Co-operative interactions between blind persons and their dogs

In two studies, we have investigated the co-operative behaviour between dog s and their owners. We supposed that co-operative behaviour is an inherited trait in dogs, and is a major contributing factor in the development of su ccessful guide dog performance. According to our view, leading a blind pers on involves complex behaviour where success depends on the ability of the p articipants to synchronise, their actions. In Study I, we observed both Bri tish and Hungarian blind owners taking a half-hour walk in their neighbourh ood. In Study II, both guide dogs with their blind and pet dogs with their blind-folded owners had to master an obstacle course. Measuring the frequen cy of initiations of various actions during leading their owners, dogs did not keep the role of the initiator to themselves. However, both dogs and hu mans were found to initiate more often in some types of actions, for exampl e, guide dogs initialised avoidance or stepping up more often than their ow ners. Further, the role of the initiator was kept only for short durations, longer sequences of initialising were rare. Despite many differences among groups studied, we observed some qualitative similarities in the co-operative behaviour of dogs. We assume that during domestication, dogs have been selected for the ability to change to-and-fro the role of the initiator that seems to be fundamental in this type of co- operation. In the case of leading the blind, information should not only be provided but also accepted by both parties in the course of the joint acti ons, therefore, the leadership (the role of the initiator) may vary form on e action to the next. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.