Advances in Companion Animal Cognition and Behavior

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

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