In this 2018 review, S. Lea and B. Osthaus explore the question: In what sense are dogs special? They argue that understanding canine cognition requires a comparative framework considering three perspectives: phylogenetic (as canids), ecological (as social cursorial hunters), and anthropogenic (as domesticated animals).
The study emphasizes that dog cognition should not be evaluated in isolation or solely against other domestic pets or humans. Instead, dogs must be compared with wolves, cats, spotted hyenas, chimpanzees, dolphins, horses, and pigeons, among others—species that represent relevant cognitive benchmarks in social behavior, communication, hunting strategies, and domestication.
The review examines multiple cognitive domains: sensory cognition, physical cognition, spatial understanding, social cognition, and self-awareness. When compared across these areas, dogs consistently show strengths—as well as limitations—that align closely with traits of other social hunters, carnivorans, and domesticated species.
In particular, the authors highlight that dogs’ social sensitivity to humans—often cited as evidence of exceptional cognition—may be more accurately understood as a product of domestication, socialization, and learning, rather than unique evolutionary adaptation. When dogs are compared with wolves and other social mammals, many cognitive traits emerge as shared rather than exclusive.
Lea and Osthaus conclude that while dogs are cognitively interesting and behaviorally adaptable, their abilities do not appear exceptional once compared across the full spectrum of relevant animal groups. Instead, dog cognition reflects a convergence of evolutionary heritage, ecological role, and domestication—but not an elevated or uniquely superior form of intelligence.
This perspective encourages researchers to focus not on whether dogs are “special,” but on the ways their cognition reflects flexibility, social learning, and the evolutionary consequences of living alongside humans.
Source: Lea, S., & Osthaus, B. (2018). In what sense are dogs special? Canine cognition in comparative context. Learning & Behavior. Published September 24, 2018.
