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Simple Summary: While shaking behavior—a rapid side-to-side movement of the body or head—is often seen in domestic dogs, its purpose is not well understood. In this study, we investigated whether shaking acts as a marker of transition between activities or postures associated with affective states. We recorded a total of 120 shakes, from 96 dogs, in a public dog run and a private daycare in New York City, and looked at the behaviors preceding and following the behavior. Shaking most often occurred between two distinct activities or two distinct categories of behavior, supporting the hypothesis that shaking marks a moment of behavioral transition. We did not find that shaking behavior was linked to changes in postures related to affect. This research contributes to our understanding of ubiquitous but understudied behaviors of dogs. Shaking in domestic dogs—a rapid side-to-side movement of the body or head—is a commonly observed behavior, yet its function remains minimally researched. The present study aimed to investigate the use of shaking behavior in naturalistic social contexts, with the hypothesis that shaking functions as a marker of transition between behaviors or activities. In addition, as the prior literature has suggested that shaking more frequently occurred in postures or conditions of stress, either to signal stress or to mitigate it, we looked at postures related to affect before and after shaking. We observed 96 New York City dogs in two contexts: a public dog run and a private daycare. Over 120 episodes, shaking behavior was most often observed between two different activities or behavioral categories, supporting the hypothesis that shaking functions as a marker of transition between behaviors and activities. We also found neither a significant change in postures related to affect nor in the number of dogs in the subject's vicinity after shaking. While there may be other functions of canine shaking behavior, this observational research adds to our understanding of a common and understudied dog behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dogs are often referred to as "human's best friend," with many households in the United Kingdom and worldwide including a dog. Yet, whilst research highlights the myriad of human health benefits associated with canine companionship, many dogs are relinquished, or euthanized, for purported behavioral problems. A key behavior often cited in these situations is Reactivity, despite a lack of consensus in the literature (or in the lay population) as to exactly what is encompassed within this term. Resultantly, this paper reports on an online survey to investigate how the term Reactivity is understood by humans. Following the completion of a thematic analysis, six sub-themes were developed, forming three overarching theme clusters, namely; Canine Characteristics, The Importance of Human Perception and Human Capability. In sum, this research highlights the complex, nuanced and, sometimes, contradictory nature of understanding around the label of Reactivity, encompassing both canine and human factors. As such, conclusions include the proposal of a preliminary Perceived Reactivity Framework to conceptualize this seemingly multi-faceted concept. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When pet dogs demonstrate certain serious problem behaviors, this may lead owners to choose behavioral euthanasia. However, research on behavioral euthanasia of pet dogs is sparse and previously published papers have not specifically sampled owners who made the decision to euthanize for behavior. The Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs Questionnaire was created to collect a wide range of information from dog owners who made behavioral euthanasia decisions. Using this survey, we explored the types of behaviors associated with behavioral euthanasia. Human-directed aggression, especially toward adults living in the household, was the most frequently reported reason for choosing behavioral euthanasia; followed by aggression toward other animals, especially other dogs living in the same household. The majority of dogs displaying human-directed or other animal-directed aggression were reported to have bitten and broken skin, and many of these had bitten in multiple or severe incidents. Most dogs had lived in their homes and displayed problem behaviors for over a year prior to behavioral euthanasia, and the euthanasia occurred at a variety of ages, from less than 1 year old to 18 years old. Additional research is required to understand environmental or nonbehavioral factors contributing to the behavioral euthanasia of companion animals, as well as the psychosocial and emotional impact of behavioral euthanasia on the human experience. Understanding the behavioral factors associated with behavioral euthanasia can direct resources toward problem behavior interventions, improve public education about animal behavior, and strengthen the human-animal bond. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When pet dogs demonstrate certain serious problem behaviors, this may lead owners to choose behavioral euthanasia. However, research on behavioral euthanasia of pet dogs is sparse and previously published papers have not specifically sampled owners who made the decision to euthanize for behavior. The Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs Questionnaire was created to collect a wide range of information from dog owners who made behavioral euthanasia decisions. Using this survey, we explored the types of behaviors associated with behavioral euthanasia. Human-directed aggression, especially toward adults living in the household, was the most frequently reported reason for choosing behavioral euthanasia; followed by aggression toward other animals, especially other dogs living in the same household. The majority of dogs displaying human-directed or other animal-directed aggression were reported to have bitten and broken skin, and many of these had bitten in multiple or severe incidents. Most dogs had lived in their homes and displayed problem behaviors for over a year prior to behavioral euthanasia, and the euthanasia occurred at a variety of ages, from less than 1 year old to 18 years old. Additional research is required to understand environmental or nonbehavioral factors contributing to the behavioral euthanasia of companion animals, as well as the psychosocial and emotional impact of behavioral euthanasia on the human experience. Understanding the behavioral factors associated with behavioral euthanasia can direct resources toward problem behavior interventions, improve public education about animal behavior, and strengthen the human-animal bond.

