ManyDogs 1: Dog-Human Social Interaction
The first ManyDogs study investigated domestic dogs’ understanding of a common human gesture, the point. Previous research shows that dogs usually follow pointing cues, but whether they do so because they are following a communicative cue from a human partner or because they feel compelled to follow the gesture as a command is still debated. To answer these questions, we implemented an approach in which the core methodological details are standardized across all participating labs, but other aspects are allowed to vary and are recorded for subsequent exploratory analyses. Some of these other aspects include dog breed, sex, and age. When collected on a small scale in a single lab it can be challenging to gather enough data to get a satisfying answer. Collectively, this multi-lab study helps us gain a better understanding of the factors that influence dog behavior.
We pre-registered our study’s method and analysis on OSF as a registered report which is now published at Animal Behavior and Cognition.
ManyDogs Project, Espinosa, J., Stevens, J.R., Alberghina, D., Alway, H.E.E., Barela, J.D., Bogese, M., Bray, E.E., Buchsbaum, D. Byosiere, S.-E., Byrne, M., Cavalli, C. M., Chaudoir, L. M., Collins-Pisano, C., DeBoer, H.J., Douglas L.E.L.C., Dror, S., Dzik, M.V., Ferguson, B., Fisher, L., Fitzpatrick, H.C., Freeman, M.S., Frinton, S.N., Glover, M.K., Gnanadesikan, G.E., Goacher, J.E.P., Golańska, M., Guran, C.-N.A., Hare, E., Hare, B. Hickey, M., Horschler, D.J., Huber, L., Jim, H.-L., Johnston, A.M., Kaminski, J. Kelly, D.M., Kuhlmeier, V.A., Lassiter, L., Lazarowski, L., Leighton-Birch, J., MacLean, E.L., Maliszewska, K., Marra, V., Montgomery, L.I., Murray, M.S., Nelson, E.K., Ostojić, L., Palermo, S.G., Parks Russell, A.E., Pelgrim, M.H., Pellowe, S.D., Reinholz, A., Rial, L.A., Richards, E.M., Ross, M.A., Rothkoff, L.G., Salomons, H., Sanger, J.K., Santos, L., Shirle, A.R., Shearer, S.J., Silver, Z.A., Silverman, J.M., Sommese, A., Srdoc, T., St. John-Mosse, H., Vega, A.C., Vékony, K., Völter, C.J., Walsh C.J., Worth, Y.A., Zipperling, L.M.I., Żołędziewska, B., & Zylberfuden, S.G. (2023). ManyDogs 1: A multi-lab replication study of dogs’ pointing comprehension. Animal Behavior & Cognition, 10(3), 232-28. doi:10.26451/abc.10.03.03.2023
ManyDogs 1 Collaborators
These research groups registered collaborators in ManyDogs 1, and the Team Captains designated at each institution were responsible for organizing ManyDogs at their site.
- Auburn Canine Performance Sciences, Auburn University
Team Captain: Lucia Lazarowski - Canine Cognition Center, Boston College
Team Captains: Shennai Palermo & Anya Parks - Brown Dog Lab, Brown University
Team Captains: Daphna Buchsbaum & Madeline Pelgrim - Canine Companions, Canine Companions
Team Captain: Emily Bray - Duke Canine Cognition Center, Duke University
Team Captain: Hannah Salomons - The Family Dog Project , Eötvös Loránd University
Team Captain: Andrea Sommese - Thinking Dog Center, Hunter College
Team Captain: Sarah Byosiere - Leader Dogs for the Blind, Leader Dogs for the Blind
Team Captain: Sarah Byosiere - Canine Research Unit, Memorial University
Team Captain: Carolyn Walsh - Canid Behavior Research Group, National Scientific and Technical Research Council
Team Captain: Mariana Bentosela - Social Cognition Lab, Queen’s University
Team Captain: Valerie Kuhlmeier - Pet Behaviour Consulting, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Università degli Studi di Messina
Team Captain: Daniela Alberghina - Arizona Canine Cognition Center, The University of Arizona
Team Captains: Emily Bray, Gitanjali Gnanadesikan, & Evan MacLean - Animal Health and Welfare Centre, University Centre Sparsholt
Team Captain: Marianne Freeman - Comparative Cognition Lab, University of Manitoba
Team Captain: Debbie Kelly - Canine Cognition and Human Interaction Lab, University of Nebraska-Lincoln
Team Captain: Jeffrey Stevens - Dog Cognition Centre, University of Portsmouth
Team Captain: Jennifer Leighton - Comparative Cognitive Science Lab, University of Rijeka
Team Captain: Ljerka Ostojić - The Clever Dog Lab, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna
Team Captains: Ludwig Huber & Christoph Völter - Department of Psychology of Individual Differences, University of Warsaw
Team Captains: Marta Golańska & Anna Reinholz - Canine Cognition Center, Yale University
Team Captains: Daniel Horschler, Emily Richards, & Zachary Silver
ManyDogs 1 Team
Meet our team of individuals who were responsible for organizing ManyDogs 1 and moved the project forward to completion through their time and dedication.
