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Animals
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Behavior and Welfare of Canids
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Behavior and Welfare of Canids

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Welfare".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (15 September 2024) | Viewed by 21481

Special Issue Editors

Dr. Angélica Vasconcellos

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biological Sciences, Pontifical Catholic University of Minas Gerais, Belo Horizonte 31330-296, Brazil
Interests: animal welfare; canid behavior; stress
Dr. Aline Cristina Sant'Anna

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Zoology, Institute of Biological Sciences, Juiz de Fora Federal University, Juiz de Fora 36036-900, Brazil
Interests: animal welfare; applied ethology; animal temperament; animal personality
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Dr. Cristiano De Azevedo

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Biodiversity, Evolution, and Environment, Federal University of Ouro Preto, Ouro Preto 35400-000, Brazil
Interests: animal welfare; bird behavior; stress; animal conservation

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The interest of society in the welfare of animals is increasing. Animal welfare is intrinsically linked to the efforts animals make to adapt to their environment, and can be evaluated through the assessment of their physiological and/or behavioral coping strategies, i.e., the efforts they make to try to maintain physical and mental homeostasis. Environmental stimuli which surpass the coping capacity of the animals—for example, high levels of noise, or social isolation in a social species—if prolonged or repeated may result in chronic stress and, usually, in poor welfare. Although canids are one of the animal groups most studied nowadays—especially domesticated species, i.e., dogs—these animals still suffer from inadequate environmental conditions and/or interactions with humans. Numerous studies have focused on the profits humans may have from contact with canids; however, few studies have adequately investigated the effects human activities may have on these animals, be they wild or domesticated. Therefore, this Special Issue invites researchers who study the behavior and/or welfare of canids to submit papers to contribute to enlarge the knowledge about the mechanisms and processes related to their welfare.

Dr. Angélica Vasconcellos 
Dr. Aline Sant'Anna
Dr. Cristiano De Azevedo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • behavioral measures
  • cognition
  • dogs
  • human–dog interactions
  • physiological indicators
  • stress

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Published Papers (6 papers)

