Appeasement signals used by dogs during dog–human communication

Firnkes, Angelika; Bartels, Angela; Erhard, Michael

doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.12.012

Cited by 48 publications

(53 citation statements)

References 29 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…While the ears flattener and the ears rotator can only be distinguished in dog with upright ears but not those with floppy ears 43 , it is a possibility that it is the backwards rotation of the ears that is most consistently associated with non-social fear at least in dogs with erect ears. Nonetheless, while fear of fireworks appears to be reliably associated with backwards-directed ears (as measured at the base of the ears), this is only one of several contexts where this expression may be observed; for example, backwards-directed ears are also shown during frustration 5 , as well as in affiliative greeting situations during active submission 54 . Future studies could investigate subtle differences in ear position and associated contexts in more detail.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

See 1 more Smart Citation

Fear expressions of dogs during New Year fireworks: a video analysis

Gähwiler

Bremhorst

Tóth

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

A high proportion of pet dogs show fear-related behavioural problems, with noise fears being most prevalent. Nonetheless, few studies have objectively evaluated fear expression in this species. Using owner-provided video recordings, we coded behavioural expressions of pet dogs during a real-life firework situation at New Year’s Eve and compared them to behaviour of the same dogs on a different evening without fireworks (control condition), using Wilcoxon signed ranks tests. A backwards-directed ear position, measured at the base of the ear, was most strongly associated with the fireworks condition (effect size: Cohen’s d = 0.69). Durations of locomotion (d = 0.54) and panting (d = 0.45) were also higher during fireworks than during the control condition. Vocalisations (d = 0.40), blinking (d = 0.37), and hiding (d = 0.37) were increased during fireworks, but this was not significant after sequential Bonferroni correction. This could possibly be attributed to the high inter-individual variability in the frequency of blinking and the majority of subjects not vocalising or hiding at all. Thus, individual differences must be taken into account when aiming to assess an individual’s level of fear, as relevant measures may not be the same for all individuals. Firework exposure was not associated with an elevated rate of other so-called ‘stress signals’, lip licking and yawning.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 94%

“…Alternatively, they might play a role in social communication. Lip licking and yawning have been considered to function as appeasement signals both inter 54 -and intraspecifically 70 , and lip licking appears to be shown in situations of mild social threat (but less so during severe threats) 54 , as well as in greeting situations 54,71,72 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Fear expressions of dogs during New Year fireworks: a video analysis

Gähwiler

Bremhorst

Tóth

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…When these signs are ignored or misinterpreted, the pet may use other strategies, including aggression [( 71 – 73 ); see also Mariti et al ( 74 ) for a first systematic empirical investigation of such behaviors in dogs]. Recent studies have shown further evidence that dogs show signals like licking of lips and looking away as appeasement signals in dog-human communication [( 75 ); see also ( 76 )].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Teaching Children and Parents to Understand Dog Signaling

2018

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Safe human-dog relationships require understanding of dogs' signaling. As children are at particularly high risk of dog bites, we investigated longitudinally how children from 3 to 5 years and parents perceive and interpret dogs' distress signaling gestures. All participants were then taught how to link their perception of the dog with the correct interpretation of dogs' behavioral signals and tested again. Results show a significant increase in learning for children and adults, with them showing greater understanding of dogs' signaling after intervention. Better learning effects were found with increasing age and depended on the type of distress signaling of the dogs. Effects endured over time and it can be concluded that children and adults can be taught to interpret dogs' distress signaling more correctly. Awareness and recognition of dogs' stress signaling can be seen as an important first step in understanding the dog's perspective and are vital to enable safe interactions.

show abstract

“…In contrast to our predictions, post-treatment levels of lip licking were higher for dogs in the training group compared to dogs in the control group. Lip licking has been discussed as an appeasement signal displayed by dogs in response to a threatening stranger [39], to handling [27,28], as well as a sign of acute stress in response to unpredictable stimuli within a social setting [33], and to an examination [8,11,40]. Thus, the current results might indicate that fear levels were higher in the dogs in the training group.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 79%

Effect of a Standardized Four-Week Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning Training Program on Pre-Existing Veterinary Fear in Companion Dogs

Stellato

Jajou

Dewey

et al. 2019

Animals

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Simple SummaryReducing veterinary fear in dogs is important for canine health and welfare. It is commonly suggested that dog owners perform counter-conditioning and desensitization training to reduce veterinary fear levels, yet the efficacy of this training has not been evaluated. We recruited owned dogs with pre-existing fear and conducted mock veterinary appointments before and after training to assess changes in fear responses. Owners of dogs in the training group (n = 15) were instructed to perform exam-style handling and to visit the veterinary clinic on a weekly basis for four weeks, and owners of control dogs (n = 22) received no instructions. Compliance to training protocols was poor, with 44% of owners non-compliant to the training program. We found that, during the examination, trained dogs had less reduced posture than control dogs, but trained dogs showed more lip licking during clinic entrance and examination. Owners reported an observable improvement in their dog’s fear levels across the training sessions, and general fear scores lowered during the second examination for trained dogs. We suggest that, although few behavioural indicators of fear changed in the predicted direction, veterinarians should continue to recommend this training until further research is conducted.AbstractMany dogs show signs of fear during veterinary appointments. It is widely recommended to use desensitization and counter-conditioning training to reduce this fear. However, the efficacy of this method for reducing veterinary fear has not been examined. We assessed the effect of a standardized four-week training program on behavioural and physiological signs of fear in dogs with pre-existing veterinary fear. Owned dogs were randomly allocated to receive training (n = 15) or no training (n = 22; Control). Owners of dogs in the training group were instructed to perform exam-style handling on their dog and to visit the veterinary clinic weekly. Owners of control dogs were given no instructions. Fear responses were assessed before and after the training period by a blinded observer during clinic arrival and examination. Despite motivated owners volunteering to participate in the current study, 44% of owners were non-compliant to this training program. During examination, control dogs had higher odds (95% confidence Interval (CI)) of reduced posture compared to trained dogs (Odds ratio (OR): 3.79, CI: 1.03–16.3). Fear scores for trained dogs lowered during the second examination (p = 0.046), and 86.7% of dog owners reported a reduction in their dog’s fear levels across the training period (p = 0.007). When entering the clinic (p = 0.002) and during examination (p = 0.002), trained female dogs had a higher rate of lip licking than control females. The training program did not influence temperature, heart rate, respiratory rate, avoidance, trembling, vocalizations, or willingness and encouragement to step on the scale. Results suggest that this four-week training program was mildly effective at reducing veterinary fear in dogs. Furth...

show abstract

Appeasement signals used by dogs during dog–human communication

Cited by 48 publications

References 29 publications

Fear expressions of dogs during New Year fireworks: a video analysis

Fear expressions of dogs during New Year fireworks: a video analysis

Teaching Children and Parents to Understand Dog Signaling

Effect of a Standardized Four-Week Desensitization and Counter-Conditioning Training Program on Pre-Existing Veterinary Fear in Companion Dogs

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About