tested with two strangers showed a magnitude of preference for one stranger over the other similar to owned dogs' preference for owners in an unfamiliar context. These results parallel what has been found in strange situation tests with owned dogs tested with their owners, but the strength of preference shown for one of two strangers indicates dogs can form a preference for one person quickly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One way of conceptualizing the changes that have taken place in the methodology (or methodologies) of dog training in the past two decades – towards methods that are, very broadly, kinder and gentler – is to speak of a growing respect for the dog’s subjectivity and canine specificity. Because contemporary training methodologies are beginning to be influenced by the non-anthropocentric way of thinking that characterizes “the animal turn,” these changes carry with them not only recognition of canine specificity but also a certain readiness for change in the human half of the training pair. Donna Haraway, through the notion of “becoming with” (2003, 2007), speaks of the reconceptualization of the process of training from an activity that turns the dog into a well-behaved member of an anthropocentric society, into an activity that irrevocably alters both partners as it creates them (Haraway 2007, 17). While Haraway’s focus is on merging and blurring of human/animal boundaries in the process of “becoming with”, other accounts of the dog training revolution build on the emergence of an even more literal desire to become dog and experience dogness; a desire than stands in stark contrast to the traditional understanding of training as the harnessing of the canine’s abilities for human benefit. The title of a recently published overview of contemporary training methods “Your Dog is Your Teacher: Contemporary Dog Training Beyond Radical Behaviorism” (Pręgowski 2015) posits that, in the human-animal encounter within the framework of training, it is the human who follows the dog’s lead, renouncing the claim to control associated not just with “traditional punishment-based training” but also with the newer behaviorist techniques based on positive reinforcement. This article, through a careful close reading of instructional training materials (books and DVDs) and training diaries (with emphasis on training materials by agility instructors Silvia Trkman and Susan Garrett), traces this desire to “become dog” in writings by contemporary dog trainers. At the same time it acknowledges that the willingness to change observed in these primary sources is not a sentimental and somewhat disneyesque maxim that dogs teach us to be human (as in Lassie’s or Old Yeller’s life lessons on loyalty and bravery) but a desire to experience the world through the senses of a non-human being, a desire to transcend a human’s sensory experience of the world, a desire to bypass the mediating role of language in experience; a desire to experience the consciousness (and often the bodily existence) of a non-human other. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Currently, visitor behavior in companion animal shelters is not adequately explored. A sequence of experiments investigated how visitors interacted with kenneled dogs at an animal shelter and whether training dogs to not engage in undesirable behavior in their kennels would evoke more interest from shelter visitors. In a set of two experiments, two sides of an animal shelter were differentially entered into training phases in a multiple baseline design. During the training phase, dogs were trained to not engage in undesirable in-kennel behavior (i.e., to not be in the back of the kennel, to not face backwards, to not lean on kennel walls, and to not bark) through pairing of the visual presentation of the experimenters (experiment 1) and shelter visitors (experiment 2) with treats. Across both experiments, visitors attended to approximately 35% of kenneled dogs and only spent an average of 15 s looking at individual dogs. We found that whereas training was effective in decreasing undesirable behavior in dogs (experiment 1:U= 4.83,p< 0.0001; experiment 2:U= 4.01,p= 0.0001), only morphology influenced visitor behavior. In experiment 1, morphologically preferred dogs (i.e., puppies, long-coated dogs, small dogs, and certain breeds) had a 1.3 times higher frequency of visits to their kennel (F(1, 248)= 5.93,p< 0.05), and in experiment 2, these dogs had a 9 times higher frequency of being taken out of their kennel for further inspection (F(1, 69)= 4.66,p< 0.05), compared to other dogs. One reason for a lack of effect of training may be the relatively small number of visitors observed (n= 115 across both experiments). An alternative reason may be that shelter visitors pay more attention to the morphology rather than the lack of undesirable behavior of kenneled dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article attempts to present the complexity of relationships between women, capitalism, democracy, and competitive dog training in post-communist Poland. The article documents the correlation between increased involvement of women in competitive canine sports in Poland after 1989, changes in the methods of dog training, and the transformation in politics from totalitarianism to democracy. The correlation suggests that in the early years of democracy in Poland women were more open to shaping their bonds with companion animals and to taking into account the ethical dimension of these relationships. Secondly, the article attempts to argue that the primary motivation for women who participate in dog sports is the desire to create a relationship in which the non-human other shares their desires, primarily the desire for interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water rescue training produces dog-human dyads specialized in rescuing