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Research

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15 pages, 2317 KiB  
Article
Communication as a Tool for Exhibiting Prosocial Behavior in Dogs
by Carolina Generoso, Briseida Resende, Natalia Albuquerque, Michaella P. Andrade and Carine Savalli
Animals 2024, 14(21), 3091; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14213091 - 26 Oct 2024
Viewed by 670
Abstract
Studies suggest that dogs exhibit prosocial behaviors toward humans and can rescue their guardians trapped in a box. We investigated whether dogs could communicate with an experimenter to gain access to a crying actor (the crying condition) who was visible but inaccessible, as [...] Read more.
Studies suggest that dogs exhibit prosocial behaviors toward humans and can rescue their guardians trapped in a box. We investigated whether dogs could communicate with an experimenter to gain access to a crying actor (the crying condition) who was visible but inaccessible, as she remained behind a fence throughout the test, or when she was simply speaking (the neutral condition). This experimenter was positioned to allow access to the actor, and the dog was free to move within the environment. Our findings indicate that dogs alternated their gazes more frequently between the actor and the experimenter, as well as between the actor and the dog’s guardian when the inaccessible actor was crying. Furthermore, the number of gazes at the guardian and the actor, as well as the duration of gazing at the actor, were greater in the crying condition. Dogs also remained closer to the actor during the crying condition. Our results suggest the dog made more communicative signals in the crying condition, bringing to light the possibility that this communication was being used as a tool to exhibit prosocial behaviors toward the actor. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior and Welfare of Canids)
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18 pages, 4262 KiB  
Article
Here Puppy, Chew on This: Short-Term Provision of Toys Does Not Improve Welfare in Companion Dogs
by Kelly Chan, Carol Arellano and Alexandra Horowitz
Animals 2023, 13(21), 3340; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213340 - 27 Oct 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 6731
Abstract
Retail dog toys are often provided to companion animals to provide cognitive and physical stimu- lation and improve the animals’ quality of life. These toys, sometimes known as “enrichment toys”, have been shown to play a role in increasing appetite and activity levels [...] Read more.
Retail dog toys are often provided to companion animals to provide cognitive and physical stimu- lation and improve the animals’ quality of life. These toys, sometimes known as “enrichment toys”, have been shown to play a role in increasing appetite and activity levels and decreasing undesirable behaviors (e.g., barking, self-isolating behaviors) in some domestic dog (Canis familiaris) populations. In this study, we evaluate the effect of toys on appetite, activity levels, and positive affective states as measures of well- being in companion dogs. Behaviors were compared before and after regular interactions with different types of toys over twelve days. We found that provisioning companion dogs with toys did not significantly alter their activity level, rate of food consumption, or cognitive bias. While dogs who received more complex toys showed a slightly improved cognitive bias, there were no significant differences in behaviors be- tween the subjects who received “less complex” toys (e.g., a bone, ball) and “more complex” toys (e.g., puzzle toys). We conclude with reflections on the relevance of our subject population to the result seen, and on the different forms of the cognitive bias test. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior and Welfare of Canids)
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13 pages, 1384 KiB  
Article
Testing the Accuracy of Wearable Technology to Assess Sleep Behaviour in Domestic Dogs: A Prospective Tool for Animal Welfare Assessment in Kennels
by Ivana Gabriela Schork, Isabele Aparecida Manzo, Marcos Roberto Beiral de Oliveira, Fernanda Vieira Costa, Robert John Young and Cristiano Schetini De Azevedo
Animals 2023, 13(9), 1467; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13091467 - 26 Apr 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2996
Abstract
Sleep is a physiological process that has been shown to impact both physical and psychological heath of individuals when compromised; hence, it has the potential to be used as an indicator of animal welfare. Nonetheless, evaluating sleep in non-human species normally involves manipulation [...] Read more.
Sleep is a physiological process that has been shown to impact both physical and psychological heath of individuals when compromised; hence, it has the potential to be used as an indicator of animal welfare. Nonetheless, evaluating sleep in non-human species normally involves manipulation of the subjects (i.e., placement of electrodes on the cranium), and most studies are conducted in a laboratory setting, which limits the generalisability of information obtained, and the species investigated. In this study, we evaluated an alternative method of assessing sleep behaviour in domestic dogs, using a wearable sensor, and compared the measurements obtained to behavioural observations to evaluate accuracy. Differences between methods ranged from 0.13% to 59.3% for diurnal observations and 0.1% to 95.9% for nocturnal observations for point-by-point observations. Comparisons between methods showed significant differences in certain behaviours, such as inactivity and activity for diurnal recordings. However, total activity and total sleep recorded did not differ statistically between methods. Overall, the wearable technology tested was found to be a useful, and a less-time consuming, tool in comparison to direct behavioural observations for the evaluation of behaviours and their indication of wellbeing in dogs. The agreement between the wearable technology and directly observed data ranged from 75% to 99% for recorded behaviours, and these results are similar to previous findings in the literature. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior and Welfare of Canids)
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12 pages, 702 KiB  
Article
Evaluation of Two Practical Tools to Assess Cognitive Impairment in Aged Dogs
by Susana Le Brech, Marta Amat, Déborah Temple and Xavier Manteca
Animals 2022, 12(24), 3538; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12243538 - 15 Dec 2022
Cited by 4 | Viewed by 3196
Abstract
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is the most common cause of cognitive decline in aged dogs. Early diagnosis is crucial because the sooner treatment is implemented, the greater the chance of slowing the progression of the disease. Assessment tools to assess cognitive decline may differ [...] Read more.
Cognitive dysfunction syndrome is the most common cause of cognitive decline in aged dogs. Early diagnosis is crucial because the sooner treatment is implemented, the greater the chance of slowing the progression of the disease. Assessment tools to assess cognitive decline may differ depending on the environment in which the dogs live. The aims of this study were threefold, first, to describe two feasible methods to evaluate cognitive impairment in aged dogs living in different environments: (i) a Canine Cognitive Assessment Scale (CCAS) for dogs living in a home environment and (ii) a practical cognitive test (PCT) potentially useful for dogs not living in a home environment (NHE); second, to assess the effect of age on the outcome of both tools and, finally, to compare the results of the CCAS with those of the PCT. Both methods were found to be practical to perform. Age was found to significantly predict the score obtained by the CCAS (p = 0.0011) and the outcome of the PCT (p = 0.009). However, the reversal phase from the PCT did not significantly predict the outcomes of the CCAS (p = 0.97). Taken together, these findings suggest that the CCAS is a practical method to evaluate age related cognitive changes in owned dogs. The fact that the PCT has not been proven to be related with the CCAS calls into question the use of the PCT as a sensitive tool to assess cognitive impairment. Further studies in this field are suggested. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior and Welfare of Canids)
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Review

