A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of firework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris)

Levine, Emily D.; Ramos, Daniela; Mills, Daniel S.

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2006.11.006

Cited by 75 publications

(86 citation statements)

References 9 publications

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“…Ultimately, it is the owner's impression of improvement that will dictate if a treatment is deemed useful (Levine et al 2007). However, as with any retrospective study, the results from the study presented here should be viewed with some caution as they relied on owners' recollections, sometimes over a number of years.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

“…Recent studies have utilised owners' assessments as the primary source of information regarding behavioural problems (GunnMoore and Cameron 2004; Levine et al 2007;Cracknell and Mills 2008), and it is thought to be the best way to estimate the actual prevalence of behavioural problems in companion animals (Fatjo et al 2006). Ultimately, it is the owner's impression of improvement that will dictate if a treatment is deemed useful (Levine et al 2007).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Overall 2002). Contrary to this, some owners fi nd the use of even appropriate medications unacceptable, and the use of dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP; Ceva Santé Animale, Libourne Cedex, France) (Levine et al 2007;Levine and Mills 2008), herbal preparations, Bach fl ower remedies and homeopathic treatments (Cracknell and Mills 2008) have all been considered.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Generic treatments, such as desensitisation programmes, for fear of noises are widely available (Cracknell and Mills 2008). Typically, fear of noises is resolved using a system of desensitisation and counter-conditioning Levine et al 2007;Levine and Mills 2008). The animal is gradually exposed to increasing volumes of the trigger stimuli, usually in association with some form of reward, ensuring a fear response is not elicited at any level (Overall 2002).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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A survey of owners' perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of dogs and cats in New Zealand

Dale¹,

Walker²,

Farnworth³

et al. 2010

New Zealand Veterinary Journal

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AIMS:To establish reliable information regarding the behavioural responses of dogs and cats to fi reworks in New Zealand; record interventions used by owners, and their perceived effi cacies; and establish the prevalence of fi rework-related injury, and quantify owners' attitudes towards fi reworks. METHODS: CONCLUSIONS:The results provide valuable information that is, as yet, unsubstantiated in New Zealand, although potential biases exist due to the non-random selection of respondents. Differences between dogs and cats were likely due to differing responses to fear-provoking stimuli between the species. Owner-reported increase in fearful response over time for comforted animals may indicate a negative impact on the longer-term psychological welfare of their animal. CLINICAL RELEVANCE:The greater the awareness of effective treatment plans for animals that suffer from a fear of fi reworks, the greater the possibility that this fear can be reduced.Wider dissemination of effective owner behaviour and treatment programmes for fi rework fears is needed to improve levels of professional treatment for dogs and cats.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 74%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

A survey of owners' perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of dogs and cats in New Zealand

Dale¹,

Walker²,

Farnworth³

et al. 2010

New Zealand Veterinary Journal

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“…Such investigations may lead to some dogs ending their working career, but many dogs may be able to continue working much longer than if they were untreated. Behavior modification programs based on desensitization and counterconditioning (e.g., Levine et al, 2007), a combination of presenting an animal with the fear-eliciting stimulus at an initially low level, and positively rewarding the animal for showing an alternative (calm) response to that shown previously, are vital.…”

Section: Treatmentmentioning

confidence: 99%

Minimizing fear and anxiety in working dogs: A review

Rooney

Clark

Casey

2016

Journal of Veterinary Behavior

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The causes of fear and anxiety in working dogs are multifactorial and may include inherited characteristics that differ between individuals (e.g. Goddard and Beilharz, 1982; 1984a,b), influences of the environment (Lefebvre et al., 2007), and learned experiences during particular sensitive periods (Appleby et al., 2002) and throughout life. Fear-related behavior compromises performance, leads to significant numbers of dogs failing to complete training (e.g., Murphy, 1995;Batt et al., 2008), early withdrawals from working roles (Caron-Lormier et al., 2016), and can jeopardize dog and handler safety. Hence, amelioration of fear and anxiety is critical to maintain dogs in working roles and to ensure their well-being. Although current methods of selection and training are seemingly effective at producing many dogs which work in a remarkable array of environments, some dogs do not make the grade, and longevity of service is not always maximized. Programs should strive for optimal efficiency and they need to continually analyze the value of each component of their program, seek evidence for its value and explore potential evidence-based improvements. Here we discuss scientific evidence for methods and strategies which may be of value in reducing the risk of fear behaviors developing in the working dog population and suggest potentially valuable techniques and future research to explore the benefit of these approaches. The importance of environmental influences, learning opportunities, and effects of underlying temperament on the outward expression of fear and anxiety should not be underestimated. Identification of characteristics which predict resilience to stress are valuable, both to enable careful breeding for these traits and to develop predictive tests for puppies and procured animals. It is vitally important to rear animals in optimal environments and introduce them to a range of stimuli in a positive, controlled, and gradual way, as these can all help minimize the number of dogs which develop workinhibiting fears. Future research should explore innovative methods to best measure the relative resilience of dogs to stressful events. This could include developing optimal exposure protocols to minimize the development of fear and anxiety, and exploring the influence of social learning and the most effective elements of stimulus presentation.

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