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Companion Animal Psychology Blog
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May 22, 2013
08:30 AM
53 views

Dogs can haz brainscanz and EEG?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Canine cognition is a hot topic these days, using experiments and brain imaging as research tools. The trouble with brain imaging work is that it is invasive, to the extent that animals may have to be sedated or anaesthetized for the study. All that changed with the amazing work of Gregory Berns et al and the first-ever fMRI study on awake, unrestrained dogs last year. Now Miiamaaria Kujala et al in Finland have shown that it is also possible to do a non-invasive EEG with dogs.An EEG measur........ Read more »

Berns, G., Brooks, A., & Spivak, M. (2012) Functional MRI in Awake Unrestrained Dogs. PLoS ONE, 7(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0038027

Kujala, M., Törnqvist, H., Somppi, S., Hänninen, L., Krause, C., Vainio, O., & Kujala, J. (2013) Reactivity of Dogs' Brain Oscillations to Visual Stimuli Measured with Non-Invasive Electroencephalography. PLoS ONE, 8(5). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0061818

Ma, H., Qin, L., Dong, C., Zhong, R., & Sato, Y. (2013) Comparison of Neural Responses to Cat Meows and Human Vowels in the Anterior and Posterior Auditory Field of Awake Cats. PLoS ONE, 8(1). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0052942

May 15, 2013
08:30 AM
42 views

Why do people surrender dogs to animal shelters?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Five to seven million companion animals arrive at animal shelters in the US each year, and about half of these are animals being surrendered by their owners. Why do people surrender their pets? To find out, a new study by Jennifer Kwan and Melissa Bain compared dogs being relinquished at three Sacramento animal shelters to those dogs that were there simply to receive their vaccinations.The experimenter spent time at the shelters during the hours when relinquishments could take place, and w........ Read more »

Kwan, J., & Bain, M. (2013) Owner Attachment and Problem Behaviors Related to Relinquishment and Training Techniques of Dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 16(2), 168-183. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.768923

May 8, 2013
08:30 AM
53 views

On Puppies, Pet Stores, and Behaviour Problems

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

If you buy a puppy from a pet store, could you be getting more than you bargained for? It has long been thought that puppies from pet shops might have behavioural problems. A new study by Franklin D. McMillan et al investigates this by comparing puppies from pet stores to those from non-commercial breeders.The puppies that are for sale in pet shops originate from commercial breeding establishments, also known as puppy mills or puppy farms. These are large establishments that breed ........ Read more »

McMillan, F., Serpell, J., Duffy, D., Masaoud, E., & Dohoo, I. (2013) Differences in behavioral characteristics between dogs obtained as puppies from pet stores and those obtained from noncommercial breeders. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, 242(10), 1359-1363. DOI: 10.2460/javma.242.10.1359

McMillan, F., Duffy, D., & Serpell, J. (2011) Mental health of dogs formerly used as ‘breeding stock’ in commercial breeding establishments. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 135(1-2), 86-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.09.006

Westgarth, C., Reevell, K., & Barclay, R. (2012) Association between prospective owner viewing of the parents of a puppy and later referral for behavioural problems. Veterinary Record, 170(20), 517-517. DOI: 10.1136/vr.100138

May 1, 2013
08:30 AM
118 views

Describing Dog Training: Weasel words or clear descriptions?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Dog training is an unlicensed profession. Sometimes it surprises people to learn there is a science to training, the origins of which can be traced back to Pavlov and Skinner. When studying how ordinary people train their dogs, scientists have to map between technical terms and everyday language. How do they do this?You’ve probably heard the phrase that “dogs do what works”, as explained by Jean Donaldson in her wonderful book The Culture Clash. What this means is, the behaviours tha........ Read more »

Arhant, C., Bubna-Littitz, H., Bartels, A., Futschik, A., & Troxler, J. (2010) Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: Effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 123(3-4), 131-142. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.01.003

Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J., & Bradshaw, J.W.S. (2004) Dog training methods: Their use, effectiveness, and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 63-69. info:/

