Do you believe in dog?

Do Dogs Synchronize Their Behavior with People? Researcher Seeks Participation in Online Study

Access the study here: www.dog2human-synchrony.fr

Please welcome today's guest contributor, Charlotte Duranton, a PhD student at the University Aix-Marseille – Laboratory of Cognitive Psychology. For this online study, Charlotte is seeking participants who own dogs as well as those who do not. Please share the study far and wide!

Our dogs are not only our best friends, they are even our shadows. When you are tired and just want to hang out at home, many dogs will lay down and sleep at your feet. And when you are full of energy and ready to go out, your companion dog is ready to go, waiting to get out, and full of enthusiasm. In both, the dog is a reflection of your own state.

While these behaviors are typically accepted by the general public, they lack extensive scientific study. This is the topic I am investigating for my PhD project: Do dogs display behavioral synchronization with their humans?

Non-conscious synchronized behaviors are found in various species and among all taxa of live beings. Synchronization is observed within intraspecific groups and dyads and has various adaptive values. Being synchronized with others helps: i. decrease the pressure of predation on offspring, ii. increase the effectiveness of anti-predation strategies, and iii. increase social cohesion (see Duranton & Gaunet 2016 for a review). 

This last point is essential when thinking about dog-human groups and dyads. In humans, synchronization helps foster relationships and social bonds between individuals. The more affiliated individuals are, the more behaviorally synchronized they will be (Duranton & Gaunet, 2016).

When considering the dog-human relationship, we know that dogs are very sensitive to our body movements, and 

such a sensitivity is proposed to be the basis for behavioral synchronization between dogs and humans (Duranton & Gaunet, 2015). 

Social referencing is a type of behavioral synchronization that has recently been identified between dogs and their owners. When confronted with an unfamiliar stimulus, dogs looked at their owners to see their reactions, and then the dogs reacted accordingly. Dogs used their owner’s reaction as a guide when reacting to an unknown object (Merola et al., 2012) and an unknown person (Duranton et al., 2016). Movement alone was sufficient for the dogs to synchronize with the human’s reaction (Duranton et al., 2016).

The scientific question...

We now want to investigate the existence of behavioral synchrony from the dog towards the human when they are alone together without any external stimuli. Do dogs, in a quiet place, with no external events or stimuli, synchronize their behavior with the behavior of their owners?

Get involved!

Help us investigate this question by participating in our online citizen project:www.dog2human-synchrony.fr

Study participants will watch a few short videos and report back on what you observe. The study takes approximately 10-15 minutes.

Study participants

We seek participants who own dogs as well as those who do not own dogs, so please share the study widely!

French or English, your pick!

The study is available in both French and English! 

References

Duranton & Gaunet, 2015. Canis sensitivus: Affiliation and dogs' sensitivity to others' behavior as the basis for synchronization with humans? Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 10, 513—524.

Duranton & Gaunet. 2016. Behavioural synchronization from an ethological perspective: overview of its adaptive value. International Society for Adaptive Behavior.

Duranton, Bedossa, & Gaunet. 2016. When facing an unfamiliar person, pet dogs present social referencing based on their owners' direction of movement alone. Animal Behaviour, 113, 147—156.

Merola et al. 2012. Social referencing in dog-owner dyads? Animal Cognition, 15, 175–185.

the best way To Tell Your Dog ‘I Love You’ In A Way They’ll Understand

Do you love your dog? Most pet owners have a particular place in their heart for their four-legged friends - they could be the most caring, lively, generous, and understanding dogs and cats out there emotionally. Whether you have your dog from a shelter, a pound, a pet store, or a breeder, every dog should get a adoring home. While most canines can inform that you like them from how you treat them (and the actual fact that you provide them with food and a roofing over their mind), there are several ways it could be demonstrated by you. You want to show our canines how much we love them always, but most pet owners know that canines don’t exactly react to individual love the same manner another individual might. Instead of smothering your dog with hugs and kisses, give them some love in a way they can actually appreciate. Below are eight ways you can tell your dog you love them in a language they will understand!

Humans Don't Communicate Love The Same Way Dogs Do

Canines do love love off their owners - you should know the proper way to treat them just.

Read below to discover more about how exactly to show your dog they are loved by you in their language!

#1: Lean On Them

Yes, actually leaning on your pet can suggest to them you like them in physical form!

You might have noticed your pet leaning you before - maybe when you were cooking food or washing the laundry - this is one way dogs hug!

So show your pet you like them back by carefully leaning with them (but certainly don’t squish them too much!).

#2: Raise Your Eyebrows

Many people know that staring down a dog forcefully can make them feel aggressive.

But if you discuss soft, loving vision contact with your pet, it can show them you care for and love them.

A study in Science found that when dogs and humans discuss a loving gaze, it increases oxytocin - the “love hormone” - levels in both the dog and the human.

Raising your eyebrows can also show your dog that you love them.

A study in Behavioural Processes found that the more you move your face when you see your dog, the more they’ll react emotionally.

#3: Let Them Sleep In Your Bed

Like co-sleeping with an infant, co-sleeping with your pet can provide them a feeling of comfort, comfort, and basic safety - it generates a solid connection between your couple also.

Writing a bed or a couch with your pet can relax both you as well as your family pet, explains Rover.

#4: Talk To Them

Talking to your dog is among the best ways showing them you truly love them - and it’s probably something you already do!

According to Separate, canines can understand individual talk much better than previously thought actually. That means that whenever you speak to your dog, they could know very well what you’re stating actually.

Dogs pay attention both to your words and also to your modulation of voice, so talking with them lovingly will clarify your love on their behalf.

#5: Groom Or Massage Them

Most dogs love being pet - and owners know this is a good way to show them affection. Even more than that, doggies love stomach rubs.

Petting your dog always releases oxytocin in both the owner and the dog, which makes them truly feel the love.

In addition to petting them, you can give your dog a caring grooming session or a mild massage. This will definitely tell your dog you adore them.

#6: Take Them On Training Walks

Training your pet and happening strolls with them isn’t just ideal for keeping their good behavior - additionally, it may show them you like them.

Relating to Dog Time, positive encouragement is an excellent way showing your pet that you look after them. Through the use of food, praise, and play, your pet notice you supply the things they love, which will help them understand your love.

Dogs also thrive with routine, so keeping their routine the same can show them that you care about their wants and needs.

#7: Give Them Ear Rubs

Many dog owners know this, but dogs absolutely love ear rubs!

According to Dog Time, ear rubs actually make your dog high - dogs’ ears are full of nerve endings that release endorphins when rubbed, which serve as a natural “drug” for dogs!

If you’ve ever noticed your dog drifting into a trance or melting to the floor when you rub their ears, this is why - so it definitely shows them you love them.

#8: Feed Them By Hand

A veterinarian explained to WebMD that feeding your dog by hand can be a bonding mechanism, especially if your dog is still a pup.

Because feeding your dog by hand is more romantic than letting them eat out of a bowl, they will learn to be comfortable with you faster, and it will also help educate them to eat slowly and not be possessive of food.

Are you excited to go home and show your dog just how much you love them?
If you can’t wait to give your doggy some ear rubs, please SHARE this article with your friends and family!