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Separation from their owner is stressful for some dogs. Studies examining this phenomenon are usually carried out in novel places. However, given that separation distress can also impact the behavior and welfare of dogs in their home environment, it is critical to study them in this context as well. Our first aim was to evaluate the reactions of dogs to a brief separation from their owner in the home. Secondly, we aimed to examine differences in the reactions of dogs classified as fearful, without (n = 27) and with (n = 17) aggressive responses, as well as controls (n = 28). All dogs were adults, from various breeds and mixes, and lived as pets. Each dog's behavior was evaluated across three phases: (1) 2 min interaction with owner (baseline), (2) 3 min separation from the owner (alone), and (3) 2 min after the owner returned (owner return). We measured exploration as well as affiliative and stress behaviors. The results show that dogs explored the environment more in phase 1, directed more behaviors toward the door through which the owner had left in phase 2, followed the owner leaving at the end of phase 2, and greeted them when they returned in phase 3. Dogs also spent more time near the owner after their absence in phase 3 than in phase 1. A decrease in exploration triggered by the absence of the owner in phase 2 and a lack of full exploration recovery in phase 3 were observed as possible indicators of stress. No differences were found between fearful dogs and controls. The results indicate that it is possible to evaluate dogs' reactions to separation from their owner in a more naturalistic context. This could aid in the development of strategies to improve separation-related problems in dogs and thus improve their welfare and quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now scientific evidence that, in dogs, distinctive facial actions are produced in response to different emotionally-arousing stimuli suggesting a relationship between lateralized facial expressions and emotional states. Although in humans, relationships between facial asymmetry and both emotional and physiological distress have been reported, there are currently no data on the laterality of dogs' facial expressions in response to social stimuli with respect to canine behavioral disorders. The aim of the present work was to investigate the facial asymmetries of dogs with fear and aggressive behavior towards humans during two different emotional situations: (1) while the dogs were alone in the presence of their owners and (2) during the approach of an unfamiliar human being. Overall, our results demonstrated high levels of asymmetries in facial expressions of dogs displaying fear and aggressive behaviors towards humans indicating that measuring facial asymmetries in dogs could prove to be a useful non-invasive tool for investigating physiology-based behavioral disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behavioural problems are leading welfare issues in domestic dogs. In particular, anxiety-related behavioural problems, such as fearfulness and noise sensitivity are highly prevalent conditions that cause distress to fearful dogs. To better understand the environmental factors associated with non-social fear, including noise sensitivity, fear of novel situations, and fear of surfaces and heights, a large online survey including data on 13,700 Finnish pet dogs was performed by the dog owners. After fulfilling inclusion criteria, this data consisted of 9,613 dogs with fear of fireworks, 9,513 dogs with fear of thunder, 6,945 dogs with fear of novel situations, and 2,932 dogs with fear of surfaces and heights. Logistic regression analyses revealed that dogs with frequent non-social fear had experienced less socialisation during puppyhood, were more often neutered, had inexperienced owners, lived without conspecifics, participated less frequently in activities or training, and lived in more urban environments. In addition, we identified several breed differences, and a tendency of more common non-social fear in small dog breeds, which suggests a genetic background. Non-social fearfulness has a negative effect on well-being of the dogs. Our findings suggest that the socialisation and the living environment and the value of other dogs' company and owner interaction via activities and training may improve the well-being of the dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aggression in dogs is a safety concern both for humans and animals, and can lead to decreased animal welfare in affected dogs due to potential abuse, neglect, relinquishment or euthanasia. We examined risk factors associated with stranger-directed aggression in dogs using the previously validated, Canine Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Results are based on participant reports of dog behaviour. Data were analyzed using mixed logistic regression, with participant ID and country as random effects. Dogs (n = 14,310) were more likely to demonstrate stranger-directed aggression if the participant rated them as mildly or severely fearful of strangers, or mildly, but not severely, fearful in non-social situations, when compared to dogs with no fear. There was an interaction between sex and neuter status, with neutered males