Canine Cognitive Bias: Is Your Dog an Optimist?
Understanding how our dogs see the World and what they expect from it is a crucial part of knowing who they are and helping them to have the best life possible.
Cognitive bias dictates all sorts of expectations. Expectations dictate feelings and feelings will always dictate behaviour.
Cognitive bias is simply the way an animal (or human) interprets something uncertain. When a situation is clear, most dogs respond in a similar way. It's when things are ambiguous that the bias shows itself. Researchers test this by teaching a dog that a bowl in one place always has food in it and a bowl in another place is always empty.
Then they put the bowl somewhere in between.
The optimistic dog goes to check it quickly because they expect something good.
The pessimistic dog is slower or doesn't go at all because they expect nothing.
This tells us a lot about how that dog feels about ambiguous stimuli.
How Optimistic Dogs See the World
They Expect Good Things
An optimistic dog meets new things with curiosity. A new person, a new place or a new object is something to explore. This means that the dog's nervous system feels safe enough to expect a good outcome, that they have not learned to fear novelty and that they are confident that the World is safe for them to interact with.
They Recover Quickly
Optimistic dogs still get startled and they still have bad days. The difference is that they come back to a calm state more quickly. Their body doesn't stay on guard waiting for the next problem. If you have a dog who is learning not to be reactive you will find recovery occurs more quickly for them.
They Enjoy Learning
When a dog expects that trying something will lead to something good, they will try more often. They offer behaviours, they solve problems and they don't worry too much about getting it wrong. We often call these dogs confident learners but it's often due to an excellent positive reinforcement history.
How Pessimistic Dogs See the World
They Expect Bad Things
For a pessimistic dog, anything uncertain feels like a threat. The noise outside is danger. The stranger is a problem. This isn't the dog being difficult. It's a brain that has learned to prepare for the worst because at some point it needed to.
Their Body Stays on Guard
Pessimism affects the body as well as the mind. These dogs often scan the environment, startle easily and find it hard to settle. Research has linked separation-related problems with a more pessimistic outlook in dogs. That makes sense, because a dog who is already worried has less capacity to expect good things.
They Can Shut Down
Not all pessimistic dogs are loud or reactive. Some become very quiet. They stop exploring, stop offering behaviours and stop trying. It's easy to see this as a calm, well-behaved dog, when actually the dog has learned that trying isn't worth the risk. This is why observation is so important.
What Causes Optimism and Pessimism
Genetics and Early Life
Temperament is influenced by genetics and by the very early weeks of life. Stress during pregnancy, being taken from the litter too early and a lack of safe experiences during puppyhood can all create a dog who expects difficulty. This is a starting point though, not a life sentence.
Experience
The brain predicts what will happen based on what has happened before. If a dog has experienced fear, pain, punishment or an unpredictable life, they learn that the World isn't safe. If they have experienced safety, choice and success, they learn the opposite.
Health and How They Feel Right Now
Pain, illness and long-term stress will all push a dog towards pessimism. A dog with sore joints or an upset tummy has every reason to feel cautious. Mood also changes. The same dog can be more optimistic when they feel good and more pessimistic after a stressful week.
Can It Be Changed?
Yes It Can
The brain stays adaptable throughout life. Expectations are learned and anything learned can be updated. It may take longer with an older dog or a dog who has been through a lot, but change is always possible.
It Changes Through Experience
We can't tell a dog to feel safe and we can't teach optimism as a cue. A dog's outlook changes through repeated experiences where the World turns out to be better than they expected. Every good experience adds a little to the balance.
It Takes Time
A pessimistic dog usually became that way for a good reason. Their caution protected them. If we push them too fast, we simply prove their fears right. Progress won't be a straight line and there will be setbacks. What matters is the overall direction.
Dogs who pull on the lead and get yanked back are learning to be pessimistic. Dogs who are pushed to walk through town with a prong collar on and hurt if they show emotional responses. Any dog who shows any emotional response and is blamed and punished for it.
Our dogs are amazing at 'this means that' so we do get the opportunity to meet them there and create optimism by showing them that things mean good things. We might have to build their confidence first but it's certainly doable.
Dogs who pull on the lead and get yanked back are learning to be pessimistic. Dogs who are pushed to walk through town with a prong collar on and hurt if they show emotional responses. Any dog who shows any emotional response and is blamed and punished for it.
Our dogs are amazing at 'this means that' so we do get the opportunity to meet them there and create optimism by showing them that things mean good things. We might have to build their confidence first but it's certainly doable.
How Can We Create Optimism?
Make Safety the Priority
A dog can't become optimistic while they feel under threat. So we start with the basics. Check for pain and health problems. Reduce the stress we can control. Keep routines predictable and make sure our dogs have quiet places to rest. When a dog feels safe at home, they have the capacity to be curious about everything else.
Give Them Choice
Choice is one of the most powerful things we can give our dogs. Let them decide whether to approach something, sniff it, move away or rest. When a dog learns their choices are respected and their actions make a difference, they start to expect good outcomes. That's what optimism is.
Let Them Sniff
Scentwork is one of the best ways to build optimism. Research has shown that dogs who took part in nosework became more optimistic, while dogs doing handler-led activities didn't show the same change. When a dog uses their nose, they work at their own pace, solve problems for themselves and succeed on their own terms. Scatter feeding, sniffy walks and simple searches can all help.
How our dogs see the World isn't fixed. As guardians, we can shape the experiences that shape their expectations. Every time we keep them safe, respect their choices and let them use their nose, we help them become a dog who expects good things.