ANSC 4650 Lecture Notes - Lecture 6: Timeline Of Human Prehistory, Selective Breeding, Social Cognition
Document Summary
The social behaviour of the dog and the cat. All lead to social cognition and the human-pet bond. Impacts signalling repetoire and motivation to work cooperatively. Attracted to human settlements due to prey availability (mice, rats) 10,000+ years of artificial selection have improved the signaling ability of domestic dogs. Well-developed signals to indicate approach or avoidance; can be subtle or difficult for humans to detect. Ears back, licking lips, hair standing up, tail flick, wide eyes, growl, hiss. Generally believed that cats do not have signals for play. Sensitivity of cat and/or dog to human social cues comes with preparedness, human interaction during development and learning from experience & socialization with humans. As compared to the dog, the cat has been subjected to less artificial selection and is more solitary in nature contributing to differences in inter-specific social relationships. Owner attitude towards the cat is changing: most popular pet, more controlled breeding, enhanced positive attitudes towards cats.
