Understand and respond to cues better than chimpanzees

Dogs are the friend of humans.. by virtue of instinct or a good relationship

A recent study reveals that genetics plays a major role in the “communication and cooperation” skills of dogs.

archival

Dogs are known to have the ability to pick up subtle human cues, but scientists are trying to understand whether this ability is innate or acquired through observation and training.

A recent study, the results of which were published on Thursday in the journal Current Biology, revealed that genetics plays a major role in the “communication and cooperation” skills of dogs, and that some of these animals have innate features that give them an advantage over their peers from birth.

The main test is to determine the extent to which animals understand the movements when a person points his finger in a certain direction or towards a piece, explained researcher Emily Bray at the University of Arizona, who is the lead author of the study.

Previous studies have shown that dogs understand these movements better than chimpanzees, the closest animals to humans.

But is it because dogs are domesticated or because these animals, according to Emily Bray, are “the first witness to all our interactions?”

To answer this question, her team tested the following theory: "If this trait is innate, it should be detected in young puppies that are less exposed to humans."

"Look, puppy."

An association that specifically secures dogs for people of determination provided researchers with 375 Labrador and Golden Retriever dogs.

"We know the links between them, which allowed us to analyze the genetic aspect," the scientist explained.

Within a few years, the team tested eight-week-old pups living with their cohorts.

In one scenario, a puppy was placed in front of two unseen bowls, one of which contained only a food reward.

The researcher began the test by telling the puppy, “Little dog, look,” while making eye contact with the puppy before pointing to the correct bowl.

The researchers ruled out the hypothesis that the dog relied on smell exclusively to succeed in the task, as they noticed that when they remained silent without any movement, the puppy succeeded in identifying the bowl that contained the food reward on average once out of two, that is, by chance.

interest of mankind

The team also conducted tests "of interest to humans" during the first prolonged contact.

The puppies moved and approached the stimulus when they used a loud voice similar to that used by parents with their child, with encouraging words such as “Are you a good puppy?”

Of course you are.”

A statistical analysis then concluded that genetic factors were responsible for 43% of the differences in the puppies' ability to pass the test.

This number is similar to that used in humans to measure intelligence.

The study contributes to understanding the evolution of an animal that was domesticated by humans tens of thousands of years ago, according to its main equipment.

But it is still unknown whether our ancestors bred dogs for specific abilities, or whether these animals naturally accompanied humans in their history, unlike wolves.

The study will also explain the mechanisms that explain the way a dog "understands" any movement, speech, or even look.

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