Have you ever witnessed a dog behave in a manner that seemed counterintuitive or completely out of the ordinary? As a pet parent, some common and observable examples of these behaviors occur when, say, our dog flushes the toilet or perhaps uses the handle to open a door. Our canine friends are always surprising us with their abilities to seamlessly acquire new skills and concepts. Pet parents may have some idea of what goes on psychologically for dogs to learn “new tricks” so to speak since the basics of learning theory are heavily embedded in most canine training curriculum.
The basics of learning theory comprise behavioral mechanisms such as association and operant and classical conditioning; incorporating these mechanisms into training curricula and practice has helped us uncover important insights into canine cognition. Association is used in practice to train our pets to connect words, situations and cues with behaviors. While operant and classical conditioning is used to reinforce or discourage existing behaviors. These mechanisms demonstrate to us that dogs are capable of behavior modification, by which they can adjust their behaviors according to different environmental cues and contexts.
However, the canine brain does not solely rely on these mechanisms to acquire knowledge or new tricks. Behavioral mechanisms can offer explanations as to how canines are able to learn and consolidate new tricks but there is also an underlying neurophysiological basis that facilitates these processes. Just like us, canines are equipped with a complex system of specialized neurons that “mirror” the actions and behaviors of others. This system is better known as the mirror neuron system, a system that humans also rely on to learn different goal-directed behaviors through imitation.
Activation of this system paired with the aforementioned behavioral mechanisms plays a role determining our pets’ likelihood of learning and succeeding at a new trick. The mirror neuron system allows us to reflect the emotions of others; canines are also able to reflect emotions through observation of facial expressions and emotional mimicry. According to a study that investigates the empathetic capacities of canines, “[their] mimicry of others’ behavior can induce the observer to share the emotional state underpinning such behavior.” This sort of emotional mimicry is known as emotional contagion and it induces the capacity for canines to empathize with us and other canines. With this in mind, it is clear that canines possess different types of intelligence and learn through observation and imitation just like humans.
So, the next time we are training our pets to learn goal-oriented behaviors, we must keep in mind the importance our example plays in their learning and comprehension; Their performance may reflect what they observe rather than what they lack. By acknowledging the indirect or direct impact our actions may have on canine learning, we can help improve our training instruction to bridge any gaps in translation and encourage a newfound appreciation for our furry companions’ ability to imitate our likeness. After all, imitation is the highest form of flattery!
