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Inhibition training in wolves and dogs
1Departments of Psychology, Resource and Community Science, University of Michigan-Flint, Flint, MI 48502 U.S.A.
Behavioural Processes
|June 5, 2014
Summary
Dogs (Canis familiaris) outperformed wolves (Canis lupus) in training tasks requiring arbitrary cues and experimenter-provided reinforcement. This supports the hypothesis that dogs excel when learned behaviors lack functional connections to rewards.
Area of Science:
- Canine behavior and cognition
- Animal training and learning
- Domestication studies
Background:
- A theoretical model suggests dogs (Canis familiaris) may possess unique training advantages over wolves (Canis lupus).
- This advantage is hypothesized in tasks with experimenter-defined cues and reinforcement, independent of functional behavior-reward links.
Purpose of the Study:
- To empirically test the hypothesis that dogs outperform wolves in specific training paradigms.
- To investigate the role of arbitrary cues and reinforcement in canine and wolf pup performance.
Main Methods:
- Four Eastern wolf pups (Canis lupus lycaon) and four Alaskan Malamute pups (Canis familiaris) were studied.
- Pups underwent a passive inhibition task at seven weeks and an active inhibition (leash training) test at 11 weeks.
Main Results:
- Significant differences in performance were observed between dogs and wolves.
- Results aligned with the predicted direction, supporting the initial hypothesis across all measured variables.
Conclusions:
- The findings support the theoretical model proposing superior performance of dogs in tasks with arbitrary cues and external reinforcement.
- This suggests a potential cognitive divergence shaped by domestication, influencing how dogs and wolves engage with human-directed training.
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