Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
joining corvids, meerkats, marmosets, and elephants. Little research has been done on “so-
cial learning” or “imitation” or “observational learning” in working dogs, though that, too, is
starting to change. As Deak Helton already pointed out, it's harder for scientists to get access
to working dogs. Only one small published research study shows what many handlers be-
lieve is the case—working dogs learn from observing other dogs. The 1999 study from South
Africa used two litters of German shepherd pups: One litter got to watch their mother, a
drug-detection dog, at her job. That's all they were allowed to do—watch but not participate.
The other litter didn't get to see their mother work. When the pups were six months old, 85
percent of the pups who had observed their mother at work passed an aptitude test for nar-
cotics. Fewer than 20 percent of the non-observing pups passed.
More good news for Solo and the new pup was that dominant animals generally do better
than submissive ones at being good demonstrators, solving problems, and learning new tasks.
I'm not saying that, just because it works for lemurs and chimps and domestic hens and mice,
it should work for German shepherds, but that's not such a leap. Decades ago, my brother
Mark and I watched two dogs at the beach. One of Dad's Irish setters couldn't climb a steep
sandy cliff She'd tried and fallen. Tarn, my first German shepherd, ran up the cliff and then
stood and stared down at her. She whined. Tarn came down and went back up, slowly this
time. Dad's setter watched, tried to follow, and failed. Tarn came down a third time, went to
her heels, and barked loudly. She shot up the cliff. It's just an anecdote. It might only demon-
strate Tarn's instinctive herding behavior. I choose to believe both that Tarn was demonstrat-
ing what to do, and that Dad's dog was doing her best to imitate him. Or avoid him.
David and I watched the videos that Kathy posted of the four puppies—three females and
a male—as they started negotiating the PVC-pipe ladders, culverts, and barrels she had set
up for them in the play yard. We tried not to fall in love with any pup in particular. Videos
don't tell the story; nor do photos or even e-mail. That would be like picking a pup off Dog-
match.com: fantastical and engaging and perfect without having to make a commitment or
know more.
The two big females—one black, the other black and tan and similar to her mother in
looks—showed signs of handsome adulthood. I avoided gazing directly at Little Bit's face.
With her wide milky-blue eyes, midnight fur, and chunky yet delicate nose, she looked like a
plush Japanese anime puppy. I wasn't afraid she would turn me into stone but into mush.
I also had been small and cute; people had patted me on the head a great deal because
they could. I didn't have the evolutionary advantage of sharp puppy teeth to keep them from
the top of my head. Little Bit brought out the protective “aww” in people, not the awe I ulti-
mately wanted.
When their mother wasn't there, one or two of the puppies would try something, and
then another one would try. Let's go climbing. Let's break out of this barrel. Let's slip and
