Influence of Sex of Stranger on Responses of Shelter Dogs during Canine Behavioral Evaluations

Abstract

In many situations, domestic dogs display greater uneasiness with unfamiliar men than unfamiliar women. However, little is known about whether the sex of an unfamiliar person is a risk factor for stranger-directed aggression, especially with respect to behaviors less intense than biting. We analyzed data collected by behavioral staff over a 27-month period (n = 283 dogs) at a New York shelter to determine whether the sex of an unfamiliar person influenced behaviors assessed during the Stranger test of the canine behavioral evaluation. Scores ranged from 1 (calm and friendly) to 5 (will not approach stranger or unsafe to allow an approach). No concerning behaviors (scores 1–3) were assessed for 19.2% of 26 undersocialized dogs from one home and 89.9% of the remaining 257 dogs. Within the group of 257, those tested with a male stranger had significantly higher scores than those tested with a female stranger; the effect size was small to moderate. Thus, we found that dogs responded differently to male and female strangers during this testing situation, but from a practical standpoint, our findings do not warrant adjustments in how shelters conduct or interpret tests for stranger-directed aggression. Our findings also highlight the importance of early exposure to different people and situations for dogs.

Influence of Walker Sex and Familiarity on Scent-Marking Behavior of Juvenile and Mature Shelter Dogs

“…However, both male and female dogs were less likely to defecate when walked by an unfamiliar man than by an unfamiliar woman. Previous studies of dogs in kennels, shelters, and guide dog programs also reported behavioral responses consistent with greater unease in dogs exposed to an unfamiliar man than an unfamiliar woman (e.g., less time spent near, more time spent barking at, more time with tail in the low position, more frequent lip-licking, and presence of warning behaviors such as growling and raised hackles [32][33][34][35][36][37]). Thus, based on previous scent-marking studies and other studies that assessed a wide range of different behaviors, we interpreted the behavioral differences we observed in scent-marking in our previous study [31] to reflect greater unease with unfamiliar men than unfamiliar women.…”

“…As before, we interpret the reduced rates of urination by mature male dogs to reflect greater uneasiness with unfamiliar men than with unfamiliar women. A pattern of greater unease with unfamiliar men, sometimes displayed by both male and female dogs, has been reported in several studies using diverse behavioral measures, which included less time spent near, more time spent barking at, more time with tail in the low position, more frequent lip-licking, and the presence of warning behaviors such as raising hackles and growling [32][33][34][35][36][37]. Additionally, the urinary behavior of male dogs-both posture and rate of urination-appears generally sensitive to fearful or stressful conditions [24][25][26]31].…”

“…As mentioned, we could find no reports of age-related differences in the response to an unfamiliar man as compared to an unfamiliar woman; this is because most previous studies used either mature dogs only [32][33][34][35] or mostly mature dogs (94 of 111 dogs studied) and did not examine the effects of age [36] or did not examine the interaction between the age of the dog and sex of the stranger [37]. However, there are data indicating that reactivity toward unfamiliar humans (not differentiated by sex) increases with age in dogs.…”

Cross-sectional survey exploring current intake practices for dogs admitted to animal shelters in Texas: a descriptive study

“…There are many factors that can contribute to fear and aggression during examinations. These include exposure to novel environments ( 5 , 10 ) and people ( 11 ), separation from owner or familiar caregiver ( 9 ), unfamiliar handling, and previous negative handling experiences resulting in pain and/or stress ( 6 ). Intake exams in animal shelters could pose similar risks of increased fear and/or stress to shelter animals.…”