How do dogs communicate with their owners?

Dogs have been living alongside us for tens of thousands of years. We’ve learned to communicate with one another, but to what extent? Has the sharing of information become more than just an exchange?   Dogs were the first animals to be domesticated by humans. Between 15,000 and 40,000 years ago—long before the advent of agriculture—dogs became man’s best friend, largely thanks to their ability to communicate with their two-legged companions. Over the course of history and domestication, dogs’ facial anatomy is thought to have even changed specifically to facilitate better communication with humans. If communication is an exchange of information, a mutual understanding of signs and rules is essential for a successful exchange. Communication that transcends the species barrier is therefore a challenging endeavor. Language, in the broadest sense, must align with communication systems that can be very different. Human communication, regardless of the culture or language in question, is based on mechanisms that facilitate the sharing of information and make it as effective and efficient as possible. Thus, it draws on a communication history—referencing past exchanges—and the principle of least effort to get straight to the point. Given dogs’ remarkable sensitivity to human vocalizations, gestures, and eye contact, German researcher Juliane Bräuer and her team sought to determine whether thousands of years of coevolution had led dogs to develop similar communication principles. They focused on how dogs communicate information to their owners—specifically, how they “point” to and draw attention to an object that the owner must find. The dogs performed this task brilliantly in the study. However, the history of previous communication with the dog does not seem to influence the success of finding the object or the dog’s effort in trying to communicate. Similarly, there is no evidence to suggest that dogs adhere to the principle of least effort, as they expend the same amount of energy in both easy and more difficult spatial configurations. On the other hand, dogs appear to adapt their communication strategies to be more or less precise, depending on the spatial conditions. But this choice can lead to failure. However, rather than a lack of discernment, these errors are likely the result of owners’ influence on their dogs’ effort. While owners have always been treated as passive recipients of their dogs’ signals, this study shows for the first time that owners can influence the accuracy of their dogs’ communication—and in a rather counterproductive way. When a dog attempts to communicate, the owner’s behavior tends to confuse the dog and inadvertently mislead it. Owners who encourage their dogs to point out where a toy is hidden increase the dog’s effort to communicate but, in doing so, generally reduce its accuracy and thus its success in communicating. Encouragement increases the dogs’ excitement, which can be counterproductive and lead them to point in any direction. This information could have an impact on dog training and the owner’s influence on the learning process. A better understanding of the dynamic between dog and owner will only strengthen the bonds that can form between a dog and its owner—a relationship that is not without significance. For several years now, science has highlighted the beneficial effects on humans of interacting with their four-legged companions. Among other things, owning pets reduces stress, lowers blood pressure, helps prevent heart disease, and helps combat depression. While these health benefits can be attributed to increased physical activity, the relationship with the animal itself should not be overlooked. A recent study, in particular, highlights the benefits that owning a dog brings to the social-emotional development of preschool-aged children. In fact, young children with dogs have fewer behavioral problems with their peers and exhibit more and better prosocial behaviors. Positive social-emotional development, even very early in childhood, is associated with having a dog. Having a dog—interacting and playing with it—therefore has positive effects on humans and can facilitate the social-emotional development of young children. What a joy!