A new study by an international research team led by the Friedrich Schiller University Jena and the Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology (Leipzig) has revealed striking similarities in the way humans and dogs interact in very different societies. Researchers tested hunting dogs and their owners in five rural communities in Vanuatu, Mongolia, Madagascar, Peru, and Germany. Despite major differences in culture, environment, and dog-keeping practices, the study found that the relationship between dogs and humans is remarkably consistent around the world.