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. 2021 Sep;49(3):321-329.
doi: 10.3758/s13420-021-00463-8. Epub 2021 Feb 23.

The olfactory capability of dogs to discriminate between different quantities of food

Shayla M Jackson  1 , Glynis K Martin  1 , William A Roberts  2
Affiliations

The olfactory capability of dogs to discriminate between different quantities of food

Shayla M Jackson et al. Learn Behav. 2021 Sep.

Abstract

A previous study failed to find evidence that dogs could use olfactory cues to discriminate between 1 and 5 hot dog slices presented on a single trial (Horowitz et al., Learning and Motivation, 44, 207-217, 2013). In the experiments reported here, multiple trials were used to test dogs' ability to use olfaction to choose one of two opaque containers under which a larger number of food items was placed. In Experiment 1, dogs chose between 1 and 5 hot dog slices. In Experiments 2 and 3, we examined dogs' ability to discriminate between numbers of hot dog slices that varied in the numerical distance and the ratio between the smaller and larger quantities. Experiment 4 explored olfactory discrimination between quantities of a different food, dog kibble. Experiments 1-3 all showed that dogs used olfactory stimuli to choose the larger number of hot dog slices, but Experiments 2 and 3 revealed no effects of distance or ratio between numerical quantities. In Experiment 4, dogs failed to discriminate between 1 and 5 pieces of dog kibble. Factors that allow dogs to use olfactory cues to discriminate between quantities are discussed.

Keywords: Distance effect; Dog; Food type; Olfaction; Quantity discrimination; Ratio effect.

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