Eye contact is one of the most powerful communicative signals between humans and dogs, often reflecting trust, attention, and emotional connection. In this landmark study published in PLoS ONE, Akitsugu Konno and colleagues investigated how genetic lineage affects dogs’ spontaneous gaze behavior toward humans. The researchers sought to determine whether these differences stem from domestication history or more recent selective breeding for specific working roles.
The study involved 125 purebred dogs from five genetically defined groups: Ancient, Herding, Hunting, Retriever–Mastiff, and Working. Dogs participated in two behavioral experiments—a “visual contact task” where humans attempted to engage their gaze, and an “unsolvable task” in which a previously solvable problem became impossible, prompting the dog to seek help.
Results showed that Ancient breeds—genetically closest to wolves—took significantly longer to make eye contact with humans and gazed for shorter periods than any other breed group during the unsolvable task. In contrast, modern breeds bred for cooperation, such as retrievers and herding dogs, quickly established and maintained eye contact. This indicates that selective breeding for human-oriented cooperation has enhanced dogs’ use of visual communication signals over time.
The findings suggest that spontaneous gaze behavior reflects both evolutionary history and recent selection pressures. While ancient breeds may rely more on independent problem-solving, modern breeds have evolved to use gaze as a tool for social interaction with humans—one of the hallmarks of the dog–human bond.
Source: Konno, A., Romero, T., Inoue‐Murayama, M., Saito, A., & Hasegawa, T. (2016). Dog Breed Differences in Visual Communication with Humans. PLoS ONE, 11. Published October 13, 2016.
