https://www.nytimes.com/2022/09/22/science/raccoon-learning-urban-wildlife.html?unlocked_article_code=Jr392C-mWEIdBHTPRHXwyraiPQ0RS7XihPhOjOycke3SXu4w5zPL8wiV6xOmVf5Tx1DSju0-lpuwLEZKdL5KdlqKElHxPbP-3RRBXSD2UQE_7aB9cNRh3_WCALFyzE-bKgCpVsaTxG75cKFB2wiVvQXCumCyu_sLjy7K31ceGckMdlfSiaKtVznOkly8xTbq6DqiSIhjDJvBkkyj9_riDdkkLI2y3ZVfTCyRKps4ogZy7B82ymmaX_txElvWH2UmvK5lHUH1LRonKr1ECQYntMMx1mbX2ky-lknUkcPMcxcGdsMwCdGEI4oQywSc1Teh1RYhnQ0VEWgsXtWaLnAbnNWluK_RV9fQ2g&smid=share-url
This article points to the value of both ends of the shy/bold continuum.
In dog training, we sometimes believe that bolder, more confident dogs are smarter or easier to train. Those are very loaded terms, to be sure. What makes “smarter” ? Willingness to go along with our plans? What makes “easier to train” ? A dog’s acceptance of sloppy or inconsistent training? A dog who figures out what we want even though we’re poorly communicating with them? A dog who learns quickly and doesn’t need a lot of repetitions? A dog who is naturally aligned with the task?
Both ends of the shy/bold continuum have value, and are important within any given species. The conditions that favor the bold (who are willing to explore the unknown and take risks for a potential benefit) may be overwhelming for an animal on the shyer end of the continuum, as they are risk-averse. But the bold can also be easily trapped, whereas the more cautious animals may evade capture. There is value in being cautious too.
This article on how the shy/bold continuum plays out in raccoons and the attempts to understand how to co-exist with them. To the researchers’ surprise, it was not the bolder raccoons who worked out how to make use of the experimental setup!
Enjoy the article, which also talks about cognitive flexibility.