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1. Why is it easier for my dog to learn verbs than nouns?

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   Mary Berryman Agard shared this idea  ·  September 13, 2013

2. Answered- How do dogs express their creativity?

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   1 comment  ·  Ask An Expert » Canine Cognition  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   AdminSara Cathey (n/a, Dognition.com Home) responded

   Dr. Hare answers this question from the beach where he takes his dogs to play and run off some steam!

   http://youtu.be/A-VeIq8YDJ4

   Mary Berryman Agard supported this idea  ·  September 13, 2013

3. Answered- Often my dog will sit and refuse to move in the middle of our walks. Why does she do that? I dont think she is tired.

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   AdminSara Cathey (n/a, Dognition.com Home) responded

   Answer from Dr. Richard Hawkins:

   This is a very common behavior which many dog owners will experience at some point. There are many potential causes as mental, physical, and training based issues can all contribute to this sort of behavior. Unfortunately, there is not much research on the cognitive reasons behind this behavior as it can be very challenging to recreate in a laboratory setting.

   In my experience, your dog may be sitting down and holding fast for a number of reasons: She may be distracted by something else in the environment, uninterested or even afraid of proceeding in the direction you were walking, or there even may be a health issue causing her some discomfort.

   There are several health issues that come to mind when I hear of this in my patients. Just like humans, dogs can get gastrointestinal discomfort, or a stomach ache, from many causes such as a change in diet, stress, excess gas, or even medication, just to name a few. When we humans have stomach aches we’re just as unlikely to want to go on with our normal day.

   Osteoarthritis, can also affect a significant number of the joints involved in walking, and in many cases make walking a painful experience. As dogs age, this pain can grow and lead to a planted rear end during a walk.

   If it happens again, keep an eye on your dog’s breathing, any sounds she makes, and her mental alertness. If anything seems out of the ordinary, it might be a good reason to visit your friendly veterinarian.

   In most cases, however, you probably have a completely healthy dog! Even though it may not look like it, she may very well just be tired out and ready to go home. You could give her a break for a few minutes and try again, encouraging her with a tasty morsel to continue. But, if she’s had enough, I’d would encourage you to respect her wishes in this instance, and head home.

   Answer from Dr. Richard Hawkins:

   This is a very common behavior which many dog owners will experience at some point. There are many potential causes as mental, physical, and training based issues can all contribute to this sort of behavior. Unfortunately, there is not much research on the cognitive reasons behind this behavior as it can be very challenging to recreate in a laboratory setting.

   In my experience, your dog may be sitting down and holding fast for a number of reasons: She may be distracted by something else in the environment, uninterested or even afraid of proceeding in the direction you were walking, or there even may be a health issue causing her some discomfort.

   There are several health issues that come to mind when I hear of this in my patients. Just like humans, dogs can get gastrointestinal discomfort, or a stomach ache, from many causes such as… more

   Mary Berryman Agard supported this idea  ·  September 13, 2013

4. Answered- What is the relationship between cognitive style and temperament?

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   AdminSara Cathey (n/a, Dognition.com Home) responded

   Dr. Brian Hare filmed a video response to this question. Find the answer here:
   http://youtu.be/jLrmF0yturs

   Mary Berryman Agard supported this idea  ·  September 13, 2013

5. Answered- Teaching dogs how to learn rather than tricks

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   6 comments  ·  Ask An Expert » Training  ·  Delete…  ·  Admin →
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   AdminSara Cathey (n/a, Dognition.com Home) responded

   Video of a dog doing the Imitation Experiment:

   http://youtu.be/PHb9ZFkuv1s

   An Answer from Dr. Adam Miklosi:

   Are dogs able to imitate the action of others?

   In 2006 we published the first scientific study on imitation in dogs (Topál et al 2006). This was followed by some debate whether one can really speak about ‘imitation’ in this situation. We defined imitation as the ability to perform a functionally analogue behaviour after seeing in done by others (humans or dogs).

   We believe that dogs, as a social species, are able to imitate an action shown by others but it is very difficult to provide a clear evidence for this under controlled experimental conditions. Our procedure was the first to provide strong evidence, despite the fact that dog trainers or people working with dogs (e.g. shepherds) probably relied on this ability already many 100 years ago. Given the assumption that dogs have the ability to imitate, our procedure only makes this phenomenon more explicit. In addition to the possibility of studying this skill by scientific means, it has turned out that this so called ‘Do as I do’ procedure provides also a nice way to train the family dog. As a consequence Claudia Fugazza (a PhD student working with us) has developed a new way of dog training based on the imitative abilities of dogs.

   The basic idea is that the dog should be able to copy the action of a human (or dog) demonstrator. This can be achieved through a few simple steps in training. First, the dog should be able to perform a few actions (sit, turn around, lie down etc.) on a verbal/visual signal. Second, by small steps the trainer (owner) should replace these signals by the appropriate behavioural cues. For example instead of giving the ‘Turn around’ verbal signal, the human should actually turn around before the dog is allowed to execute the same action. Third, the dog should learn that (1) it should wait until the action is finished. Usually, it is a good idea to use a specific signal (Listen!) before starting the action (demonstration). (2) The dog should learn that it is allowed to perform an action only if it hears a new signal (Do it!). The ‘Do it!’ signal becomes a general command for the action to be carried out during this procedure.

