PARIS, Feb 12, (V7N) – A new study has found that dogs are more likely to follow their owners’ directions when both pointing and staring at an object, offering insights into how pets understand communication. Researchers at the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna found that combining both gaze and gesture is more effective than either one used separately.

In the study, 20 dogs of different breeds—including mongrels, Staffordshire terriers, Australian shepherds, and poodles—wore eye-tracking helmets to study where they focused their attention. The dogs were presented with various scenarios where a bowl was placed in front of them, with one bowl containing a hidden treat.

The scientists tested five different approaches: pointing at the bowl while staring at the dog, pointing and staring at the bowl, or just looking at the bowl. They also included a playful trick where they pretended to throw a ball, which distracted the dogs.

The dogs responded best when both the pointing gesture and gaze were directed at the bowl with the treat. They performed the worst when the scientists pretended to throw the ball, showing how dogs responded to clear, combined signals.

The study suggests that dogs may follow human cues not just directionally, but in a more referential way, understanding that the action (such as pointing or looking) indicates something meaningful, like a treat. However, the researchers caution that it’s unclear how much the dogs understand of the communication, questioning whether it’s perceived as a directive or more of a communicative cue.

The researchers aim to further explore how dogs learn through these cues, similar to how children learn names by being shown objects and associated actions, in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences.

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