The present study explored the effects of intranasal oxytocin (OT), a naturally occurring hormone, on the behavior of pet dogs in an attachment test. Each dog participated in two testing sessions. On one visit saline was administered nasally and on another OT was administered nasally. Condition order was counterbalanced. Following...
Adaptations of the Ainsworth’s Strange Situation test, a social-development test based on Bowlby’s attachment theory, can be applied to dog-owner relationships and used to categorize attachment styles in dogs. Dogs with secure attachment use their owner as a secure base from which to explore their environment and should theoretically be...
The development of problem-solving behaviors in canines, including persistence, has implications for canine training, welfare, and the human-dog bond. Past research has shown that a variety of factors, including genetics (domestication) and training experience, play a role in a how a canine might behave during a problem-solving task. Less well...