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Related Experiment Videos

What Makes a Dog Adoptable? An Eye-Tracking Investigation.

Sara Isgate1, Justin J Couchman1

  • 1a Psychology Department , Albright College.

Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science : JAAWS
|September 22, 2017
PubMed
Summary

Dog breed and pose significantly impact perceived friendliness, aggressiveness, and adoptability. Optimizing dog photos by focusing on key facial areas can enhance adoption appeal for all breeds.

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Area of Science:

  • Animal Behavior
  • Human-Animal Interaction
  • Psychology

Background:

  • Human attributions of personality traits to dogs influence adoption decisions.
  • Understanding these attributions is crucial for improving shelter dog adoption rates.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate how dog breed and photographic pose affect human perceptions of friendliness, aggressiveness, and adoptability.
  • To identify specific visual features in dog images that influence these judgments.

Main Methods:

  • Participants rated images of four dog breeds (Doberman Pinscher, Golden Retriever, pit bull, Rottweiler) in four poses (alone, with human, standing, on leash).
  • Eye-tracking technology was used to analyze visual attention to specific facial areas.
  • Perceptions of friendliness, aggressiveness, and adoptability were recorded.
Keywords:
Adoptabilityadoptionbreed perceptioneye tracking

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Main Results:

  • The Golden Retriever was rated as the most adoptable breed.
  • Photographic pose significantly influenced perceptions across all breeds, offering potential for enhancing adoptability.
  • Specific facial areas, especially when the dog was alone, attracted more visual attention (faster first fixation, longer duration).

Conclusions:

  • Dog breed and pose are critical factors in shaping adoption-related perceptions.
  • Strategic photographic techniques, focusing on attention-grabbing facial areas, can increase the perceived friendliness and adoptability of dogs.
  • These findings can inform shelter photography practices to improve adoption outcomes.