Cognition and emotions in dog domestication

Abstract

The dog is the domestic species that has shared the life of humans for the longest time. In parallel to the artificial selection exercised by humans upon the dog with the aim of adapting the latter into specific utilitarian functions, an emotional link has developed between the two species. In our modern Western societies, there has been a considerable change concerning the place of the pet dog in recent years. The dog is now literally a part of the family home. The very definition of the “pet dog” can legitimately be questioned. The dog who shares our everyday life, this “friend”, this “confident”, this “family member”, does he serve to keep us company? Must we continue to define him by this function? Shouldn’t he be considered for what he is: a life companion? If the dog has been able to adjust to the human environment and to evolve alongside us, it’s because he has immense adaptation capabilities as much on the cognitive level as on the behavioral level. He discriminates and recognizes our emotions, manages to adjust to them, uses our communication signals. Ethological research has underlined a common biological basis between the parent-infant relationship and the human-dog relationship, notably through the secretion of oxytocin in our positive interactions, which would reinforce the link between the animal and its figure of care. Finally, the technological advances have highlighted many similarities on the neuronal level between our two species, which partly explain the effectiveness of the human-dog communication. Humans have adapted to their life companions in the very same way, for example, by modulating their verbal communication. However, it is important to keep in mind that the dog is a living being of a different nature from ours that we must strive to understand in order to respect it and thus move towards a shared well-being.