Eating Smart: Free-ranging dogs follow an optimal foraging strategy while scavenging in groups

TL;DR

This study investigates how free-ranging dogs adapt their foraging strategies in group settings, balancing nutritional value, social costs, and risks, demonstrating their cognitive flexibility and optimal decision-making.

Contribution

It reveals how social context influences foraging behavior, showing dogs optimize resource intake while managing social and energetic costs in groups.

Findings

Dogs in groups adjust their foraging based on resource availability.

Group foraging reduces individual vigilance and risk.

Dogs follow an optimal foraging strategy balancing reward and cost.

Abstract

Foraging and acquiring of food is a delicate balance between managing the costs, both energy and social, and individual preferences. Previous research on the solitary foraging of free ranging dogs showed that they prioritized the nutritionally highest valued food patch first but do not ignore other less valuable food either, displaying typical scavenger behaviour. The current experiment was carried out on groups of dogs with the same set up to see the change in foraging strategies, if any, under the influence of social cost like intra-group competition. We found multiple differences between the strategies of dogs foraging alone versus in groups with competition playing an implicit role in the decision making of dogs when foraging in groups. Dogs were able to continually assess and evaluate the available resources in a patch and adjust their behaviour accordingly. Foraging in groups also provided benefits of reduced individual vigilance. The various decisions and choices made seemed to have a basis in the optimal foraging theory wherein the dogs harvested the nutritionally richest patch possible with the least risk and cost involved but was willing to compromise if that was not possible. This underscores the cognitive, quick decision-making abilities and adaptable behaviour of these dogs.