Post-Conflict Affiliative Behaviors Towards Humans in Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris)

Social species need conflict-resolution mechanisms to maintain group cohesion and diminish aggression. Reconciliation (affiliative contact between opponents) and consolation (affiliative contact between the victim and an uninvolved third party) have been postulated for this function in various speci...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Cavalli, Camila María, Dzik, Marina Victoria, Carballo Pozzo Ardizzi, Fabricio, Bentosela, Mariana
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Estado:Versión publicada
Fecha de publicación:2016
País:Argentina
Institución:Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
Repositorio:CONICET Digital (CONICET)
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ri.conicet.gov.ar:11336/47370
Acceso en línea:http://hdl.handle.net/11336/47370
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:RECONCILIATION
CONSOLATION
AFFILIATIVE BEHAVIORS
DOMESTIC DOGS
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/5.1
https://purl.org/becyt/ford/5
Descripción
Sumario:Social species need conflict-resolution mechanisms to maintain group cohesion and diminish aggression. Reconciliation (affiliative contact between opponents) and consolation (affiliative contact between the victim and an uninvolved third party) have been postulated for this function in various species. The purpose of this work is to study post-conflict affiliative behaviors toward humans in domestic dogs. This study has looked into post-conflict affiliative behaviors in domestic dogs toward their owners. To this end, a conflict situation was created where the animal was scolded by one of the owners for “stealing” human food. Behaviors were recorded along a period of 3 min and 30 s before and after the scolding. Results show that dogs exhibit affiliative behaviors (significant increase in closeness, gazing, and tail wagging) as well as appeasement behaviors (averting eyes, low tail carriage, lowered ears, lip licking, and crouching) toward the owner that scolded them (reconciliation). In other words, this is the first work that presents reconciliation in dogs in a conflict situation with humans. It discusses the importance of this phenomenon in the dog-human bond.