Dogs and their close bond with people. What makes them unique?
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.24215/2422572Xe102Keywords:
dog-human bond, sociability, tractability, synchronisationAbstract
During their lives, dogs have the ability to establish strong affective bonds with people. Besides getting attached to their caregivers, they are also able to effectively relate with unfamiliar people. A series of general psychological characteristics appear to underlie these bonds and could have enabled the development of the complex socio-cognitive abilities of dogs. The present study describes and analyzes the evidence behind three of those general traits: sociability, tractability and the capability to synchronize with people. These have been proposed as important selection factors during the process of domestication and have also been shown to modify flexibly during ontogeny. Several approaches to study these and other traits are discussed, highlighting their importance for the development of the unique bond between dogs and humans.
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