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Age Differences in Canine Mutual Gaze Tasks Can Help Optimize the Age at
Which Training Starts
By: Seraphina Wong
Mentors: Dr. Brian Hare and the Hare Group
Duke Canine Cognition Center, Duke University
Eye Contact
• Helps with:• Emotional cues
• Facial recognition
• Attentional focus
• Infants less likely to smile when no eye contact1
• Able to understand gaze cues by age six4http://www.projects.aegee.org/euroislam/uploads/RTEmagicC_eyecontact.gif.gif
How This Applies to Dogs
• Important factor in communicating with humans2
• Alternating gaze to communicate location3
• Alternating gaze to ask for permission to access various things2
Why does this matter?
• Longer eye contact = more reliant on humans5
• Can optimize age at which training starts
• If nothing is done:• Will slow down training process
• Potentially waste time and money
Goal and Hypothesis
• Goal: To determine if there is an optimal age at which dogs maintain eye contact the longest
• Hypothesis: Younger dogs will maintain eye contact longer than older dogs
Methods
• Mutual Gaze Task• Wubba/large squeaky toy
• Engages dog for 10 seconds
• Observes dog for 20 seconds
• Time latency of eye contact with experimenter
• 4 trials totalhttp://dogstory.in/upload_images/Wubba_Friends_Bear.jpg
Methods, cont’d
• Unsolvable Task• Tennis ball and treat in sealed container
• 1 minute for retrieval
• Time latency of eye contact with experimenter
• 4 trials total
Photo courtesy of: Seraphina Wong
Results
1, 2 3, 4 5, 6 7, 8 9, 10 11, 12 13, 14 15, 160.00
1.00
2.00
3.00
4.00
5.00
6.00
7.00
Mutual Gaze
Age Range
Avg
. %
of
tria
l sp
ent
lookin
g a
t E
xp.
Results, cont’d
1, 2 3, 4 5, 6 7, 8 9, 10 11, 12 13, 14 15, 160.00
0.02
0.04
0.06
0.08
0.10
0.12
0.14
0.16
0.18
0.20
Unsolvable
Age Range
Avg
. %
of
tria
l sp
ent
lookin
g a
t E
xp.
Conclusion
• Pet dogs look to humans the most when they are about 9-10 years old
• Unsolvable Task less reliable due to unreliable sample• Not an equal number of subjects per age range
Applications and Future Studies
• Improves training programs
• Would not waste time and money on a dog less likely to pass training
• Future Studies• Sex differences in mutual gaze
Special Thanks
• Dr. Brian Hare and the Hare Group
• Carolina Livery
• North Carolina School of Science and Mathematics
• Dr. Sarah Shoemaker
Works Cited
1. Itier, R., Batty, M. (2009). Neural bases of eye and gaze processing: The core of social cognition. Neuroscience & Biobehavioral reviews, 33 (6), 843-863.
2. Jakovcevic, A., Mustaca, A., Bentosela, M. (2012). Do more sociable dogs gaze longer to the human face than less sociable ones? Behavioural Processes, 90 (2), 217-222.
3. Miklósi, A., Polgárdi, R., Topál, J., Csányi, V. (2000). Intentional behaviour in dog-human communication: An experimental analysis of “showing” behaviour in the dog. Animal Cognition. 3, 159–166
4. Vida, M., Maurer D. (2012). The development of fine-grained sensitivity to eye contact after 6 years of age. Journal of Experimental Child Psychology, 112, 243-256
5. Yamamoto, M., Ohtani, N., Ohta, M. (2011). The response of dogs to attentional focus of human beings: A comparison between guide dog candidates and other dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 6, 4-11.