people in the water by promoting a strong cooperative relationship between dogs and their handlers. The present study aims to assess whether this training also affects the human-dog attachment bond using an adapted version of the "Strange Situation Test" (SST), consisting of 7 episodes of 3 min each. Thirteen mutually exclusive and two non-mutually exclusive behaviours were considered. Sixty-five dogs (Labrador and Golden retrievers) were tested: 29 dogs had a Water Rescue Certificate®(Trained group), 22 dogs had yet to begin the training program (Naïve group), and 14 dogs were untrained (Old group) as an age control that was equivalent to the Trained group. All dogs showed a pattern of attachment behaviours with their owners, as they played with and greeted the owner more than the stranger and remained oriented towards the door more in the presence of the stranger during the separation episodes. Furthermore, all groups engaged in play with the stranger more when their owner was present rather than absent (episode 2 vs. 3). The Trained group was less explorative than the Naïve and Old groups. Trained dogs engaged in different behaviours not for playing purposes holding a ball in their mouth more than the other groups. Social play behaviours were expressed equally by the Trained and the Naïve groups and less in the Old group. Overall, the water rescue training affected the dogs' behaviour in the SST; however these behavioural differences were (probably) not related to differences in attachment quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Contemporary dog training and the ongoing changes within this field, particularly ones related to perceptions of dogs and their roles, are interesting topics for academic inquiry. Present practices generally rely upon either the pack-and-dominance concept--leading to top-down, discipline-heavy treatment--or behaviorism and operant conditioning, where great emphasis is placed on positive reinforcement. The "positive" approach underlies state-of-the-art training programs of the second decade of the 21st century. Authors of such programs go beyond the limitations of behaviorism, embracing up-to-date information about the emotional and cognitive abilities of dogs--something that trainers strongly attached to behaviorism are prone to overlook. Such a new approach to dog training does not oppose critical anthropomorphism, and it challenges prior understanding of the dog-human relationship. The relationship in question ceases to be unilateral and becomes a bond of mutual benefit, where a forcefree, reward-based method of training is in unison with advertising the self-development potential for humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Companion dogs are increasingly trained for sports using varying pedagogical ideas considering the human-dog interaction. We focused on the human-dog interaction by examining the characteristics constructed for dogs within the training methods, and on the definitions of ideal dogs as described by the caregivers. The data consisted of 85 thematic essays written by Finnish dog caregivers actively engaging in dog sports. Dog training was analyzed as a junction for the humanizing, animalizing, and instrumentalizing of dogs. Dog-centered and human-centered training categories were found. The first category depicts the dog and the human as equal partners enjoying the cooperation, and the second category constructs a hierarchical relationship between the human and the dog. While the dog-centered approach is prone to humanizing, the human-centered approach is inclined toward instrumentalization. The training approaches are interpreted as drawing boundaries: dogs are part of human society or of nature [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Various studies have assessed the role of life experiences, including learning opportunities, living conditions and the quality of dog-human relationships, in the use of human cues and problem-solving ability. The current study investigates how and to what extent training affects the behaviour of dogs and the communication of dogs with humans by comparing dogs trained for a water rescue service and untrained pet dogs in the impossible task paradigm. Twenty-three certified water rescue dogs (the water rescue group) and 17 dogs with no training experience (the untrained group) were tested using a modified version of the impossible task described by Marshall-Pescini et al. in 2009. The results demonstrated that the water rescue dogs directed their first gaze significantly more often towards the owner and spent more time gazing toward two people compared to the untrained pet dogs. There was no difference between the dogs of the two groups as far as in the amount of time spent gazing at the owner or the stranger; neither in the interaction with the apparatus attempting to obtain food. The specific training regime, aimed at promoting cooperation during the performance of water rescue, could account for the longer gazing behaviour shown toward people by the water rescue dogs and the priority of gazing toward the owner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs exhibit characteristic looking patterns when looking at human faces but little is known about what the underlying cognitive mechanisms are and how much these are influenced by individual experience. In Experiment 1, seven dogs were trained in a simultaneous discrimination procedure to assess whether they could discriminate a) the owner's face parts (eyes, nose or mouth) presented in isolation and b) whole faces where the same parts were covered. Dogs discriminated all the three parts of the owner's face presented in isolation, but needed fewer sessions to reach the learning criterion for the eyes than for both nose and mouth. Moreover, covering the eyes region significantly disrupted face discriminability compared to the whole