Domestic dogs are much more likely to play with each other if a human is present and attentive. This is assured by a study that raises the possibility that this attitude consists of a show to attract the attention of its owners as young children do with their parents.
That our canine companions are very in tune with the level of interest that humans show them is evident
“That our canine companions are very in tune with the level of interest that humans show them is evident,” says Lindsay Mehrkam, lead author of the article. posted in Animal Cognition.
Until now, no research has been done that has actually demonstrated the effect of a human hearing on the behavior of species, in this case dog-dog play.
The intensity of the game also increases if the owners pay attention to the dogs.
Mehrkam and his team conducted an experiment involving ten pairs of dogs who had lived together for more than six months. According to their owners, the duos played at least once a day.
The researchers videotaped the pairs of dogs under three conditions: where the owner was absent, where the owner was present but ignoring them, and where the owner was present and attentive encouraging and praising them.
Overall, we found that the availability of the owner’s attention made the game easier
To make sure the experiment was robust, they ran each of the conditions three times over the course of several days.
“Overall, we found that the availability of the owner’s attention made play easier,” Mehrkam said, and human attention increased both the frequency and intensity of behaviors such as bowing, pushing the hips, fighting, chasing, light nibbles, etc. .
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“It is really surprising that dogs that have the opportunity to play with each other whenever they want, however, are much more likely to start playing when a person pays attention to them,” says Clive Wynne, co-author of the study.
Dogs that have the opportunity to play with each other whenever they want, however, are much more likely to start playing when a person pays attention to them.
Are you looking for attention as children or extra motivation?
This study has revealed that the presence of humans stimulates dog-dog play, but opens a range of hypotheses to clarify the reason for this behavior.
The researchers consider 4 possibilities as the most feasible hypotheses. One possibility is that dogs seek the attention of their owners, as young children beg their parents to look at them while bragging about what they can do.
With their play, dogs can demand attention from their owners, as young children do.
Another feasible option is for the dogs to seek a kind of reward in this attitude. That is, let the owner join in the fun or take them for a walk.
They also argue that the owner could provide the dogs with a sense of security because, although the animals use play to strengthen bonds, they can sometimes become tense and cause aggression. Having a person around is insurance against a fight.
It is one of those types of studies that leads to many more questions than answers.
Finally they contemplate the option that the presence of their human being could be a stimulator. That is, perhaps having an attentive owner causes an avalanche of hormones such as oxytocin that leads to a state of positive emotion that in turn manifests as play.
“It’s one of those types of studies that leads to a lot more questions than answers,” Mehrkam said, adding that he was working to unravel the various threads of ongoing experiments.
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