‘The bone is mine’: affective and referential aspects of dog growls

摘要: A number of species are considered to use functionally referential signals such as alarm calls or food-related vocalizations. However, this particular function communicative interaction has not previously been found in canids. We provide the first experimental indication that domestic dogs, Canis familiaris, rely on context-dependent during interspecific agonistic encounters. recorded several sequences growls from dogs three different contexts: play, guarding a bone another dog, and reacting threatening stranger. analysed acoustic structure additionally performed playback tests seminatural food-guarding situation. play differed acoustically other two (agonistic) types growls, mainly their fundamental frequencies formant dispersions. Results experiment showed deterred taking away seemingly unattended more effectively than stranger ruled out an effect signaller's body weight subjects' responses. These results evidence context specificity vocalizations dog. discuss possible aspects honesty deception through modulation growls.