Dogs have evolved unique social-cognitive abilities that enable them to communicate with humans in ways that other species, such as chimpanzees and wolves, do not. This study compared the ability of domestic dogs, wolves, and chimpanzees to use human social cues to find hidden food in an object choice task. The results showed that dogs were more skilled than both chimpanzees and wolves in using human cues, even when they had little human contact. This suggests that dogs have been selectively bred for these social-cognitive abilities during domestication. In contrast, wolves, despite being closely related to dogs, did not perform as well as dogs in these tasks. Additionally, puppies as young as a few weeks old were able to use human cues effectively, indicating that these abilities are not dependent on age or prior human exposure. The study also found that dogs and wolves performed similarly in a non-social memory task, suggesting that the difference in performance in social tasks is not due to general cognitive differences but rather to the specific social-cognitive skills developed through domestication. These findings support the domestication hypothesis, which posits that dogs' social-communicative skills with humans were acquired during the process of domestication. The study also highlights the importance of social interaction in the development of these skills, as dogs raised by humans showed better performance than those raised in isolation. The results suggest that the domestication process has led to a convergence of social-cognitive abilities in dogs with those of humans, within the constraints of their phylogenetic lineage. This study provides strong evidence for the adaptive significance of domestication in shaping the social behavior of dogs.Dogs have evolved unique social-cognitive abilities that enable them to communicate with humans in ways that other species, such as chimpanzees and wolves, do not. This study compared the ability of domestic dogs, wolves, and chimpanzees to use human social cues to find hidden food in an object choice task. The results showed that dogs were more skilled than both chimpanzees and wolves in using human cues, even when they had little human contact. This suggests that dogs have been selectively bred for these social-cognitive abilities during domestication. In contrast, wolves, despite being closely related to dogs, did not perform as well as dogs in these tasks. Additionally, puppies as young as a few weeks old were able to use human cues effectively, indicating that these abilities are not dependent on age or prior human exposure. The study also found that dogs and wolves performed similarly in a non-social memory task, suggesting that the difference in performance in social tasks is not due to general cognitive differences but rather to the specific social-cognitive skills developed through domestication. These findings support the domestication hypothesis, which posits that dogs' social-communicative skills with humans were acquired during the process of domestication. The study also highlights the importance of social interaction in the development of these skills, as dogs raised by humans showed better performance than those raised in isolation. The results suggest that the domestication process has led to a convergence of social-cognitive abilities in dogs with those of humans, within the constraints of their phylogenetic lineage. This study provides strong evidence for the adaptive significance of domestication in shaping the social behavior of dogs.