title: Gazing toward humans: a study on water rescue dogs using the impossible task paradigm.
abstract: Various studies have assessed the role of life experiences, including learning opportunities, living conditions and the quality of dog-human relationships, in the use of human cues and problem-solving ability. The current study investigates how and to what extent training affects the behaviour of dogs and the communication of dogs with humans by comparing dogs trained for a water rescue service and untrained pet dogs in the impossible task paradigm. Twenty-three certified water rescue dogs (the water rescue group) and 17 dogs with no training experience (the untrained group) were tested using a modified version of the impossible task described by Marshall-Pescini et al. in 2009. The results demonstrated that the water rescue dogs directed their first gaze significantly more often towards the owner and spent more time gazing toward two people compared to the untrained pet dogs. There was no difference between the dogs of the two groups as far as in the amount of time spent gazing at the owner or the stranger; neither in the interaction with the apparatus attempting to obtain food. The specific training regime, aimed at promoting cooperation during the performance of water rescue, could account for the longer gazing behaviour shown toward people by the water rescue dogs and the priority of gazing toward the owner.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biology, University of Naples Federico II, via Cinthia, 80126 Italy. Electronic address: biagio.daniello@unina.it.
authors.forename: Biagio
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: D'Aniello
authors.affiliation: Department of Environmental, Biological and Pharmaceutical Sciences and Technologies, Second University of Naples, via Vivaldi, 81100 Caserta, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Scandurra
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathophysiology and Transplantation (DEPT), University of Milan, Via F.lli Cervi 93, 20090 Segrate (MI), Italy.
authors.forename: Emanuela
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prato-Previde
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience, University of Parma, viale Usberti 11 A, 43125 Parma, Italy.
authors.forename: Paola
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Valsecchi
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001288:Attention / Q000502:physiology*; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology; D003142:Communication; D003463:Cues; D004285:Dogs; D006801:Humans; D007858:Learning / Q000502:physiology*; D011340:Problem Solving / Q000502:physiology*; D014867:Water
chemical_list: D014867:Water
keywords: Gazing; Training; Unsolvable task; Water rescue dog