Striking global similarities in dog–human interactions

Most of our knowledge about the dog-human relationship comes from studies with dogs from 'WEIRD' (Western, Educated, Industrialized, Rich, and Democratic) societies. Here, we investigate cultural differences in dog-owner interactions worldwide. To achieve this, we developed a test battery comprising six well-established social-cognitive experiments and a questionnaire that assessed the psychological and practical aspects of the dog-human bond. We tested hunting dogs alongside their owners in five rural societies across culturally diverse locations in various countries: Vanuatu, Mongolia, Madagascar, Peru, and Germany. Despite dramatic cultural and environmental differences, we found that dog-human relationships were remarkably similar. Residual differences may be attributed to variations in hunting techniques and differences between WEIRD and non-WEIRD societies.