Studio longitudinale sulle capacità cognitive del cane: discriminazione di quantità ed apprendimento per imitazione in relazione all'attaccamento

The present study investigated and evaluated some cognitive abilities of the dog: the ability to discriminate quantity and to learn through imitation; the latter kind of learning was related to the dog's attachment to the owner. In the first analysis two tests were applied: the first is based on the presentation of a visual stimulus: different amounts of food, different from each other by 50% , were presented to the dog; the choice of the dogs was rewarded with different types of differential or non-differential reinforcement. The second test was divided into two parts: different quantities of food (different from each other by 50 %) were submitted to the dogs; in the first part of the test, the sensory input was exclusively auditory, while in the second part both auditory and visual. Where feasible, a heart rate monitor was applied to the dogs, in order to perform an assessment of the heart rate changes during the test. The aim of the test was to evaluate if the subjects were able to discriminate the larger amount of food. The second study analyzed the learning ability of 36 subjects, divided into working dogs and pets. The subjects performed the Mirror Test for the assessment of learning by imitation. In addition the subjects were subjected to thermal scanning at the beginning and at the end of the test and their respiratory rate was detected before and after the test. Finally, in 11 of these subjects the Strange Situation Test for the assessment of attachment to the owner, was performed. All tests were videotaped and then analyzed using a dedicated software (OBSERVER XT 10).