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Cephalic index and perceived dog trainability.

William S Helton1

  • 1Department of Psychology, University of Canterbury, Private Bag 4800, Christchurch 8020, New Zealand. Deak_Helton@yahoo.com

Behavioural Processes
|August 18, 2009
PubMed
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Dog breed trainability perceptions may rely on head shape (morphology) rather than actual behavior. Mesocephalic breeds, with moderate head shapes, are often perceived as more trainable, suggesting physical traits influence perceived canine trainability.

Area of Science:

  • Canine Ethology
  • Animal Morphology
  • Behavioral Science

Background:

  • Public perception often ranks dog breeds by trainability without empirical behavioral evidence.
  • Perceived trainability may be influenced by physical characteristics rather than innate behavioral differences.
  • Dog skull shapes, categorized by cephalic index (dolichocephalic, mesocephalic, brachycephalic), correlate with specialized functions.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the relationship between dog breed morphology and perceived trainability.
  • To determine if physical traits, specifically head shape, influence human judgments of canine trainability.
  • To challenge the basis of breed-specific trainability rankings.

Main Methods:

  • Categorization of dog breeds based on cephalic index (skull width to length ratio).

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  • Analysis of morphological specializations associated with different cephalic types (e.g., running, fighting).
  • Comparison of morphological classifications with existing rankings of dog breed trainability.

    • Main Results:

    • Dolichocephalic breeds are morphologically specialized for running; brachycephalic breeds for fighting.
    • Highly trainable dog breeds are predominantly mesocephalic, representing morphological generalists.
    • Perceived trainability appears linked to mesocephalic morphology, not necessarily behavioral traits.

    Conclusions:

    • Human perception of dog trainability may be biased by morphological characteristics, particularly head shape.
    • The concept of breed-specific trainability may be a byproduct of physical morphology rather than inherent behavioral differences.
    • Further research is needed to decouple perceived trainability from morphological traits in dogs.