April 24, 2013
08:30 AM
70 views

Discussion of Dogs’ Behavioural Problems at the Vet

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Surprisingly little is known about where people seek advice when their dog has a behavioural problem such as aggression, soiling in the house, or fear of fireworks. One place to try might be the vet, but do veterinarians talk to their clients about behavioural problems during the annual consultation for vaccinations?A study just published in the Veterinary Record by Roshier and McBride recorded vet consultations and transcribed the conversations for analysis. The study was conducted at a v........ Read more »

Roshier, A., & McBride, E. (2012) Canine behaviour problems: discussions between veterinarians and dog owners during annual booster consultations. Veterinary Record, 172(9), 235-235. DOI: 10.1136/vr.101125

April 17, 2013
08:30 AM
73 views

Do Dogs Try to Hide Theft of Food?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Will your dog steal food even if you can see or hear the theft take place? Two new studies investigate whether dogs can take a human’s perspective in deciding whether to take a piece of forbidden food.Earlier work has shown that dogs and other animals seem to have an awareness of human visual attention. For example, Gácsi et al (2004) found that dogs were more likely to beg from an attentive rather than an inattentive human. However, it is not known if dogs understand what a human........ Read more »

Bräuer, J., Keckeisen, M., Pitsch, A., Kaminski, J., Call, J., & Tomasello, M. (2012) Domestic dogs conceal auditory but not visual information from others. Animal Cognition. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0576-9

Gácsi M, Miklósi A, Varga O, Topál J, & Csányi V. (2004) Are readers of our face readers of our minds? Dogs (Canis familiaris) show situation-dependent recognition of human's attention. Animal cognition, 7(3), 144-53. PMID: 14669075

Kaminski, J., Pitsch, A., & Tomasello, M. (2012) Dogs steal in the dark. Animal Cognition. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0579-6

April 10, 2013
08:30 AM
99 views

Is having many cats an early sign of animal hoarding?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

In January of this year, 99 live cats and 67 dead ones were removed from a woman’s home near Albany, New York. The cats were living in crates surrounded by faeces, and the woman was subsequently charged with animal cruelty. If situations like this could be predicted, psychological help at an early stage might prevent animals from being harmed. A study published this month by Ramos et al in Brazil investigates whether or not the early stages of cat hoarding can be identified. Animal h........ Read more »

Ramos, D., da Cruz, N.O., Ellis, S.L.H., Hernandez, J.A.E., & Reche-Junior, A. (2013) Early stage animal hoarders: Are these owners of large numbers of adequately cared-for cats?. Human-Animal Interaction Bulletin, 1(1), 55-69. info:/

April 3, 2013
08:30 AM
140 views

How do Hand-Reared Wolves and Dogs Interact with Humans?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

The question of how dogs evolved from wolves is complicated, but it is clear there are important differences that could arise from genetics, domestication, experience, or a combination of these. A study just published by Marta Gácsi in Budapest investigates whether dogs and hand-reared wolves behave the same during a changing social situation with a human.The wolves that took part in the study were hand-reared by humans from birth, spending the first few months of their life in a house wi........ Read more »

Gácsi, M., Vas, J., Topál, J., & Miklósi, �. (2013) Wolves do not join the dance: Sophisticated aggression control by adjusting to human social signals in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2013.02.007

Gácsi, M., Maros, K., Sernkvist, S., Faragó, T., & Miklósi, �. (2013) Human Analogue Safe Haven Effect of the Owner: Behavioural and Heart Rate Response to Stressful Social Stimuli in Dogs. PLoS ONE, 8(3). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058475

Merola, I., Prato-Previde, E., & Marshall-Pescini, S. (2012) Dogs' Social Referencing towards Owners and Strangers. PLoS ONE, 7(10). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0047653

Merola, I., Prato-Previde, E., & Marshall-Pescini, S. (2011) Social referencing in dog-owner dyads?. Animal Cognition, 15(2), 175-185. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-011-0443-0