Summary: Studies on coordination often present animals with the choice of either cooperating or remaining inactive; however, in nature, animals may also choose to act alone. This can be modeled with the Assurance game, an economic game that has recently been used to explore decision-making in primates. We investigated whether dyads of pet dogs coordinate in the Assurance game. Pairs were presented with two alternatives: they could individually solve an apparatus baited with a low-value reward (Hare) or they could coordinate to solve a cooperative apparatus baited with a high-value reward for each dog (Stag). All individuals matched their partner’s choices, but after controlling for side bias, only four out of eleven dyads consistently coordinated on the payoff-dominant strategy (Stag-Stag). Thus, some dogs are capable of finding coordinated outcomes, as do primates, at least when their partner’s actions are visible and coordination results in the biggest payoff for both individuals.

Simple Summary: As dogs evolve to fill a new and increased number of roles in human societies, it is critical that we understand how they communicate with people. Here, we investigate whether markings on dogs' faces influence how expressive they are perceived to be by humans. Using standardized systems to analyze dogs' facial complexity and behaviors, we find that dogs with plainer faces (fewer markings) objectively score as more behaviorally expressive. Age and skill or training level also impact expressivity, with adult dogs being more expressive than senior dogs and dogs that are highly skilled being more expressive than those who have had no training or working experience. Interestingly, dogs tend to use their face more "wholistically" during highly social interactions with owners than when presented with ambiguous cues, and owners of adult dogs with plainer faces tend to be more accurate at judging their dog's expressivity. These data are important to consider as the human–dog relationship continues to develop, both from an evolutionary perspective and especially in the context of canine training and welfare. Facial phenotypes are significant in communication with conspecifics among social primates. Less is understood about the impact of such markers in heterospecific encounters. Through behavioral and physical phenotype analyses of domesticated dogs living in human households, this study aims to evaluate the potential impact of superficial facial markings on dogs' production of human-directed facial expressions. That is, this study explores how facial markings, such as eyebrows, patches, and widow's peaks, are related to expressivity toward humans. We used the Dog Facial Action Coding System (DogFACS) as an objective measure of expressivity, and we developed an original schematic for a standardized coding of facial patterns and coloration on a sample of more than 100 male and female dogs (N = 103), aged from 6 months to 12 years, representing eight breed groups. The present study found a statistically significant, though weak, correlation between expression rate and facial complexity, with dogs with plainer faces tending to be more expressive (r = −0.326, p ≤ 0.001). Interestingly, for adult dogs, human companions characterized dogs' rates of facial expressivity with more accuracy for dogs with plainer faces. Especially relevant to interspecies communication and cooperation, within-subject analyses revealed that dogs' muscle movements were distributed more evenly across their facial regions in a highly social test condition compared to conditions in which they received ambiguous cues from their owners. On the whole, this study provides an original evaluation of how facial features may impact communication in human–dog interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundVeterinarians hold distinct breed-specific pain sensitivity beliefs that differ from the general public but are highly consistent with one another. This is remarkable as there is no current scientific evidence for biological differences in pain sensitivity across dog breeds. Therefore, the present study evaluated whether pain sensitivity thresholds differ across a set of dog breeds and, if so, whether veterinarians’ pain sensitivity ratings explain these differences or whether these ratings are attributed to behavioral characteristics.MethodsPain sensitivity thresholds [using quantitative sensory testing (QST) methods] and canine behaviors (using owner questionnaires and emotional reactivity tests) were prospectively measured across selected dog breeds. Adult, healthy dogs from 10 dog breeds/breed types were recruited, representing breeds subjectively rated by veterinarians as high (chihuahua, German shepherd, Maltese, Siberian husky), average (border collie, Boston terrier, Jack Russell terrier), or low (golden retriever, pitbull, Labrador retriever) pain sensitivity. A final sample of 149 dogs was included in statistical analyses.ResultsVeterinarians’ pain sensitivity ratings provided a minimal explanation for pain sensitivity thresholds measured using QST in dogs; however, dog breeds did differ in their pain sensitivity thresholds across the QST methods evaluated. Breed differences were observed for some aspects of emotional reactivity tests; however, these behavioral differences did not explain the differences in pain sensitivity thresholds found. Veterinarians’ pain sensitivity ratings were positively associated with dog approach scores for the disgruntled stranger test suggesting that the way dogs greet strangers may be a factor influencing veterinarians’ ratings of pain sensitivity across dog breeds.Conclusions and clinical relevanceOverall, these findings highlight a need to investigate biological mechanisms that may explain breed differences in pain sensitivity because this may inform pain management recommendations. Further, future research should focus on when and how these breed-specific pain sensitivity beliefs developed in veterinarians, as veterinarians’ beliefs could impact the recognition and treatment of pain for canine patients.

