Pointing is a common gesture that humans use to indicate a location or draw attention to an object. Dogs, as our close companions, often encounter pointing from their owners. But do dogs actually understand what pointing means? Researchers have conducted various experiments to determine if dogs comprehend human pointing and how they make use of this social cue.
Do dogs follow human pointing gestures?
Multiple studies have shown that most dogs will follow a human point to locate food or toys. In these experiments, the owner stands near a target object, points towards it, and allows the dog to search for the item. The majority of dogs correctly follow the pointing to find the hidden object.
This indicates that dogs have an intrinsic understanding of human gestural communication. They are able to recognize that the pointed finger highlights a location of interest and are motivated to explore that area.
Success rate of dogs following pointing
While most dogs understand pointing, their success rates do vary in experimental settings:
- In one study, over 80% of dogs correctly followed human pointing to find a reward.
- Other research found around 70% of dogs consistently succeed at interpreting pointing.
- Puppies under 6 months old show lower rates of understanding pointing, but improve with age and experience.
This range in success rates suggests there is some individual variation in a dog’s ability to understand human social cues. However, the high success rates overall indicate pointing comprehension is widespread in dogs.
How do dogs respond to different pointing styles?
Dogs are able to correctly interpret a range of human pointing styles:
- Momentary pointing – Briefly extending and then retracting the index finger.
- Dynamic pointing – Repeatedly extending and retracting the index finger.
- Elbow pointing – Extending the elbow and arm towards the target.
- Foot pointing – Extending the leg and foot towards the target.
- Gaze – Looking directly at the target location.
This flexibility suggests dogs recognize pointing as an overarching communicative act, not just a specific finger extension. As long as the gesture indicates directionality towards an object, dogs can interpret its meaning.
Accuracy with different pointing styles
While dogs understand diverse pointing styles, their accuracy may vary:
| Pointing Style | Accuracy |
|---|---|
| Momentary finger point | Most accurate |
| Dynamic finger point | Slightly less accurate |
| Elbow or foot point | Less accurate but above chance |
Finger pointing draws the most attention from dogs and results in the highest success rate. But dogs are still able to follow the overall direction from elbow, foot, or eye gaze cues.
When do puppies develop pointing comprehension?
Puppies below 6 to 8 weeks of age show little pointing comprehension. However, their skills improve rapidly over the next few months. The exact timeline is:
- 2 weeks – No comprehension of pointing.
- 4 weeks – Begin to pay attention to human hand gestures.
- 6 – 8 weeks – Start to follow simple finger pointing, but not accurately.
- 8 – 12 weeks – Success rate at following pointing improves significantly.
- 12 – 16 weeks – Reliably able to interpret pointing and find targets.
This suggests pointing comprehension requires learning and experience. Early interactions with humans help puppies recognize fingers as communicative signals and associate outstretched arms with specific locations.
Why do dogs understand human pointing gestures?
Researchers have proposed several key factors that help explain dogs’ pointing comprehension:
Domestication
Dogs have lived alongside humans for over 10,000 years. Over this time, they have been selectively bred to cooperate with people. This may have enhanced their ability to pick up on human communication cues like pointing.
Exposure during development
Puppies require sufficient exposure to human interactions to develop pointing understanding. Puppies deprived of human contact during critical development periods often show impaired pointing comprehension later on.
Associative learning
Dogs learn to associate outstretched arms with treats or toys through repeated experiences. Following pointing becomes rewarding when it reliably leads to the indicated object or location.
Innate social cognition
Dogs may possess innate social skills for responding to gestures and cues. This allows them to recognize pointing as an intentional communicative act from humans.
It’s likely that a combination of domestication history, early exposure to humans, learning, and social cognition all contribute to dogs’ pointing comprehension.
Do other species understand pointing?
While dogs have exceptional pointing comprehension skills compared to most species, other animals have also demonstrated this ability to varying degrees, including:
Wolves
Wolves can follow basic human pointing. However, they are generally not as skilled as dogs, suggesting domestication enhanced this ability in canines.
Primates
Great apes like chimpanzees and orangutans can learn to comprehend human pointing through extensive training. Their skill remains limited compared to dogs though.
Horses
Horses have demonstrated an aptitude for responding appropriately to pointing gestures from familiar human handlers.
Cats
Cats appear to have limited comprehension of human pointing compared to dogs. But some cats can interpret pointing gestures in certain contexts.
Overall, dogs stand out in their remarkable ability to understand diverse human pointing signals without specific training. This likely reflects their deep social relationship with people through domestication.
Do dogs understand other social cues from humans?
In addition to pointing comprehension, dogs can interpret various other human social cues and gestures:
- Eye gaze – Dogs follow the gaze of humans towards objects or locations of interest.
- Head orientation – Turning the head towards a target guides dogs’ attention.
- Glances – Brief looks in a direction provide cues dogs can follow.
- Nodding – Nodding the head can indicate locations for dogs to explore.
- Facial expressions – Dogs respond differentially to happy and angry human facial cues.
This wide range of understanding highlights dogs’ outstanding social intelligence and their history of interacting with and learning from humans.
Do some dogs have difficulty understanding pointing?
While most dogs comprehend pointing, certain factors can impair pointing understanding in some dogs:
- Lack of early life interactions with humans.
- Insufficient exposure to pointing during critical development periods.
- Breeds with less history of working closely with humans.
- Anxiety, fearfulness, or distraction in the testing environment.
- Cognitive or sensory impairment from old age or health conditions.
However, explicit training to follow pointing can help improve this skill even in dogs that initially struggle with this social cue.
How is pointing comprehension tested in dogs?
Researchers use controlled experiments to evaluate dogs’ pointing comprehension skills. Common testing methods include:
Two bowl choice test
The dog is presented with two upside-down bowls, one concealing a treat. The owner points towards the bowl with the treat hidden beneath it. The dog’s ability to follow the point and locate the treat is assessed.
Three cup choice test
Three upside-down cups are arranged in a triangle, one covering food. The experimenter points to the baited cup and records if the dog follows the point correctly to obtain the reward.
Object choice
Two identical objects are presented, with food hidden behind one. Pointing gestures guide the dog towards the object covering the food.
Varying factors like pointing style, distance, and distractions help researchers thoroughly evaluate dogs’ pointing comprehension skills through these tests.
Conclusion
Extensive research using controlled experiments makes it clear that dogs have an impressive ability to understand a wide range of human pointing gestures. This skill likely evolved through domestication and close interactions with people. Pointing comprehension demonstrates dogs’ exceptional social intelligence and inter-species communication abilities. It is a key component of the deeply bonded relationship dogs share with humans.