Skip to main content
Log in

Neophilia in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and its implication for studies of dog cognition

  • Short Communication
  • Published:
Animal Cognition Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined novel-object preference in dogs. In a free choice test 17 dogs were presented with a novel toy in a line up with two familiar toys. The unfamiliar object was chosen first in 38 out 50 tests suggesting a strong preference for novel over familiar items. Neophilia may be an adaptive trait for domestic dogs that has helped their adaptation towards man.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

References

  • Cooper JJ, Ashton C, Bishop S, West R, Mills DS, Young RJ (2003) Clever hounds: social cognition in the domestic dog. Appl Anim Behav Sci 81:229–241

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Depue RA, Collins PF (1999) Neurobiology of the structure of personality: dopamine facilitation of incentive motivation and extraversion. Behav Brain Sci 22:491–569

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Fischer J, Call J, Kaminski J (2004) A pluralistic account of word learning. TRENDS Cogn Sci 8:481

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Golinkoff RM, Mervis CB, Hirsch-Pasek K (1994) Early object labels: the case of a developmental lexical principles framework. J Child Lang 21:125–155

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gosling SD, John OP (1999) Personality dimensions in non-human animals: a cross-species review. Curr Dir Psychol Sci 8:69–75

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hare B, Brown M, Williamson C, Tomasello M (2002) The domestication of social cognition in dogs. Science 298:1634–1636

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kaminski J, Call J, Fischer J (2004) Word learning in a domestic dog: evidence for “fast mapping”. Science 304:1682–1684

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Markman EM, Abelev M (2004) Word learning in dogs? TRENDS Cogn Sci 8:479–481

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Miklósi Á, Topál J, Csányi V (2004) Comparative social cognition. What can dogs teach us? Anim Behav 67:995–1004

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Povinelli DJ, Reaux J, Theall L, Giambrone S (2000) Folk physics for apes: the chimpanzee’s theory of how the world works. Oxford University Press, Oxford

    Google Scholar 

  • Sheppard G, Mills DS (2002) Development of a psychometric scale for the evaluation of the emotional predispositions of pet dogs. Int J Comp Psychol 15:201–222

    Google Scholar 

  • Virányi ZS, Topál J, Miklósi Á, Csányi V (2006) A nonverbal test of knowledge attribution: a comparative study on dogs and children. Anim Cogn 9:13–26

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Ward C, Smuts BB (2007) Quantity-based judgments in the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris). Anim Cogn 10:71–80

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Zuckerman M (1994) Behavioral expressions and biosocial bases of sensation seeking. Cambridge University Press, New York

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Daniel S. Mills.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kaulfuß, P., Mills, D.S. Neophilia in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) and its implication for studies of dog cognition. Anim Cogn 11, 553–556 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-007-0128-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-007-0128-x

Keywords

Navigation