Is noise reactivity reflected in auditory response variables, including those that measure cognition, in dogs? Initial findings

Scheifele, Peter M.; Sonstrom, Kristine E.; Dunham, Arthur E.; Overall, Karen L.

doi:10.1016/j.jveb.2016.09.002

Cited by 20 publications

(5 citation statements)

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“…Behavioral signs of fear and anxiety in response to household noises were also reported by dog owners in the survey data, particularly when the sound was loud/infrequent ( Tables 3 , 4 ), although our brief survey did not enable detailed analyses of differences between the types of behavioral reactions associated with specific sound sources. While some of the behaviors recorded in the videos (e.g., barking, lunging, jumping on owner) can reflect other canine emotions such as excitement, many of the behaviors seen (e.g., trembling, panting, retreating from the sound source) are commonly associated with noise phobias ( 29 ) and are likely to reflect distress in these videos, given the context in which the behaviors were seen. Our Hypothesis 1 was supported by our data: certain types of household noises do cause marked fear in some dogs, and future research into the true prevalence of this issue, and the associated welfare issues, is warranted.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress-Related Behaviors in Companion Dogs Exposed to Common Household Noises, and Owners' Interpretations of Their Dogs' Behaviors

et al. 2021

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Sudden, loud noises are one of the most common triggers for fearful behaviors in dogs, and many companion dogs suffer from noise sensitivity. Existing research focuses on dramatic infrequent sounds (e.g., thunderstorms, fireworks). Anecdotally, and based on reports of undesirable behaviors in response to noises in the home, many common household noises may also be causing fear and anxiety in companion dogs. However, these responses have not yet been studied in home environments. We surveyed 386 dog owners about their dogs' responses to household sounds, and recorded dog behaviors and human reactions from 62 videos and compilations available on an online video sharing platform, featuring dogs reacting to common household noises. Numerous signs of canine fear and anxiety were reported by survey respondents and observed in the videos, in response to both daily, and irregular but “normal,” household noises. Responses were significantly stronger to sounds characterized as high frequency intermittent than to sounds characterized as low frequency continuous. Respondents appeared to underestimate their dogs' fearfulness, and the majority of humans in the videos responded to their dogs' behaviors with amusement; welfare concerns were rarely expressed. While these videos cannot be used to calculate actual prevalence of these issues, our data support that some owners are underestimating fearfulness in their dogs in response to household noises, and responding inappropriately to dogs' expressions of fear and anxiety. Better education is required for dog owners to accurately interpret canine body language, to both safeguard dogs' welfare and minimize development of anxiety-related behavior problems.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Stress-Related Behaviors in Companion Dogs Exposed to Common Household Noises, and Owners' Interpretations of Their Dogs' Behaviors

et al. 2021

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“…However, while panic disorder does not have a specific focus of fear, NS does, which composes a marked difference between the two disorders. A recent study suggested a slight change in the auditory response in NS-affected dogs 48 , and other animal models have supported a link between noise-induced or genetic hearing loss and loudness intolerance 25,49 . It has also been proposed that dogs with NS might feel pain as a result of loud noise 50 and many symptoms of NS do resemble the way dogs react to pain 16 .…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Two novel genomic regions associated with fearfulness in dogs overlap human neuropsychiatric loci

et al. 2019

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Anxiety disorders are among the leading health issues in human medicine. The complex phenotypic and allelic nature of these traits as well as the challenge of establishing reliable measures of the heritable component of behaviour from the associated environmental factors hampers progress in their molecular aetiology. Dogs exhibit large natural variation in fearful and anxious behaviour and could facilitate progress in the molecular aetiology due to their unique genetic architecture. We have performed a genome-wide association study with a canine high-density SNP array in a cohort of 330 German Shepherds for two phenotypes, fear of loud noises (noise sensitivity) and fear of strangers or in novel situations. Genome-widely significant loci were discovered for the traits on chromosomes 20 and 7, respectively. The regions overlap human neuropsychiatric loci, including 18p11.2, with physiologically relevant candidate genes that contribute to glutamatergic and dopaminergic neurotransmission in the brain. In addition, the noise-sensitivity locus includes hearing-related candidate genes. These results indicate a genetic contribution for canine fear and suggest a shared molecular aetiology of anxiety across species. Further characterisation of the identified loci will pave the way to molecular understanding of the conditions as a prerequisite for improved therapy.

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“…In veterinary behavioural medicine there are currently several potential differential diagnoses which might be considered in response to trauma: fearful avoidance behaviour [106], fear aggression [107], generalised anxiety disorder [108], panic disorder [109], PTSD [110], PTS-like disorder [99,111], phobias [112], and also some compulsive disorders [113]. Differentiation between these conditions can be very difficult, and various researchers and clinicians may favour one over the other for a variety of reasons.…”

Section: Application Of a Trauma-informed Care Approach In Dogsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Potential Benefits of a ‘Trauma-Informed Care’ Approach to Improve the Assessment and Management of Dogs Presented with Anxiety Disorders

Corridan,

Dawson,

Mullan

2024

Animals

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Dog caregiver reporting on the spectrum of fearful–aggressive behaviours often describes ‘unpredictable’ or ‘exaggerated’ responses to a situation/animal/person. A possible explanation for these behavioural responses considers that the dog is reacting to triggered memories for which the dog has a negative association. For many dogs undergoing veterinary behavioural treatment or rehabilitation through a canine rescue organisation, the assessing clinician relies on “proxy” reporting of the history/background by a caregiver (dog owner, foster carer, or shelter personnel). Detailed information on the event or circumstances resulting in this negative association may be limited or absent altogether. Consideration of a trauma-informed care (TIC) approach, currently applied in a wide range of human psychology and social care fields, may be helpful in guiding the clinical approach taken. The literature relating to adverse early experience (AEE) and trauma-informed care (TIC) in puppies/dogs compared to children/adults was evaluated to identify common themes and conclusions identified across both species. In the absence of known/identifiable trauma, behavioural assessment and management should consider that a ‘problem’ dog may behave as it does, as the result of previous trauma. The dog can then be viewed through a lens of empathy and understanding, often lacking for dogs presenting with impulsive, reactive, or aggressive behaviours. Assessment must avoid re-traumatising the animal through exposure to triggering stimuli and, treatment options should include counselling of caregivers on the impact of adverse early experiences, consideration of the window of tolerance, and TIC behavioural modification techniques.

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Is noise reactivity reflected in auditory response variables, including those that measure cognition, in dogs? Initial findings

Abstract: The publisher regrets that this article has been temporarily removed. A replacement will appear as soon as possible in which the reason for the removal of the article will be specified, or the article will be reinstated.

Cited by 20 publications

References 50 publications

Stress-Related Behaviors in Companion Dogs Exposed to Common Household Noises, and Owners' Interpretations of Their Dogs' Behaviors

Stress-Related Behaviors in Companion Dogs Exposed to Common Household Noises, and Owners' Interpretations of Their Dogs' Behaviors

Two novel genomic regions associated with fearfulness in dogs overlap human neuropsychiatric loci

Potential Benefits of a ‘Trauma-Informed Care’ Approach to Improve the Assessment and Management of Dogs Presented with Anxiety Disorders

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