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Animals
Special Issues
Advances in Companion Animal Cognition and Behavior
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Advances in Companion Animal Cognition and Behavior

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Companion Animals".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2025 | Viewed by 7374

Special Issue Editor

Dr. Daniel J. Horschler

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Hill’s Pet Nutrition, Inc., Topeka, KS, USA
Interests: Animal cognition; animal behavior; cognitive evolution; social cognition; aging

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The study of animal cognition, or the mechanisms through which animals acquire, process, store, and act on information from the environment (Shettleworth, 2010), is predicated on developing tools and methods that allow researchers to draw inferences about complex cognitive processes from standardized behavioral observations. Contemporary research on animal cognition is rooted in an understanding of animals as evolved biological organisms with variations in cognitive capacities at both the species and individual levels. Evolutionary processes are, therefore, expected to shape the ways in which different animals understand and respond to the world around them, as well as the cognitive mechanisms that allow them to most effectively navigate the ecological niches that they occupy. In companion animals, the evolutionary process of domestication has, in part, led to a new ecological niche that has shaped our companions’ cognitive processes—the human home.

Research on cognition in companion dogs is relatively new to the field of animal cognition, but significant advances in our understanding of the canine mind have been made in recent decades, including new discoveries about the ways in which companion dogs understand cooperative communication from humans and how their cognitive processes change during both development and aging. Companion cat cognition research is even newer, but it has enjoyed initial success by adapting methods commonly used in dog research while ensuring species-specific differences and considerations are taken into account. As this field evolves, the continued development and standardization of behavioral research methods, alongside species-specific adaptations, will be critical for enabling us to draw strong inferences about variations in companion animals’ cognitive processes. Deepening our understanding of companion animal cognition and behavior is essential to ensure our ability to provide the best possible quality of life for our companions, strengthening human–animal bonds, improving the care provided to our companions during the aging process, and developing new nutritional solutions that promote cognitive health.

I am pleased to invite researchers to contribute to this Special Issue, which will bring together the latest advances in the study of companion animal cognition and behavior. In this Special Issue, both original research articles and reviews are welcome. Research areas that are of particular interest with respect to improving the health and welfare of companion dogs and cats include (but are not limited to) the following:

  • Cognition and cognitive mechanisms, including domain-specific or domain-general approaches;
  • Cognitive, behavioral, or social changes during aging or development;
  • The impacts of nutrition on cognition or behavior;
  • Measurements of fear, anxiety, or stress via behavior and their impacts on quality of life;
  • Evolutionary or domestication-related perspectives on cognition or behavior;
  • Biological and/or neurological correlates of cognitive or behavioral processes;
  • The development of novel standardized behavioral assessments (quantitative or qualitative) and/or novel cognitive tasks;
  • Technological advances in the study of cognition or behavior.

I look forward to receiving your contributions.  

Dr. Daniel J. Horschler
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • cognition
  • cognitive function
  • behavior
  • anxiety
  • aging
  • nutrition
  • companion animal
  • pet
  • canine
  • feline

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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11 pages, 1626 KiB  
Article
Shake It Off: Investigating the Function of a Domestic Dog Behavior in Social Contexts
by Ani Bryce, Paige Nurkin and Alexandra Horowitz
Animals 2024, 14(22), 3248; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14223248 - 13 Nov 2024
Viewed by 896
Abstract
Shaking in domestic dogs—a rapid side-to-side movement of the body or head—is a commonly observed behavior, yet its function remains minimally researched. The present study aimed to investigate the use of shaking behavior in naturalistic social contexts, with the hypothesis that shaking functions [...] Read more.
Shaking in domestic dogs—a rapid side-to-side movement of the body or head—is a commonly observed behavior, yet its function remains minimally researched. The present study aimed to investigate the use of shaking behavior in naturalistic social contexts, with the hypothesis that shaking functions as a marker of transition between behaviors or activities. In addition, as the prior literature has suggested that shaking more frequently occurred in postures or conditions of stress, either to signal stress or to mitigate it, we looked at postures related to affect before and after shaking. We observed 96 New York City dogs in two contexts: a public dog run and a private daycare. Over 120 episodes, shaking behavior was most often observed between two different activities or behavioral categories, supporting the hypothesis that shaking functions as a marker of transition between behaviors and activities. We also found neither a significant change in postures related to affect nor in the number of dogs in the subject’s vicinity after shaking. While there may be other functions of canine shaking behavior, this observational research adds to our understanding of a common and understudied dog behavior. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Companion Animal Cognition and Behavior)
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Review