being more likely to be aggressive than any other group. Furthermore, adult dogs were more likely to be aggressive compared to adolescents or seniors, and dogs were less likely to be aggressive if acquired as an adult when compared to being acquired as a puppy or adolescent. The random effects for country and participant were significant (p < 0.001) with ICCs of 0.01 (CI: 0.00–0.08) and 0.40 (CI: 0.35–0.46), respectively, indicating that there was some correlation in behaviour among dogs within the same country and owned by the same person. The moderate effect of participant suggests that household effects need to be examined further. When looking only at dogs categorized as aggressive towards strangers (n = 11,240), dogs were significantly more likely to be categorized as having severe aggression if they were male, and if the owner rated them as mildly or severely fearful of strangers, or mildly, but not severely, fearful in non-social situations, when compared to dogs with no fear. Breed group and where the dog was acquired also had an association with severe aggression. The random effects for country and participant were significant (p < 0.001) with ICCs of 0.06 (CI: 0.02–0.15) and 0.34 (CI: 0.22–0.48), respectively, indicating once again that there was some correlation in behaviour among dogs within the same country and owned by the same person. These results suggest that variables related to the environment, owner experience and the dog’s level of fearfulness are associated with aggressive behaviour towards strangers in dogs. Therefore, it might be possible to identify dogs at risk of developing stranger-directed aggression and implement plans to prevent behavioural issues from developing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prevalence of canine noise-related fears was studied by the questionnaire method of dogs' owners from different part of Belgrade. Dog-owners (N=147) were chosen from a variety of sources (permissive municipal areas and parks for walking of dogs, dog shows and exhibitions and veterinary surgeries for small animal practice). Owners indicated noise-related fears in 59 dogs (40.14%). Twenty-six (17.69%) of them were mixed breed dogs and 33 (22.45%) were pure breed dogs. Noise-related fears were indicated in 25 females (17.01%) and in 34 (23.13%) males and, in 27 (18.37%) intact and 32 (21.77%) neutered dogs. From 59 dogs with noise-related fears 13 of them (8.84%) were directly purchased from breeders and 46 (31.30%) were obtained from other sources. There was a statistically significant difference (p<0.001) in the rate of noise-related fears between the dogs directly purchased from breeders and dogs obtained from other sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a case study of an eight-year-old spayed female mixed-breed dog which was examined due to refusal to leave the owners' property or car for walks and for barking and snapping at strangers in the house. The animal's physical examination shows that the patient was very tense and sometimes trembled when let into the back seat of the car. The article discusses giving fluoxetine to the patient for less than one year and shows no signs of fear in response to noises.

A web-based survey was conducted to estimate prevalence of noise sensitivity in 17 dog breeds in Norway ( n = 5257). Major focus was on noise from fireworks, loud noises (bang/gunshots), thunderstorms and heavy traffic. The study also investigated risk factors as well as correlation with some other fear responses. On average approximately 23% of the dogs were reported to be fearful of noises. Fear in situations with fireworks had the highest frequency; situations with loud noises/gunshots, thunderstorms and heavy traffic following in decreasing order. Across the 17 breeds there was significant ( p < 0.01) differences in the frequencies of fearful dogs. Norwegian Buhund, Irish Soft Coated Wheaten Terrier and Lagotto Romagnolo were breeds that had the highest frequency of noise sensitivity while Boxer, Chinese Crested and Great Dane had lower frequencies of fear created by noise. There was a significant trend of increasing fear with older age. Response to fireworks, loud noises/gunshots and thunderstorms frequently co-occurred. Female dogs had higher odds of noise sensitivity compared to male dogs (OR = 1.3 p < 0.001), and neutered dogs had higher odds of being fearful of noises than intact dogs (OR = 1.73 p < 0.001). The dogs most fearful of noises also had higher odds of showing separation related behavior, being fearful in novel situations and required longer time to calm down after a stressful event compared to dogs less fearful of noises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Incompatibility between the behaviour of companion cats and dogs and the behavioural expectations of their owners/caregivers remains the most common reason for the euthanasia, abandonment or re-homing of companion animals. In the absence of behavioural guidance from the veterinary team regarding their companion animal's emotional and behavioural development, owners are unlikely to assist pets to develop coping strategies that are compatible with owner expectations. As a result, the majority of young animals find themselves relying on innate, adaptive survival skills to deal with their exposure to