Dogs are believed to be the first animal being domesticated. This long history together with humans probably led humans and dogs to develop similar cognitive abilities.

It is for example shown that dogs are very good at understanding pointing cues from humans, and studies show that dogs seek help when they are faced with an unsolvable problem.
These communicative skills differ between breeds, but how about lineages within a breed?

The Labrador retriever is a breed that since the 70s have been separated into two different lineages; one lineage consisting of dogs bred for complexional traits and suitability as a family dog, and one lineage consisting of dogs bred for retrieving abilities and suitability as a gundog. Therefore the Labrador retriever is a suitable breed for investigating the effects of recent selection on dog-human communication.

Against this background, the overall aim of the present study is to investigate potential behavioral differences concerning dog-to-human communication between the two lineages of Labrador retriever; common type Labradors and field type Labradors.