In what sense are dogs special? Canine cognition in comparative context
Journal article
Lea, S. and Osthaus, B. 2018. In what sense are dogs special? Canine cognition in comparative context. Learning & Behavior. 46 (4), pp. 335-363. https://doi.org/10.3758/s13420-018-0349-7
Authors | Lea, S. and Osthaus, B. |
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Abstract | The great increase in the study of dog cognition in the current century has yielded insights into canine cognition in a variety of domains. In this review, we seek to place our enhanced understanding of canine cognition into context. We argue that in order to assess dog cognition, we need toregard dogs from three different perspectives: phylogenetically, as carnivoran and specifically a canid; ecologically, as social, cursorial hunters; and anthropogenically, as a domestic animal. A principled understanding of canine cognition should therefore involve comparing dogs’ cognition with that of other carnivorans, other social hunters, and other domestic animals. This paper contrasts dog cognition with what is known about cognition in species that fit into these three categories, with a particular emphasis on wolves, cats, spotted hyenas, chimpanzees, dolphins, horses, and pigeons. We cover sensory cognition, physical cognition, spatial cognition, social cognition, and self-awareness. Although the comparisons are in-complete, because of the limited range of studies of some of the other relevant species, we conclude that dog cognition is influenced by the membership of all three of these groups, and taking all three groups into account, dog cognition does not look exceptional. |
Keywords | Dog; cognition; carnivora; social hunting; domestic animal; comparative cognition |
Year | 2018 |
Journal | Learning & Behavior |
Journal citation | 46 (4), pp. 335-363 |
Publisher | Springer |
ISSN | 1543-4508 |
Digital Object Identifier (DOI) | https://doi.org/10.3758/s13420-018-0349-7 |
Publication dates | |
Online | 24 Sep 2018 |
Publication process dates | |
Deposited | 25 Sep 2018 |
Accepted | 30 Aug 2018 |
Publisher's version | |
Output status | Published |
Additional information | This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons CC BY license, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium |
https://repository.canterbury.ac.uk/item/88ww9/in-what-sense-are-dogs-special-canine-cognition-in-comparative-context
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