Summary: Personality in pets and other domesticated animals is important for their well-being and it can also influence human-animal relationships. Genetic and environmental factors influencing unwanted behavior in dogs are somewhat well known, but the factors influencing dog personality remain understudied. Here we examined environmental and demographic factors associated with seven broad personality traits in a survey of over 11,000 dogs. We utilized linear models and extensive model validation to examine the factors that have the most significant influences on personality and calculated effect sizes to assess the importance of these variables. Breed and age had the strongest associations with dog personality traits. Some environmental factors, especially puppyhood socialization, were also associated with personality. All factors had small effect sizes, highlighting that a lot of variation in personality remains unexplained. Our results indicate that personality traits are complex and strikingly similar in dogs, humans, and other nonhuman animals.

Summary: Domestication has altered dogs’ conspecific social organization compared to their closest, non-domesticated relatives, gray wolves. Wolves live in packs whose survival depends on coordinated behavior, but dogs rely less on conspecifics, which predicts greater cohesiveness in wolf than dog packs. Endocrine correlates such as oxytocin and glucocorticoids modulate group cohesion resulting in species-specific differences in social interactions. We found that although wolves’ and dogs’ observable behavioral reactions to a territorial threat and separation from the pack were similar, hormonal responses differed. Wolves’ but not dogs’ oxytocin and glucocorticoid concentrations correlated positively with territorial behaviors and only wolves showed increased glucocorticoid concentrations after separation from their pack. Together, results suggest stronger emotional activation to threats to group integrity in wolves than dogs, in line with their socio-ecology.

Since the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic, pet professionals and owners have observed an increase in anxiety-related behaviors, including fearfulness, contributing to behavioral problems, reduction in pet and owner welfare, and increased rates of shelter relinquishment. The objectives of this study were to evaluate canine demographics and owner-identified fearfulness compared with fear-related behaviors during in-person behavior tests, with further verification using fearrelated biomarkers. Client-owned dogs [n = 102; 25.3 ± 11.6 kg body weight (BW)] were included between 1 to 10 yr of age, of varying breeds, sex and neuter statuses, and home dynamics. Dogs had no known health issues, were not receiving medication, and were fed a standardized diet for 4 wk prior to testing. Owners provided information via a questionnaire regarding fear, anxiety, excitability, and separation behaviors, as well as information on the lifestyle and background of the dog. Behavior tests, which consisted of a novel human, novel object, and an open field test, were performed indoors in a constructed 3 x 3 m arena at the University of Guelph. Fecal samples were provided by owners and blood samples were collected immediately following the behavior assessment. Commercial ELISA kits were used to quantify fecal IgA, serum serotonin (5-HT), and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA), then the 5-HIAA:5-HT ratio was calculated. Behavior tests were recorded on a GoPro camera, and behaviors were coded using BORIS. For preliminary analysis, owner questionnaire data relating to human-directed fear was separated into frequency of human-directed fear (HFF), intensity of human-directed fear (HFI), frequency of fear-related behaviors during grooming or veterinary visits (VHF), and intensity of fear-related behaviors during grooming or veterinary visits (VHI) section. Regression analyses were conducted using SAS, with outcomes derived from behavioral tests serving as dependent variables, and predictor variables encompassing sex, neuter status, age, BW, biomarker concentrations, and owner survey scores. Significance was determined at P ≤ 0.05 and trends at P ≤ 0.10. Preliminary data analysis using data from the novel human test of 50 dogs indicates that the duration of reduced body posture during the test was positively correlated with VHF (P = 0.0201) and VHI (P = 0.0226) scores, and negatively correlated with HIAA concentrations (P = 0.0134). The duration of the “side” ear position was also positively associated with HFF (P = 0.0219), HFI (P = 0.0471), and VHI (P = 0.0170) scores, with a trend observed in VHF (P = 0.0818) scores. Duration of time with ears pinned back was similarly associated with HFF (P = 0.0064), HFI (P = 0.0076), and VHI (0.0192) scores. These results suggest that behavior may be reliably predicted from owner-completed surveys and