March 27, 2013
08:30 AM
172 views

What about the rabbits?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Rabbits are popular pets because they are intelligent and fun, will cuddle with you, and can learn to use a litter tray. But while everyone knows there is a crisis of homeless dogs and cats, what about rabbits? A recent study by Amelia Cook and Emily McCobb (Tufts University) set out to see how many pet rabbits end up in animal shelters, and what happens once they are there.Four animal shelter sites in Rhode Island and Providence took part, some with more than one physical shelter loc........ Read more »

Cook AJ, & McCobb E. (2012) Quantifying the shelter rabbit population: an analysis of Massachusetts and Rhode Island animal shelters. Journal of applied animal welfare science : JAAWS, 15(4), 297-312. PMID: 23009621

March 20, 2013
08:30 AM
151 views

Frustration in Pet Dog Training

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Does your dog ever seem frustrated when you are trying to train him? A new study by Adriana Jakovcevic and colleagues looks at frustration behaviours in pet dogs during training sessions. They looked specifically at something called extinction. This is when the dog has a behaviour that you want to get rid of (i.e. extinguish) for one reason or another.Dogs do things that get rewarded and so the way to extinguish a behaviour is to stop rewarding it. For example, many people find jumping up annoyi........ Read more »

Jakovcevic, A., Elgier, A., Mustaca, A., & Bentosela, M. (2013) Frustration Behaviors in Domestic Dogs. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 16(1), 19-34. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.740974

March 13, 2013
08:30 AM
175 views

Do Dogs Find Their Owners Presence Supportive When a Threatening Stranger Comes Near?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

How does your dog compare to a toddler? Recent animal research is comparing the abilities of dogs with young humans. A brand new study by Márta Gácsi et al in Hungary investigates whether dogs have the same response as infants to a test called the Strange Situation.In humans, attachment theory explains how children need to develop a strong attachment to at least one caregiver. If they don’t, their social and emotional development will be disrupted. As infants begin to crawl, the caregiver is........ Read more »

Gácsi, M., Maros, K., Sernkvist, S., Faragó, T., & Miklósi, �. (2013) Human Analogue Safe Haven Effect of the Owner: Behavioural and Heart Rate Response to Stressful Social Stimuli in Dogs. PLoS ONE, 8(3). DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0058475

March 6, 2013
08:30 AM
202 views

What influences a dog's length of stay at a no-kill animal shelter?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Are some types of dog adopted more quickly from animal shelters than others? A study by William Brown and colleagues at Keuka College looked at two no-kill shelters in New York State in order to answer this question.A no-kill shelter is one that will only kill animals that are too ill or too bad-natured to be adopted; some of them will even work with animals to try and resolve behavioural problems before assessing them again. There are very few no-kill shelters in the US; most shelters and munic........ Read more »

Brown, W., Davidson, J., & Zuefle, M. (2013) Effects of Phenotypic Characteristics on the Length of Stay of Dogs at Two No Kill Animal Shelters. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 16(1), 2-18. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.740967

February 27, 2013
10:00 AM
213 views

Fear of Loud Noises: A Common Problem in Domestic Dogs?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Do you have a dog that cowers at the sound of thunder, or comes running to you for comfort when the neighbours set off fireworks? A new study by Emily-Jayne Blackwell, John Bradshaw and Rachel Casey (University of Bristol) investigates how common this problem is.The study involved a questionnaire completed by 3,897 dog owners, and a structured interview with a smaller set of 383 dog owners. Dog owners were recruited in a variety of ways, including at dog shows, veterinary clinics, and whilst out........ Read more »

Blackwell, E.J.,, Bradshaw, J.W.S.,, & Casey, R.A. (2013) Fear responses to noise in domestic dogs: Prevalence, risk factors and co-occurrence with other fear-related behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science. info:/10.1016/j.applanim.2012.12.004

February 20, 2013
10:00 AM
185 views

How Do Kenneled Dogs React to Familiar and Unfamiliar Dogs?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

Environmental enrichment is an important thing for kenneled dogs, as it can alleviate boredom and improve animal welfare. Enrichment can occur in many ways, including the availability of suitable toys, the design of the kennel, the kind of food that is fed and possibly even music. This week we look at a study by Anne Pullen, Ralph Merrill and John Bradshaw that investigates whether spending time with other dogs is beneficial.The twenty-two dogs that took part live at the Waltham Pet Nutrition Ce........ Read more »

