Pet dogs can often readily understand a wide range of their owners' commands and gestures, but are these abilities inborn or are they exclusively learned through training? To find out, a new study examined whether stray dogs could understand human gestures. The study revealed that 80% of participating dogs successfully followed pointing gestures to a specific location despite having never received prior training. The results suggest that dogs can understand complex gestures by simply watching humans. This could have implications in reducing conflict between stray dogs and humans.
Dogs were domesticated 10,000 to 15,000 years ago. This means they are probably the oldest domesticated animals on the planet. Humans then bred dogs with the most desirable and useful traits so that they could function as companions and workers. This resulted in domesticated dogs that are highly responsive to human commands and gestures. However, it was not clear whether dogs understand us through training alone, or whether this was an inherent ability. Why does this matter?
Stray dogs are a common feature in cities around the world. They may observe and occasionally interact with people, but such dogs have never been trained, and are behaviorally "wild". Conflicts between stray dogs and humans are a problem. Understanding how humans shape stray dogs' behavior may help alleviate this problem. According to the researchers of the new study, stray dogs are intelligent creatures. They closely observe humans and use their understanding of us to make a decision. Treating stray dogs with sensitivity and respect, and giving them space, the researchers assert, can reduce much conflict.