can be a valuable tool in gathering information for both professionals and the public. Further data analysis from the present study will be conducted to further understand the relationship between canine demographics, owner identified fear scores, physiological biomarkers and behavior testing results [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavior knowledge is a critical component of shelter staff and volunteer training. Canine behavior knowledge was assessed at a small shelter before and after a six-month program of educational seminars and real-time case interventions for staff and volunteers. Participants were asked to complete surveys assessing their knowledge of body language, motivation, and training methodology, as well as rank their own comfort with these topics. Staff and volunteers who participated in the program and interacted with the dogs were compared to board members (who do not interact with the dogs) and feline-only volunteers. Prior to the program, both groups demonstrated poor scores and self-assessments did not correlate with knowledge scores. Those who participated in the program were more likely to be high performers on the post-program survey, odds ratio: 1.594 (95%CI 1.10–2.137) p = 0.002. Psychometric evaluation of the survey answers themselves illustrated gaps in behavior knowledge in shelter members and suggests that both seminar and case interventions can improve this. Formalized behavior education and measurement of behavior knowledge may facilitate the mission of shelters and safety there-in. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Trained dogs can detect many biochemical traces, from the most hostile, such as COVID-19, to the most expensive, such as truffles. However, it is still unclear how the interplay of genetic disposition, education, experience, personality, and environmental conditions influences the performance of dogs. Here, we combine published evidence with the knowledge of truffle hunters to assess direct and indirect factors that affect the hunting performance of truffle dogs. Since the transport of truffle aroma into the canine nasal cavity is most puzzling, we propose 5 experiments to further investigate the role of weather conditions, soil parameters, and bacterial composition on the dispersal of truffle volatiles perceived by trained dogs. We also suggest exploring whether the application of multiple dogs increases the success of truffle hunting. Moreover, we argue that interdisciplinary research on dog behavior and performance, including insights from veterinary science and comparative psychology as well as the experience of truffle hunters and farmers, is needed to improve the quantity and quality of truffle harvests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Tail wagging plays an important role in social interactions, e.g., dogs show asymmetrical tail wagging in response to different social stimuli. However, the effects of social cues on tail wagging and the intrinsic organization of wagging behavior remain largely unknown. Here, we developed a platform using a deep-learning-based motion-tracking technique to extract and analyze the movement trajectory of a dog’s tail tip during dog-human interactions. Individual dogs exhibited unique and stable wagging characteristics. We further found that tail wagging developed asymmetry toward the right side over three days of dog-human interactions, suggesting that it is a time-sensitive indicator of social familiarity. In addition, wagging appeared to follow an attractor-like dynamic process consisting of stable states and unstable, transitional states. Together, these results revealed sophisticated characteristics and organization of a dog’s tail-wagging behavior during interactions with humans, providing a useful paradigm for studying dogs’ social behaviors and the underlying neural mechanisms.

Summary: Recognition of rotated images can challenge visual systems. Humans often diminish the load of cognitive tasks employing bodily actions (cognitive offloading). To investigate these phenomena from a comparative perspective, we trained eight dogs (Canis familiaris) to discriminate between bidimensional shapes. We then tested the dogs with rotated versions of the same shapes, while measuring their accuracy and head tilts. Although generalization to rotated stimuli challenged dogs (overall accuracy: 55%), three dogs performed differently from chance level with rotated stimuli. The amplitude of stimulus rotation did not influence dogs’ performance. Interestingly, dogs tilted their head following the direction and amplitude of rotated stimuli. These small head movements did not influence their performance. Hence, we show that dogs might be capable of recognizing rotated 2D objects, but they do not use a cognitive offloading strategy in this task. This work paves the way to further investigation of cognitive offloading in non-human species.