face condition while such difference was not found when the nose or mouth was hidden. In Experiment 2, dogs were presented with manipulated images of the owner's face (inverted, blurred, scrambled, grey-scale) to test the relative contribution of part-based and configural processing in the discrimination of human faces. Furthermore, by comparing the dogs enrolled in the previous experiment and seven ‘naïve’ dogs we examined if the relative contribution of part-based and configural processing was affected by dogs' experience with the face stimuli. Naïve dogs discriminated the owner only when configural information was provided, whereas expert dogs could discriminate the owner also when part-based processing was necessary. The present study provides the first evidence that dogs can discriminate isolated internal features of a human face and corroborate previous reports of salience of the eyes region for human face processing. Although the reliance on part-perception may be increased by specific experience, our findings suggest that human face discrimination by dogs relies mainly on configural rather than on part-based elaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five members of an interdisciplinary team reflect on the development of a service dog training evaluation designed for service members/veterans with PTSD. We describe the process of working together as a team to learn the principles of dog training and the practicalities of designing a human-animal intervention in order to generate empirical evidence of the human-animal bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Here we investigate whether domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) engage in instrumental helping towards humans without special training. We hypothesized that dogs would help a human if the human's goal was made as obvious as possible. Therefore we used a set-up in which a human attempted to enter a compartment within a room (the “target room”) in order to get a key. The dog could open the door to the target room by pushing a button. We varied the way in which the experimenter expressed how she wanted to enter the target room (reaching, pushing the door, communicating with the dog) and the relationship between human and dog (owner versus stranger). Dogs helped in two situations: (1) when the human pointed at the button and (2) when the humans communicated naturally to the dogs, i.e. without a predetermined series of actions. In these situations, dogs continued to open the door without receiving any reward. We therefore conclude that dogs are motivated to help and that an experimenter's natural behaviours facilitated the dogs’ recognition of the human's goal. Interestingly the identity of the experimenter had no influence on the behaviour of the dogs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Recent trends in social sciences advocate the recognition of interactive properties in human-animal relationships. Based on an ethnographic study, this paper explores the interactive properties of the relationships be-tween herding dogs and their trainer-users, and how the dogs' behaviors participate in the construction of trainer-users' knowledge. Trainer-users' discourses and practices revealed a common theoretical axis, portraying the herding dog as a social predator descended from the wolf and driving the game towards his pack-leader. The dog's hunting skills are used to turn him/her into a working tool, through minimally constrained education and training. Once trained, the dog should become an autonomous but controllable worker, who helps livestock breeders lead their flock quietly. Two training modes were identified and used simultaneously by the trainers: contextual training (teaching the human-dog-livestock relationship to the dog) and conditioned training (teaching the commands to the dog). Trainer-users all recognized the individual personalities of the dogs and were sensitive to the quality of their relationships with them. They expected the dogs to be more competent than humans in understanding livestock behaviors, thus suggesting that the dog is more a work assistant than a work tool. Indeed, the dog helps the livestock breeder to establish an optimal interrelational distance between the species by managing space, time, and affectivity in the human-dog-livestock relationship. This triangular relationship, defined by the trainers as a leader-predator-prey relation, resembles a misunderstanding maintained by the livestock breeders in order to reach the leader position. Finally, the livestock-handling context appears particularly fruitful for revealing the complexity of interspecific relationships, the evolution of work in the livestock breeding context, and for understanding the human's connection to their social environment, including non-human living beings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was carried out in order to assess whether the levels of perceived stress and health differed depending on types of human-pet dog relationships, and to evaluate the correlation between perceived stress and health and the frequency with which activities are carried out with the dogs. Self-report questionnaires were filled out by 247 volunteers owning at least one dog. The results show lower levels of perceived stress and higher levels of mental health in those individuals who consider the dog a member of the family. Furthermore, significant correlations were found between dog-training activities and stress and mental health, between playing with the dog and vitality and mental health, and between walking the dog and vitality. The conclusion was that those individuals who consider their dogs as members of the family and carry out more activities with them have better physical and mental health, as well as lower levels of perceived stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]