   If the dog performs well with the already known 2-3 actions (he is ‘imitating’ the actions), then we can introduce step by step novel actions. At the beginning the dog learns probably only the link between the specific action demonstration and his action but slowly it may also grasp the idea that his actions should be similar to the demonstrated ones. We could try this out by showing the dog a new action (never used in the training so far), in order to see what he does as a response.

   After becoming familiar with this procedure, dogs can be trained relatively easily, independent from their previous training experience. Claudia Fugazza has also shown that using this ‘Do as I do’ method dogs can be trained to perform new actions that can be then associated with a verbal cue in subsequent training. This method seems to be as good as other methods, like clicker training.

   We have also shown that dogs are able to remember the demonstrated actions for more than 10 minutes at least, even if they are distracted by performing other activities (Fugazza and Miklósi 2013).

   We believe that that there are some advantages in using this method with dogs. First, learning by observation reflects probably a biological tendency in dogs, thus this method relies on a natural interaction between dog and owner. Second, learning by observation may rely on using differ faculties of the mind, so this may enrich the mental life of dogs. Third, the owner has to play an active role in this case (I DO something – now YOU DO the same) that may enhance dog-owner bond and improve cooperation.

   References

   Fugazza, C., Miklósi, Á. 2013. Deferred imitation and declarative memory in domestic dogs. Animal Cognition, in press.

   Topál, J., Byrne, R.W., Miklósi, Á., Csányi, V. 2006. Reproducing human actions and action sequences: “Do as I Do!” in a dog. Animal Cognition, 9: 355-367.

   Video of a dog doing the Imitation Experiment:

   http://youtu.be/PHb9ZFkuv1s

   An Answer from Dr. Adam Miklosi:

   Are dogs able to imitate the action of others?

   In 2006 we published the first scientific study on imitation in dogs (Topál et al 2006). This was followed by some debate whether one can really speak about ‘imitation’ in this situation. We defined imitation as the ability to perform a functionally analogue behaviour after seeing in done by others (humans or dogs).

   We believe that dogs, as a social species, are able to imitate an action shown by others but it is very difficult to provide a clear evidence for this under controlled experimental conditions. Our procedure was the first to provide strong evidence, despite the fact that dog trainers or people working with dogs (e.g. shepherds) probably relied on this ability already many 100 years ago. Given the assumption that dogs have the ability… more

   Mary Berryman Agard supported this idea  ·  March 11, 2015

6. Answered- Is my dog practicing hypnotic suggestion?

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   AdminSara Cathey (n/a, Dognition.com Home) responded

   Vanessa Woods, Author of the Genius of Dogs answered this month’s question-

   Your dog’s stare can be so hypnotic, it might seem as though she is trying “jedi mind tricks”. But probably more likely is that she is getting a fix of oxytocin.

   Oxytocin is a peculiar little molecule. It is known as the ‘hug hormone’ because it is what makes you feel good when you are touched by a loved one, get a massage, or enjoy a good meal. Oxytocin has pain relieving properties and can also decrease stress and blood pressure.

   We humans experience oxytocin in many of our social relationships, including bonding with our children or partners. What is surprising is that we would also experience a change in this hormone when bonding with a completely different species.

   In a study with 55 dogs from Azabu University in Japan, people whose dogs gazed at them for longer showed a higher increase in oxytocin than people whose dogs gazed at them for a short amount of time. A ‘long gaze’ was defined by the 23% of dogs who stared at their owner for around two minutes or longer. Not only that, but people with dogs with a ‘long gaze’ reported being happier with their dogs than those whose dogs gaze was only around a minute long.

   Recent research also suggests that this peak in oxytocin levels may be happening on both ends of the stare. When oxytocin levels were monitored dogs they too experienced a rise in the “hug hormone”. So while your dog may not be using hypnotic suggestion, she may be suggesting that if she could, she would hug you.

   Vanessa Woods, Author of the Genius of Dogs answered this month’s question-

   Your dog’s stare can be so hypnotic, it might seem as though she is trying “jedi mind tricks”. But probably more likely is that she is getting a fix of oxytocin.

   Oxytocin is a peculiar little molecule. It is known as the ‘hug hormone’ because it is what makes you feel good when you are touched by a loved one, get a massage, or enjoy a good meal. Oxytocin has pain relieving properties and can also decrease stress and blood pressure.

   We humans experience oxytocin in many of our social relationships, including bonding with our children or partners. What is surprising is that we would also experience a change in this hormone when bonding with a completely different species.

   In a study with 55 dogs from Azabu University in Japan, people whose dogs gazed at them for longer… more

   Mary Berryman Agard supported this idea  ·  September 13, 2013