Lemons and learning: Juvenile free‐ranging dogs are more persistent but less selective foragers than adults

Abstract Understanding how animals make foraging decisions in challenging or unpleasant contexts sheds light on the processes that underlie cognitive development and the evolution of adaptive foraging techniques in complex ecological settings. In order to investigate how age, sex and environmental cues impact decision‐making and scavenging behaviour, this study explores how juvenile and adult free‐ranging dogs (FRDs), Canis familiaris, respond to unpleasant stimuli, specifically different concentrations of lemon juice. In the Nadia district of West Bengal, India, we conducted a three‐bowl choice experiment using lemon juice at concentrations of 25%, 33.3% and 50% with 73 juvenile FRDs. To evaluate developmental shifts in foraging behaviour, juvenile FRD data were compared with adult behavioural data from prior research. The findings indicated that juvenile dogs' foraging behaviour was consistent under provided circumstances, suggesting that their capacity to adapt to unpleasant stimuli was limited, possibly as a result of their inexperience and developing cognitive abilities. Adult dogs, on the other hand, exhibited selective foraging by preferring lower acidity and demonstrating more deliberate foraging strategies. Age, sex and acidity all had a significant impact on eating behaviour, with males displaying a higher tolerance to unpleasant stimuli. Markov chain analysis showed repetitive decision‐making patterns, especially in adults, indicating continuous sensory evaluation before food consumption, while strategy‐making behaviour increased the likelihood of food consumption in juveniles, suggesting juveniles are possibly beginning to build adaptive skills. In shaping adaptive foraging strategies among FRDs, these findings demonstrate the dynamic interaction of developmental stage, sensory processing and individual diversity, offering new angles to understand the cognitive basis of scavenging behaviour in aversive ecological conditions.