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19 pages, 1331 KiB  
Review
The Relationship between Canine Behavioral Disorders and Gut Microbiome and Future Therapeutic Perspectives
by Paula Kiełbik and Olga Witkowska-Piłaszewicz
Animals 2024, 14(14), 2048; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14142048 - 12 Jul 2024
Viewed by 2584
Abstract
Canine behavioral disorders have become one of the most common concerns and challenging issues among dog owners. Thus, there is a great demand for knowledge about various factors affecting dogs’ emotions and well-being. Among them, the gut–brain axis seems to be particularly interesting, [...] Read more.
Canine behavioral disorders have become one of the most common concerns and challenging issues among dog owners. Thus, there is a great demand for knowledge about various factors affecting dogs’ emotions and well-being. Among them, the gut–brain axis seems to be particularly interesting, especially since in many instances the standard treatment or behavioral therapies insufficiently improve animal behavior. Therefore, to face this challenge, the search for novel therapeutic methods is highly required. Existing data show that mammals’ gut microbiome, immune system, and nervous system are in continuous communication and influence animal physiology and behavior. This review aimed to summarize and discuss the most important scientific evidence on the relationship between mental disorders and gut microbiota in dogs, simultaneously presenting comparable outcomes in humans and rodent models. A comprehensive overview of crucial mechanisms of the gut–brain axis is included. This refers especially to the neurotransmitters crucial for animal behavior, which are regulated by the gut microbiome, and to the main microbial metabolites—short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs). This review presents summarized data on gut dysbiosis in relation to the inflammation process within the organism, as well as the activation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal (HPA) axis. All of the above mechanisms are presented in this review in strict correlation with brain and/or behavioral changes in the animal. Additionally, according to human and laboratory animal studies, the gut microbiome appears to be altered in individuals with mental disorders; thus, various strategies to manipulate the gut microbiota are implemented. This refers also to the fecal microbiome transplantation (FMT) method, based on transferring the fecal matter from a donor into the gastrointestinal tract of a recipient in order to modulate the gut microbiota. In this review, the possible effects of the FMT procedure on animal behavioral disorders are discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Companion Animal Cognition and Behavior)
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30 pages, 987 KiB  
Review
Feline Cognition and the Role of Nutrition: An Evolutionary Perspective and Historical Review
by Allison P. McGrath, Daniel J. Horschler and Leslie Hancock
Animals 2024, 14(13), 1967; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14131967 - 3 Jul 2024
Viewed by 3398
Abstract
Research into cognition in cats and the impact of nutrition on cat cognitive health lags behind that in dogs but is receiving increased attention. In this review, we discuss the evolutionary history of the domesticated cat, describe possible drivers of domestication, and explore [...] Read more.
Research into cognition in cats and the impact of nutrition on cat cognitive health lags behind that in dogs but is receiving increased attention. In this review, we discuss the evolutionary history of the domesticated cat, describe possible drivers of domestication, and explore the interrelationships between nutrition and cat cognition. While most cat species are solitary, domesticated cats can live in social groups, engage in complex social encounters, and form strong attachments to humans. Researchers have recently started to study cat cognition using similar methods as those developed for dogs, with an initial primary focus on perception and social cognition. Similar to dogs, cats also show cognitive and behavioral changes associated with stress and aging, but these signs are often gradual and often considered a consequence of natural aging. Despite the fundamental role of nutrition in cognitive development, function, and maintenance, research into the association between nutrition and cognition in cats is only preliminary. Ultimately, additional research is needed to gain a full understanding of cat cognition and to explore the role of nutrition in the cognitive health of cats to help improve their welfare. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Advances in Companion Animal Cognition and Behavior)
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