Gáspár, B., Kubinyi, E., Gácsi, M., Pogány, Á., Miklósi, Á.
Title of Experiment:
Proximity Seeker 4. - Owner is active (Category: Attention, Animal Species: dogs)
Affiliations:
Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Ethology
Budapest, Hungary
E-mail:
gaspar.barbara@gmail.com
Web Page:
http://familydogproject.elte.hu
Description:
We aimed to measure dogs’ social interactions with humans in an indoor test (Social Interaction Test, SIT) simulating everyday situations in a laboratory of our department. We supposed that dogs with different personality profiles show different behaviours in the SIT.
In this phase called Proximity seeker 4., the owner manipulates objects in a given order. He/she has to pick up seven numbered objects (1: pen, 2: nylon bag, 3: candle, 4: magazine, 5: wooden cube, 6: pot, 7: a glove) one by one and carry to a predetermined point. When finished, the owner puts all seven objects into the drawers and sits back on the chair.
The observed behaviours of the dog are the following: proximity to owner, exploration, following the owner's path. (See the definitions in the video.)
