Personality and Cognitive Profiles of Animal-Assisted Intervention Dogs and Pet Dogs in an Unsolvable Task.

Abstract

Simple SummaryDogs are genetically predisposed to communicate with humans in collaborative ways, and life experience enhances this ability. The role of canine personality on this predisposition is unknown. This study used a test where dogs encountered an unsolvable problem. The aim of the study was to understand whether dog personalities could predict their tendency to look at the owner, approach and engage with the task, and show distress during the task. We also compared dogs with life experience in Animal Assistance Interventions and dogs with no work, training, or sport experience. The results indicate that the dogs with a personality more sensitive to uncertain situations looked at the owner more and engaged less often with the task, suggesting they were expecting directions from the owner. Dogs with a personality more sensitive to obtaining rewards and avoiding punishment looked at the owner less often. Dogs with a high tendency to avoid punishment also abandoned and returned more often to the task, possibly as a sign of frustration. Finally, Animal-Assisted Intervention dogs looked more at the owner and had fewer task orientations, confirming the enhancing effect on looking. As personality differences reflect genetic predispositions, it is very important to know the role of personality on cognitive traits that are important to dogs that work and collaborate with humans.Dogs are biologically predisposed to communicate with humans in cooperative contexts. They show individual differences in dog–human communication and inhibition, potentially enhanced by life experience, e.g., Animal-Assisted Interventions. This study aimed to investigate whether dogs’ personality, defined by biologically meaningful neural circuits described in the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality (RST), predicted dogs’ communication, task orientation, emotional state, and approach of an unsolvable task. We also investigated the differences between dogs experienced in Animal-Assisted Interventions (AAI) and inexperienced dogs. The results indicated that a high sensitivity to the RST personality trait related to managing uncertainty (Behavioural Inhibition System, BIS) predicted fewer task orientations but increased referential and non-referential looking, which we interpreted as a way to obtain directions from the owner. Conversely, a high sensitivity to the traits reflecting tendencies to approach rewards (Behavioural Approach System, BAS) and avoid punishment (Fight–Flight–Freeze System, FFFS) predicted lower looking. High sensitivity to the FFFS also predicted more frequent task orientations, which we interpreted as frustration. Finally, the dogs in the AAI program looked more at their owner and were less oriented towards the task. These results provide empirical evidence of individual differences tied to the psychobiological personality traits in canine cognitive skills. Understanding such cognitive profiles may have an enormous impact on activities that rely upon dog–human collaborative interaction.