Researchers from the University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna discovered that using both pointing and gazing techniques effectively directs dogs' attention. The study, published in the Proceedings of the Royal Society B, involved 20 dogs of various breeds wearing eye-tracking helmets. Experiment scenarios showed that the dogs responded best when a scientist pointed at and gazed at a food bowl. This study sheds light on how dogs engage in referential communication with humans, emphasizing the importance of these gestures in enhancing cooperation between species.
The joint use of pointing and gazing is a particularly effective method for directing dogs' attention to a referent.
In the current study, we set out to investigate whether dogs follow humans' referential communication more than their other directional cues.
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