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Updated: Jun 7, 2025
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The Other End of the Leash: An Experimental Test to Analyze How Owners Interact with Their Pet Dogs
Published on: October 13, 2017
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Communication as a Tool for Exhibiting Prosocial Behavior in Dogs.
Carolina Generoso1, Briseida Resende1, Natalia Albuquerque1
1Department of Experimental Psychology, Institute of Psychology, University of São Paulo, Avenida Professor Mello Moraes 1721, São Paulo 05508-030, São Paulo, Brazil.
Animals : an Open Access Journal From MDPI
|November 9, 2024
Summary
Dogs display prosocial behaviors by communicating distress. When an actor cried, dogs sought help from humans, showing advanced communication skills and empathy.
Area of Science:
- Animal Behavior
- Canine Cognition
- Human-Animal Interaction
Background:
- Dogs exhibit prosocial behaviors and can assist humans in emergencies.
- Previous research indicates dogs can rescue trapped guardians.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate if dogs communicate distress to an experimenter to access a crying actor.
- To compare dog communication in a crying condition versus a neutral condition.
Main Methods:
- Dogs were tested with an inaccessible crying actor behind a fence.
- Researchers observed dog gaze alternation between the actor, experimenter, and guardian.
- Dog proximity to the actor was also recorded.
Main Results:
- Dogs gazed more between the actor and experimenter/guardian when the actor was crying.
- Gazing duration and frequency at the actor increased in the crying condition.
- Dogs stayed closer to the crying actor.
Conclusions:
- Dogs exhibit enhanced communicative signals when faced with a distressed human.
- This communication may serve as a tool for expressing prosocial behavior.
- Findings suggest dogs can use communication to offer aid to humans in distress.
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