Gazing toward humans: a study on water rescue dogs using the impossible task paradigm

tVarious studies have assessed the role of life experiences, including learning opportunities, living condi-tions and the quality of dog-human relationships, in the use of human cues and problem-solving ability.The current study investigates how and to what extent training affects the behaviour of dogs and the com-munication of dogs with humans by comparing dogs trained for a water rescue service and untrained petdogs in the impossible task paradigm. Twenty-three certified water rescue dogs (the water rescue group)and 17 dogs with no training experience (the untrained group) were tested using a modified versionof the impossible task described by Marshall-Pescini et al. in 2009. The results demonstrated that thewater rescue dogs directed their first gaze significantly more often towards the owner and spent moretime gazing toward two people compared to the untrained pet dogs. There was no difference betweenthe dogs of the two groups as far as in the amount of time spent gazing at the owner or the stranger;neither in the interaction with the apparatus attempting to obtain food. The specific training regime,aimed at promoting cooperation during the performance of water rescue, could account for the longergazing behaviour shown toward people by the water rescue dogs and the priority of gazing toward the owner.