Decision-making in Free-ranging Dogs in Urban Habitats

Sarkar, Rohan (2026) Decision-making in Free-ranging Dogs in Urban Habitats. PhD thesis, Indian Institute of Science Education and Research Kolkata.

Text (Phd thesis of Rohan Sarkar (18RS059)) 18RS059.pdf - Submitted Version Restricted to Repository staff only Download (5MB)

Abstract

Domesticated dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are thought to have evolved from gray wolves (Canis lupus lupus) in East Asia about 15,000 years ago. The two factors that influenced and shaped the domestication process were food acquisition and adaptation to human presence. The process of domestication in conjunction with urbanisation presents an interesting opportunity to study the adaptations and decision-making undertaken by canids living in heterogeneous anthropogenic habitations. Free-ranging dogs provide an excellent model system to study the interplay of such processes in the context of the dual factors mentioned above. They comprise 80% of the world’s dog population, experience differing levels and types of human interactions and are largely dependent on human-generated waste for their sustenance. I investigated the behavioural flexibility in free-ranging dogs in their natural habitat that allow them to optimize their foraging strategies and dog-human relationship, with a focus on human recognition, efficiently using existing responses and socio-cognitive abilities. Dogs showed multiple characteristics of a stochastic optimal foraging theory in play, conditioned on various social and environmental factors. They prioritized minimizing risk and cost for the maximum possible nutritive value and factored in human actions when making foraging decisions. Access to resources were enforced by higher order responders. Predictability of food provisioning and higher energy demands led to erosion of overall eating preference. They were also able to do class level discrimination between familiar and unfamiliar humans based on facial cues and prioritized vocal cues over facial ones in the familiar condition. In conclusion, free-ranging dogs show nuanced decision making and behavioural adaptations in exploiting both humans and food as resources demonstrating their successful habituation in urban environments and complex socio cognitive abilities.

Actions (login required)

View Item