Verbal commands as discriminative stimuli in domestic dogs ( Canis familiaris)

• Published in: Applied animal behaviour science Vol. 32; no. 1; pp. 75 - 89
• Main Author: Ann Young, Cyrille
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 1991
• Subjects: behavior; communication; dogs; learning ability; sounds; stimuli
• ISSN: 0168-1591; 1872-9045
• DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1591(05)80165-0

Domestic canids now have more uses than as pets and hunting partners. For example, humans have found them useful in the detection of drugs, as companions (e.g. those used in therapy for the mentally handicapped), and as aids to the physically handicapped. In this study, three dogs were used as subjects in five separate experimental tasks to test the abilities of these animals for increased usefulness as service dogs for the handicapped. The tasks included retrieving a particular wooden object in a three-choice situation as requested by the handler, locating the same objects at varying heights, retrieving the objects from behind a barrier, retrieving the objects when replaced by plastic ones, and returning to the handler without an object when the requested item was missing from a group of three presented objects. All three subjects were able to complete all five experimental tasks at a correct performance level of 83% or above (range 83–92%). In addition, their performances were comparable to those which have been studied in other (non-human) species. Thus, in this study, the dogs showed that it may be possible for humans to increase the difficulty of tasks required and, hence, the usefulness of domestic dogs as aids to the handicapped.