Interspecific Communication in Cooperative Herding: Acoustic and Visual Signals from Human Shepherds and Herding Dogs

Abstract

and Summary Visual displays from dog to sheep and acoustic signals from shepherd to dog were analyzed during cooperative herding by human shepherds and Border collie dogs. Unlike other breeds, Border collies herded livestock by approaching it in the stalking posture of a hunting mammalian predator. Data on mature trained and immature untrained Border collies showed that the posture was innate, but was refined by training and experience. Selection for behavioral rather than morphological traits has resulted in stereotyped breed‐specific behavior but considerable morphologic variation. The whistle signal repertoires of 14 shepherd/dog herding teams showed a strong correlation between acoustic structures and messages of whistles that intended to stimulate or inhibit the dog's activity toward stock. No correlation was found between acoustic structures used for directional messages. Stimulating signals were short, rapidly repeated notes, with a tendency to rise in frequency. Inhibiting signals were prolonged, descending single notes. Comparable acoustic structures in non‐human primate and avian repertoires suggest that the observed correlation is found in similar contexts in those groups. We hypothesize that the appropriate use of these acoustic structures increases the probability of the desired response from the canid receivers.

Context‐Related Variation in the Vocal Growling Behaviour of the Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris)

“…Fischer et al. 2004) and may also be perceived as louder or more urgent than shorter calls (McConnell & Baylis 1985; Le Roux et al. 2001).…”

“…Long calls are more typical of agonistic or competitive situations, where arousal is high (e.g. Fischer et al 2004) and may also be perceived as louder or more urgent than shorter calls (McConnell & Baylis 1985;Le Roux et al 2001). Similarly, calling rate has been shown to provide useful motivational information in several species (red deer: McComb 1991;fallow deer: McElligott & Hayden 1999;2006;suricates: Manser 2001;Manser et al 2002;domestic dogs barks: Yin 2002;Pongrá cz et al 2005).…”

Canine Reconciliation and Third‐Party‐Initiated Postconflict Affiliation: Do Peacemaking Social Mechanisms in Dogs Rival Those of Higher Primates?

“…Although the domestic dog has noticeable cognitive abilities (McConnell & Baylis 1985) and is capable of relatively sophisticated social cognition (Anderson & Foster 1988), strikingly few scientific studies have focused on this matter (Hare & Tomasello 2005; Rooney & Bradshaw 2006). In this study, we show that the domestic dog performs reconciliation, a behavioural mechanism shared (as far as is currently known) only with many primate species and a few non‐primate species (bottlenose dolphins: Weaver 2003; spotted hyenas: Hofer & East 2000; the domesticated goat: Schino 1998).…”

Comparing supervised learning methods for classifying sex, age, context and individual Mudi dogs from barking

“…Most efforts have focused on how and to what extent dogs are able to understand different forms of human communication, through visual gestures (Reid 2009), voice recognition (Adachi et al 2007), acoustic signals for ceasing or intensifying their activity (McConnell and Baylis 1985;McConnell 1990), and ostensive signals (Te´gla´s et al 2012). However, it has also been found that dogs can get their message across to humans, for example, by turning their head or alternating their gaze between the human and their target (Miklo´si et al 2000), and that dogs can emulate other behavioral forms so as to convey feelings, of guilt for example, in an appropriate situation (Hecht et al 2012).…”