anxiety, fear and frustration. This article discusses the resulting frequent or chronic stress experienced by companion animals, both in the home and in the veterinary practice, and the associated implications for animal health and welfare. The handling and restraint of such animals creates considerable difficulties for practice staff, and when pet-human relationships break down to such an extent that pets are relinquished, practices lose substantial income. A second article will examine the practicalities of handling the stressed patient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several types of questionnaires are in use to measure fear-related behaviour in family dogs. Our aim was to develop a general questionnaire based on relevant previous studies in order to facilitate the standardization of measurements of fear-related behaviour in dogs (social fear, non-social fear, separation problems, anxiety/destructiveness and neuroticism). We investigated which aspects of fear do emerge as distinct factors when measuring fear in dogs with our consensus questionnaire. We developed the questionnaire by piercing together seven discrete fear-related factors from six previous studies representing different aspects of fear. Our final questionnaire consisted of 56 items and was filled out by 833 Hungarian pet dog owners. Principal component analysis was applied to explore the factorial structure of the questionnaire scores. The original seven factors used in developing the questionnaire did not emerged as discrete factors. Instead, we found four factors (33 questionnaire items) labeled as neuroticism (CRA = 0.87), dog-directed fear (CRA = 0.84), human-directed fear (CRA = 0.90) and separation-related behavior (CRA = 0.83). The effects of demographic and dog keeping characteristics on these factors were also tested by generalized linear models (GLMs). For example, toy dogs had a higher risk to show neuroticism and dog-directed fear. Female owners were more frequently reporting human-directed fear in their dogs. Female dogs showed higher level of dog-directed fear. Older dogs score was higher on neuroticism and neuroticism correlated with the time of acquisition. The standardization of specific trait measures provides an advantage to the researchers in constructing further, more specific tools and offers a greater comparability of research across dog and human populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] We examined the effects of human contact on fear responses to people in shelter-housed dogs. [•] The three treatments were: control, human contact or human contact+toys. [•] Fear response was assessed by salivary cortisol and a human avoidance test. [•] Increased human contact reduced the fear response of the dogs in some circumstances. [•] Further research is required to fully determine the effects of human contact. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Highlights: [•] Many prospective army dogs fail the suitability test. [•] We compared owner judgements of early behaviour with test success. [•] Trainable dogs with low fear as young were more successful. [•] Dogs with hyperactivity problems as young rated better at test. [•] Owner ratings explained about 30% of variation in success. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prevalence of different aggression types and some related risk indicators were studied in 434 dogs presented to the School of Veterinary Medicine at Shiraz University over a one-year period (From March 2010 to June 2011). After taking case histories and examining all dogs, related questionnaires were completed for each dog and the nine classical types of aggression were evaluated. 25.3% of all cases had bitten at least one person or animal during their life. The most frequent aggression type was conflict (dominance) aggression (36.6%) followed by fear (20.9%) and protectiveness (20.9%) aggression, intraspecific (7.8%), medical (3.9%), redirected (2.6%), pain (2.6%), maternal (2.6%) and predation aggression (1.9%). Sex, age and indoor/outdoor keeping had a significant effect on conflict aggression. Males (P<0.001), more than 2 years of age (P=0.001) and outdoor dogs (P=0.02) revealed significantly higher levels of conflict aggression. The majority of the cases did not understand obedience orders of the owners and needed more training to obey properly. Raising the level of socialization of the pet and owner's knowledge about training principles may reduce these behavioral problems in Iran. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Behavioural signs of fear or anxiety on exposure to noises in owned domestic dogs have been suggested in clinical studies to be common and a significant welfare concern. In this study two approaches were taken to investigate the occurrence of, and risk factors for, these behaviours: a postal survey of dog owners to investigate general demographic factors (n =3897), and a structured interview of a sub-set of owners to gather more detailed information (n =383). Almost half of owners in the structured interview reported that their dog showed at least one behavioural sign typical of fear when exposed to noises, even though only a quarter had reported their dog as ‘fearful’ in the general survey. This difference indicates that even where owners recognise behavioural