Presentation Details
| Alone but not independent: Linking separation behaviour and cooperativeness in family dogs Rita Lenkei, Balázs Szigeti, Tamás Faragó. BARKS Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest Hungary |
Abstract
For the dog (Canis familiaris), the owner represents both resources and emotional security; therefore, a mild level of stress in their absence is biologically advantageous, motivating the dog to re-establish contact. However, in some cases, this adaptive stress can develop into a behavioural problem. The dog’s dependent behaviour influences how it tolerates separation. Such a situation may also include those that require cooperation with the owner. The aim of our study is to investigate how dogs’ willingness for cooperation is related to their separation behaviour. Based on our hypothesis, because of their dependence on the owner, dogs that react more intensively to the owner's absence might be more likely to solve a problem-solving task with the owner’s assistance, which may make them more inclined to cooperate in general. To investigate the tendency toward cooperation with humans, we developed a new device that requires minimal pretraining. We will test (N=50) family dogs in an indoor 3-minute separation situation. We plan to compare their behaviour (vocalisation, position, activity, escape attempts, exploration) to their individual cooperativeness score.
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No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author.
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