Owner-related factors influence dogs’ usage of human pointing gestures in atypical contexts

The ability of dogs to comprehend human pointing gestures is a key aspect of their social cognition. Although previous studies have demonstrated that dogs effectively use human social cues, the influence of individual differences among owners on this ability remains unclear. In this study, we investigated whether owner-related factors such as attitudes toward animals, attachment to pets, and interaction styles affect the dog’s usage of human pointing gestures as social information. Ninety-four dog–owner pairs participated in three types of object-choice tasks. The owners completed questionnaires, and their behaviour during pre-task interactions with their dogs was recorded and analysed. The dogs performed well in the arm pointing task, with no significant effects of owner-related variables. However, owner factors significantly influenced the dogs’ choices in memory versus pointing tasks, which involved conflicting cues. Specifically, dogs whose owners exhibited stronger attitudes toward animal rights and ethics were less likely to follow human pointing cues that conflicted with their memories. Additionally, owner interaction styles, such as frequent commands or physical interventions, significantly reduced the dogs’ reliance on pointing cues. These findings suggest that dogs do not rely solely on human-provided information but also affected by their owners’ attitudes and interaction styles. Understanding these dynamics provides valuable insights into the mechanisms of social information use in dogs and human–dog relationships.