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16 pages, 1013 KiB  
Review
How to Measure Human-Dog Interaction in Dog Assisted Interventions? A Scoping Review
by Marta De Santis, Lorena Filugelli, Alberto Mair, Simona Normando, Franco Mutinelli and Laura Contalbrigo
Animals 2024, 14(3), 410; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14030410 - 26 Jan 2024
Viewed by 2079
Abstract
Human-dog interaction is the working tool through which the therapeutic, educational and recreational goals of dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) are achieved. A better understanding of the characteristics of this interaction could improve the effectiveness of DAIs. This scoping review addresses the question: how has [...] Read more.
Human-dog interaction is the working tool through which the therapeutic, educational and recreational goals of dog-assisted interventions (DAIs) are achieved. A better understanding of the characteristics of this interaction could improve the effectiveness of DAIs. This scoping review addresses the question: how has the human-dog connection been measured in the context of DAIs? After searching the Web of Science and Scopus platforms, only peer-reviewed, primary research studies reporting measures of therapy dog-human interaction, relationship and bond were included. A total of 70 included articles provided information on what was measured (interaction, relationship or bond) and how, as well as the general context (DAIs or experimental situations with therapy dogs). While the majority of the articles identified use behavioural analysis methods to analyse the interaction between the participant/recipient and the therapy dog during DAIs, it was possible to identify some more structured tools that assess the participant/recipient’s interaction, relationship or bond with the therapy dog, as well as tools that consider the animal’s perspective or focus on the dog-handler dyad, indicating growing areas of research. The tools and methods identified can be used by both practitioners and researchers to further explore aspects of human-dog interaction in the field of DAIs. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior and Welfare of Canids)
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18 pages, 951 KiB  
Review
Wolf–Dog–Human: Companionship Based on Common Social Tools
by Kurt Kotrschal
Animals 2023, 13(17), 2729; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13172729 - 28 Aug 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 4773
Abstract
Wolves, dogs and humans share extremely social and cooperative minds. These similarities are rooted in phylogenetic homology and in the convergence of neuronal and physiological mechanisms, particularly the brain, in the functioning and communication of basic affects and in the mechanisms of stress [...] Read more.
Wolves, dogs and humans share extremely social and cooperative minds. These similarities are rooted in phylogenetic homology and in the convergence of neuronal and physiological mechanisms, particularly the brain, in the functioning and communication of basic affects and in the mechanisms of stress and calming. The domesticated wolves called dogs are particularly close companion animals. Both Palaeolithic humans and wolves were hypercursorial hunters, cooperating in complex and prosocial ways within their clans with respect to hunting, raising offspring, and defending against conspecific and heterospecific competitors and predators. These eco-social parallels have shaped the development of similar social mindsets in wolves and humans. Over the millennia of domestication, this social match was fine-tuned, resulting in the socio-cognitive specialists humans and dogs, possessing amazingly similar social brains and minds. Therefore, it can be concluded that the quality of their relationships with their human masters is a major factor in the wellbeing, welfare and even health of dogs, as well as in the wellbeing of their human partners. Based on their strikingly similar social brains and physiologies, it can be further concluded that anthropomorphically applying human empathy to dogs in an educated manner may not be as inappropriate as previously thought. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Behavior and Welfare of Canids)
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