responses to noises, they may not interpret these as associated with altered subjective state in their dog. The difference in reported prevalence between the studies highlights the importance of methodological approach in owner questionnaire studies investigating behavioural signs. Owners most commonly reported fearful responses to fireworks in their dogs. Response to fireworks, gunshots and thunder frequently co-occurred, suggesting that responses to one loud noise are likely to generalise to others. However, responses to these types of noise did not commonly co-occur with separation related behaviour or behaviours indicative of fear or anxiety in other contexts. In contrast, responses to other, less salient, noises, such as traffic and TV noises did co-occur with other signs of fear or anxiety. Fear responses to less salient noises may therefore reflect fearful personality characteristics, while those to very salient noises, such as gunshots and fireworks, may reflect specific exposure and experience. General risk factors for owner-reported fear of noises in the combined postal and interviewed populations included breed, with twelve breeds or breed types having a reduced risk compared to cross breeds; age, where risk increased with age; and origin, where dogs living with the owner who bred them had a reduced risk as compared to dogs purchased from breeder by a second owner. For the interviewed subset only, risk factors for specific fears included time of acquisition, and early exposure to particular noises. The results suggest that characteristics of dogs, early environment, and exposure to specific loud noises are involved in the development of fear responses to noises. Interestingly, less than a third of owners sought professional advice about treatment for their pet''s response to noises. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The aim of this work is to study the effects of housing conditions, shelter versus family house, on gaze response as well as on sociability and fear-appeasement (tail and ears down and crouching) behaviors. Also, the objective is to analyze whether there is a relationship between these behaviors. Eight shelter and nine family dogs, adult, both sexes and mixed breeds were assessed in a sociability test in which dogs were exposed to the presence of an unknown human who acted passively and a communicative task in which a person remain near a visible but unreachable source of food. Results showed that, in both tests, shelter dogs showed more fear-appeasement behaviors than family dogs but there were no differences in their approaching levels to the human. Moreover, the groups didn't show differences in their gaze response towards the human face. However, gaze duration was longer in the communicative task, where food was present, than in the sociability test, in both groups. In conclusion, housing in a shelter could modify some responses of the dogs related to fear-appeasement towards humans affecting the quality of the bond between them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This masked controlled study evaluated a group of dogs to determine if the results of two behavior assessments detected aggression in dogs that had a history of aggression according to a validated questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in dogs. Groups of dogs with or without a history of aggression were identified from owner-completed questionnaires for 67 dogs. Any dogs that had a maximum score of no greater than 1 for any question comprising aggression factors were placed in the low/no aggression group and any dogs that had a maximum score of 2 or higher on any question comprising the aggression factors were placed in the moderate to severe aggression group. This second group was further divided to separate moderate aggression from severe aggression. Two behavior assessments, Meet Your Match (MYM)™ Safety Assessment for Evaluating Rehoming™ (SAFER™) (SAFER) and a modified version of Assess-A-Pet (mAAP), were administered to each dog in random order by assistants masked to the dogs’ behavioral histories. The scores for each assessment were divided into binary categorizations (no aggression or aggression). For SAFER, the aggression category was further divided, separating dogs that showed fear, arousal or inhibited aggression from those that showed moderate aggression, and from those that showed severe aggression. The previously established categories for the mAAP of ‘no issue’, ‘unsocial’, ‘borderline’ and ‘fail’ were also used. Subtest scores for each assessment were also summed. With binary categorization, SAFER showed both lower sensitivity and specificity at 0.60 (95% confidence limits (CL)=0.44, 0.74) and 0.50 (95% CL=0.28, 0.72) respectively, than mAAP at 0.73 (95% CL=0.58, 0.85) and 0.59 (95% CL=0.36, 0.79) respectively. The odds ratio showed that an aggressive dog was 4.1-fold more likely to be classified in an aggression group by the mAAP test and 1.5 times more likely by SAFER. When the assessments were split into multiple categories, SAFER results were no longer significant, but mAAP maintained a statistically significant but weak correlation of 0.34 (P =0.005) with historical aggression categories. SAFER testing was unable to identify dogs with moderate aggression that could potentially be addressed with behavior modification. By independently selecting acceptable levels of false positive or false negative results for the assessment, summed score results could be used in shelters as an aid to selecting dogs for adoption. Behavioral assessment results should be used in conjunction with other information such as intake history and staff observations to make an informed outcome decision for an individual dog. