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Impact of Training Discipline and Experience on Inhibitory Control and Cognitive Performance in Pet Dogs
Nerys Mellor1, Sebastian McBride1, Emma Stoker2
1Department of Life Sciences, Aberystwyth University, Aberystwyth SY23 3DA, UK.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|February 10, 2024
Summary
Dog training, specifically scent work, enhances inhibitory control and persistence. Different training disciplines impact cognitive performance, suggesting training type should be considered in canine cognition research.
Area of Science:
- Canine cognition
- Animal behavior
- Inhibitory control
Background:
- Training enhances cognitive performance in dogs.
- The effect of specific training types on pet dogs' inhibitory control is unknown.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if pet dogs trained in scent work, agility, or obedience differ in cognitive performance.
- To assess the impact of primary training discipline and combined training experience on inhibitory control tasks.
Main Methods:
- Two tasks assessing inhibitory control were used: the A-not-B task and the detour task.
- Performance was evaluated based on primary training discipline (scent work, agility, obedience) and combined training experience.
Main Results:
- Dogs trained in scent work showed higher inhibitory control and persistence.
- Combined training experience improved learning in the A-not-B task's training phase but not test phase.
- Performance in the A-not-B task correlated with success in the detour task.
Conclusions:
- Primary training discipline influences canine behavioral phenotype and cognitive abilities.
- Future studies should account for specific training types rather than broad "trained" vs. "untrained" categorizations.
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