Background: Very little is known about the etiology of personality and psychiatric disorders. Because the core neurobiology of many such traits is evolutionarily conserved, dogs present a powerful model. We previously reported genome scans of breed averages of ten traits related to fear, anxiety, aggression and social behavior in multiple cohorts of pedigree dogs. As a second phase of that discovery, here we tested the ability of markers at 13 of those loci to predict canine behavior in a community sample of 397 pedigree and mixed-breed dogs with individual-level genotype and phenotype data. Results: We found support for all markers and loci. By including 122 dogs with veterinary behavioral diagnoses in our cohort, we were able to identify eight loci associated with those diagnoses. Logistic regression models showed subsets of those loci could predict behavioral diagnoses. We corroborated our previous findings that small body size is associated with many problem behaviors and large body size is associated with increased trainability. Children in the home were associated with anxiety traits; illness and other animals in the home with coprophagia; working-dog status with increased energy and separation-related problems; and competitive dogs with increased aggression directed at familiar dogs, but reduced fear directed at humans and unfamiliar dogs. Compared to other dogs, Pit Bull-type dogs were not defined by a set of our markers and were not more aggressive; but they were strongly associated with pulling on the leash. Using severity-threshold models, Pit Bull-type dogs showed reduced risk of owner-directed aggression (75th quantile) and increased risk of dog-directed fear (95th quantile). Conclusions: Our association analysis in a community sample of pedigree and mixed-breed dogs supports the interbreed mapping. The modeling shows some markers are predictive of behavioral diagnoses. Our findings have broad utility, including for clinical and breeding purposes, but we caution that thorough understanding is necessary for their interpretation and use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antecedentes: el bienestar animal abarca el estado emocional, el funcionamiento adecuado del organismo y la posibilidad de expresar conductas normales propias de su especie. Los centros de investigación y desarrollo empresarial que poseen animales tienen el compromiso de garantizar el bienestar animal. Objetivo: determinar las condiciones de bienestar de los caninos que participan en procesos de investigación e innovación del centro de investigaciones caninas (CIC) basados en el Welfare Quality®. Método: 39 caninos del CIC Solla - Universidad CES fueron valorados según criterios de alimentación, alojamiento, salud y comportamiento. Los resultados se compararon con los reportes de 2022 del proyecto de Bienestar Animal. Resultados: según los análisis realizados en cada uno de los individuos, para el criterio de alimentación no hubo alteraciones significativas por fuera de los rangos ideales de condición corporal y porcentaje de deshidratación, similar a lo observado en 2022. Para las condiciones de alojamiento y confort térmico del CIC, se encontró que los valores observados cumplen los valores de humedad de los estándares internacionales. Las lesiones posturales de la población disminuyeron comparado con lo observado en 2022, con valores 10 % vs 13 %; estas lesiones correspondieron a perros adultos. El área donde se encuentra cada uno de los individuos cumple con espacio suficiente según la normativa internacional. El resultado de salud y estereotipias en los perros también disminuyó con respecto a 2022 y los comportamientos agonísticos que se mostraron fueron similares a los del año anterior, teniendo en cuenta que correspondió a los mismos individuos que presentaron alteraciones en el comportamiento. Conclusiones: el estudio anterior demuestra que el CIC cuenta con buenas condiciones de bienestar animal, articulando la parte comercial con el cuidado de cada una de las mascotas, sin embargo, es indispensable seguir ajustando cada una de las variables para lograr que todos los animales se encuentren en perfectas condiciones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Experimental animal facilities can have a negative impact on the well-being of animals owing to confinement. To mitigate this, environmental enrichment (EE) is implemented confinement. The purpose of EE is to enhance the complexity of an animal's natural environment. The objective of this study was to identify the types of EE most enjoyed by dogs used in experimental research and housed in individual kennels. A total of six adult Beagle dogs, housed at the Laboratório de Quimioterapia Experimental em Parasitologia Veterinária (LQEPV) at the Universidade Federal Rural do Rio de Janeiro (UFRRJ) were included in the study. The EE tools used included Petball® toys, a grassy outdoor area, interaction with other dogs and with a team member, a "pool" made of plastic bottles, and dog's wet food ice cream. A team member assessed the usage of these tools every 5 min for a 30-min period, six times per day, one day per week, over the course of eight weeks. The study revealed that the grass area was the tool most commonly used for physical enrichment, accounting for 58% of the occurrences ( p < 0.05). Social and food enrichment were enjoyed in second and third place, with 23% and 19% of occurrences, respectively. that the study findings suggest that dogs housed in individual kennels enjoy engaging in their natural behaviors., Competing Interests: Conflict of interests: AJBF, FSFC, DAB, GSO, PCO, IAP and FBS - No conflict of interest.