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Restricted experience in early life is known to contribute to long-lasting predispositions to fear and anxiety in mammals. It is commonplace for young domestic dogs not to experience many features of the environment in which they will spend their adult lives until after 8 weeks of age: simulations of that environment presented before 8 weeks might therefore reduce subsequent fear and anxiety. A series of experiments tested whether fearful and exploratory behaviour up to 8 weeks of age is reduced by exposure to audiovisual playback between 3 and 5 weeks of age. First, it was demonstrated that puppies between 3 and 5 weeks of age do respond to video images. Second, the reactions of puppies, exposed to audiovisual playbacks for 30min per day for 14 days between 3 and 5 weeks old, to test objects in both familiar and unfamiliar environments, were compared with those of control, unexposed puppies; the unexposed puppies visited most of the objects significantly more frequently than did the exposed puppies. Third, another sample of puppies given the same treatments was tested at 7–8 weeks of age; the unexposed puppies were significantly more fearful than the exposed, and also tended to visit the objects more frequently. Audiovisual simulations therefore appear to be worthy of further investigation as a way of enhancing coping strategies in dogs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Fear and anxiety-related behaviors are common in pet dogs and are likely to cause a physiological stress response in individuals that are exposed to those things they find fear or anxiety-inducing. Stress responses are related to a number of changes in hormonal and immune modulation and have been shown in many species to be related to disease processes and shortened lifespan. It was predicted that dogs with fear and anxiety disorders would have decreased lifespan and increased disease frequency and severity. In this retrospective study, owners of 721 deceased dogs completed a 99 question on-line survey that asked about the demographics, training, behavioral characteristics, health history, age at and cause of death in their pets. Correlational and regression analyses were performed to explore relationships between behavior; fear and anxiety subscales; lifespan; and specific diseases and causes of death. Results show that how “well-behaved” an owner felt their dog was positively correlated with lifespan (R 2 =0.18, P <0.001). Dogs with extreme non-social fear and separation anxiety were found to have an increased severity and frequency of skin disorders (R 2 =0.03, P <0.001). While neither stranger-directed fear nor any other fear or anxiety scales were related to specific causes of death, fear of strangers was found to be related to a significantly shortened lifespan (R 2 =0.16, P <0.001). There is evidence to suggest that the stress of living with a fear or anxiety disorder can have negative effects on health and lifespan in the domestic dog. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To investigate further the occurrence of fear-related behaviour in dogs in veterinary practice and to evaluate associated factors, 135 dogs were observed under practice conditions within the framework of a standardised test examination and the owners interviewed using a questionnaire. Most dogs exhibited fear reactions, particularly on the examination table, with 78.5% (106/135) categorised as 'fearful' based on their behaviour. Unlike weight and castration, age, gender and previous experience were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with fearful behaviour. Male dogs were significantly less 'fearful' than females and animals under <2 years were significantly less 'fearful' compared with older dogs. Those with only positive previous experiences in veterinary surgeries were significantly less 'fearful' than dogs that had a previous negative experience. Fear-related behaviour in veterinary practice is an issue of importance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses aspects of fear-based aggression behavior in dogs. Topics discussed include factors to considers when examining aggression behavior in canine, including human-interactions, dogs response when people use punishment as a means of exerting dominance, and the principles of reinforcement and conditioning apply to the dog's use of aggression. Typical signs of fear-based aggression in dogs are also mentioned.

The article cites a study in the U.S. into the responses of fearful dogs and their owners to thunderstorms. The researchers measured cortisol levels in the saliva of dogs that showed typical signs of pacing, whinning and hiding. This study suggests that belonging to a multi-dog household may help reduce the stress response. A dogs' fear response did not correlate with the quality of the relationship between them and their owners.