Dog

Enrichment centered on human interaction moderates fear-induced aggression and increases positive expectancy in fearful shelter dogs

Some otherwise non-aggressive dogs may display fear-induced aggression under stressful conditions. Admittance to an animal shelter is a stressful experience for dogs, and aggression is often used as a criterion by shelters for precluding opportunities for adoption. We, therefore, examined...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Environmental Enrichment, Human-Animal InteractionAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Willen, R. M., Schiml, P. A., Hennessy, M. B. Enrichment centered on human interaction moderates fear-induced aggression and increases positive expectancy in fearful shelter dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 217, 57-62.

Could greater time spent displaying waking inactivity in the home environment be a marker for a depression-like state in the domestic dog?

Dogs exposed to aversive events can become inactive and unresponsive and are commonly referred to as being "depressed", but this association remains to be tested. We investigated whether shelter dogs spending greater time inactive "awake but motionless" (ABM) in their...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Harvey, N. D., Moesta, Al., Kappel, S. et al. 2019. Could greater time spent displaying waking inactivity in the home environment be a marker for a depression-like state in the domestic dog? Animals 9(7), 420.

Application of a welfare assessment tool (Shelter Quality Protocol) in 64 Italian long-term dogs’ shelters: Welfare hazard analysis

The confined environment of the dog shelter, particularly over extensive time-periods can impact severely on welfare. Surveillance and assessment are therefore essential components of the welfare protocol. The aim of this study was to generate a descriptive analysis of a...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Arena, L., Berteselli, G. V., Lombardo, F. et al. 2019. Application of a welfare assessment tool (Shelter Quality Protocol) in 64 Italian long-term dogs' shelters: Welfare hazard analysis. Animal Welfare 28(3), 353-363.

Fearful Fido: Investigating dog experience in the veterinary context in an effort to reduce distress

For many dogs, receiving veterinary care can be a stressful, fearful or traumatic experience. However, understanding and improving the veterinary experience for dogs is challenging due to the dynamic nature of the veterinary visit, the number of stakeholders involved (veterinarian,...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Human-Animal Interaction, RestraintAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Edwards, P. T., Smith, B. P., McArthur, M. L. et al. 2019. Fearful Fido: Investigating dog experience in the veterinary context in an effort to reduce distress. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 213, 14-25.

Assessing the welfare of kennelled dogs—A review of animal-based measures

Hundreds of thousands of dogs are housed in kennels worldwide, yet there are no standard protocols for assessing the welfare of dogs in these environments. Animal science is focusing increasingly on the importance of animal-based measures for determining welfare states,...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Polgár, Z., Blackwell, E. J., Rooney, N. J. 2019. Assessing the welfare of kennelled dogs—A review of animal-based measures. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 213, 1-13.

Effect of high levels of background noise on dog responses to a routine physical examination in a veterinary setting

Veterinary visits result in behavioural and physiological signs of fear and stress for many companion dogs. There are a number of factors that likely contribute to this response, but little is known about possible effects of the acoustic environment. The...

Year Published: 2019Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Stellato, A. C., Hoffman, H., Gowland, S. et al. 2019. Effect of high levels of background noise on dog responses to a routine physical examination in a veterinary setting. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 214, 64-71.

The effects of green odour on domestic dogs: A pilot study

Green odour (a mixture of cis-3-hexenol and trans-2-hexenal), similar to cut grass, has been demonstrated to appease subjects of various species (rats, cattle, humans etc.) subjected to different stressful stimuli. The aim of this study was to investigate whether green...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Carlone, B., Gazzano, A., Gutiérrez, J. et al. 2018. The effects of green odour on domestic dogs: A pilot study. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 207, 73-78.

Reinforcer effectiveness in dogs—The influence of quantity and quality

Reinforcer effectiveness refers to the reinforcer's ability to control the subject's target behaviour and is therefore critical to training success. Yet animals' preferences, and the effectiveness of different rewards to function as reinforcers, are often assumed without scientific investigation. Here...

Year Published: 2018Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Riemer, S., Ellis, S. L. H., Thompson, H. et al. 2018. Reinforcer effectiveness in dogs—The influence of quantity and quality. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 206, 87-93.

Can clicker training facilitate conditioning in dogs?

In the attempt to verify clicker training efficacy in shaping dogs' novel behaviours, we studied 51 domestic dogs. Learning was evaluated in three different conditions: when the primary reinforcer (food) was presented in association with (a) a clicker; (b) a...

Year Published: 2016Topics: Animal TrainingAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Chiandetti, C., Avella, S., Fongaro, E. et al. 2016. Can clicker training facilitate conditioning in dogs? Applied Animal Behaviour Science 184, 109-116.

Why do dogs play? Function and welfare implications of play in the domestic dog

Play is an enigmatic behaviour, the function of which is still debated, despite more than a century of research. We discuss the evolutionary function of play behaviour, focusing on the domestic dog (Canis familiaris), a unique species due to its...

Year Published: 2017Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Sommerville, R., O'Connor, E. A., Asher, L. 2017. Why do dogs play? Function and welfare implications of play in the domestic dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 197, 1-8.