Pullen, A., Merrill, R., & Bradshaw, J. (2013) The Effect of Familiarity on Behavior of Kenneled Dogs During Interactions With Conspecifics. Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 16(1), 64-76. DOI: 10.1080/10888705.2013.741003

February 13, 2013
10:00 AM
263 views

Do dogs have stable personality traits?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

We often talk about people having particular personality types, such as extroversion/introversion. Is it true that dogs have particular personalities too, and are they fixed or do they change over time? A new study by Jamie Fratkin (University of Texas at Austin) and colleagues takes a look at this.The question is useful to many people. Trainers of guide dogs, police dogs and other service dogs would really like to be able to spot suitable candidates at a young age, so as not to waste time train........ Read more »

Fratkin, J.L., Sinn, D.L., Patall, D.A., & Gosling, S.D. (2013) Personality consistency in dogs: A meta-analysis. PLoS ONE, 8(1). info:/

Jones, A., & Gosling, S. (2005) Temperament and personality in dogs (Canis familiaris): A review and evaluation of past research. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 95(1-2), 1-53. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2005.04.008

February 6, 2013
10:00 AM
256 views

Are young children more interested in animals than toys?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

At what age do children develop a fascination with animals? A brand new paper by Vanessa LoBue et al investigates young children’s interest in live animals. A set of three studies looked at young children in a naturalistic play environment in which they could choose to interact with animals or toys.The animals were always in an enclosure, so the children could only look at them and not physically touch them. One obvious difference between animals and toys is that the animals move. It woul........ Read more »

LoBue, V., Bloom Pickard, M., Sherman, K., Axford, C., & DeLoache, J. (2013) Young children's interest in live animals. British Journal of Developmental Psychology, 31(1), 57-69. DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-835X.2012.02078.x

January 30, 2013
10:00 AM
220 views

Homeless Cats in Canada

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

A report by the Canadian Federation of Humane Societies is depressing reading for cat lovers, and confirms what studies in other countries have shown: that the situation for homeless cats is even worse than for homeless dogs.The CFHS surveyed organizations that are responsible for homeless cats, such as humane societies, SPCAs, rescues and municipal animal controls, as well as veterinarians. They also conducted a telephone survey of the general public.They found that 37% of households in Canada ........ Read more »

Stavisky, J., Brennan, M., Downes, M., & Dean, R. (2012) Demographics and economic burden of un-owned cats and dogs in the UK: results of a 2010 census. BMC Veterinary Research, 8(1), 163. DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-163

January 23, 2013
10:00 AM
182 views

Does Experience Help People Recognize Emotion in Dogs?

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

In last week’s post about dogs’ responses to petting by familiar and unfamiliar people, we said dogs generally prefer to be petted in certain places, and people don’t always recognize the subtle signals that show when a dog is uncomfortable. This week, we’re looking at a study that investigates whether experience with dogs helps people to recognize canine emotions such as happiness and fear.The internet survey was conducted by Michele Wan and colleagues at Columbia University, New York, ........ Read more »

Wan M, Bolger N, & Champagne FA. (2012) Human perception of fear in dogs varies according to experience with dogs. PloS one, 7(12). PMID: 23284765

January 16, 2013
09:30 AM
275 views

Dogs’ Responses to Affection from Familiar and Unfamiliar People

by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog

When my Siberian husky wants affection, he will come and stand near me. If I don’t respond immediately, he will lick his lips and move closer, possibly leaning on me, until I respond. Sometimes when I start to pet him, he will lick his lips again, but if I take this as a sign that he’d like me to stop, he licks his lips even more and moves closer or paws at me to ask me to start petting again. At some point he will sit, and then lay down and ask for chest rubs. From his perspective, chest ru........ Read more »

Kuhne, F., Hößler, J., & Struwe, R. (2012) Effects of human–dog familiarity on dogs’ behavioural responses to petting. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 142(3-4), 176-181. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2012.10.003

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