Risk factors associated with stranger-directed aggression in domestic dogs

Flint, Hannah E.; Coe, Jason B.; Serpell, James A.; Pearl, David L.; Niel, Lee

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2017.08.007

Cited by 48 publications

(51 citation statements)

References 49 publications

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“…Aggression toward human family members was most common in Miniature Schnauzers and Lagotto Romagnolos. Our results agree with previous studies both in total aggression 9,13 and in the subtraits, aggression toward strangers [36][37][38]45 and aggression towards family members 16,37 . Separation related behaviour was most common in mixed breed dogs and Wheaten Terriers.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

“…However, when comparing the risk ratios in comorbid traits, the largest risk ratios were seen between separation related behaviour, hyperactivity/impulsivity, inattention and compulsive behaviour, and between fear and aggression. Fearful dogs were 3.2 times more often aggressive than non-fearful dogs, a relationship found in previous studies as well 9,13,16,38 . This indicates that aggression is commonly motivated by fear.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

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Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs

Salonen

Sulkama

Mikkola

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

106

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Behaviour problems and anxieties in dogs decrease their quality of life and may lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. Considering the large number of pet dogs and the commonness of these problematic behaviours, a better understanding of the epidemiology and related molecular and environmental factors is needed. We have here studied the prevalence, comorbidity, and breed specificity of seven canine anxiety-like traits: noise sensitivity, fearfulness, fear of surfaces and heights, inattention/ impulsivity, compulsion, separation related behaviour and aggression with an online behaviour questionnaire answered by dog owners. Our results show that noise sensitivity is the most common anxiety-related trait with a prevalence of 32% in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Due to the high prevalence of noise sensitivity and fear, they were the most common comorbidities. However, when comparing the relative risk, the largest risk ratios were seen between hyperactivity/inattention, separation related behaviour and compulsion, and between fear and aggression. Furthermore, dog breeds showed large differences in prevalence of all anxiety-related traits, suggesting a strong genetic contribution. As a result, selective breeding focusing on behaviour may reduce the prevalence of canine anxieties. Anxious animals may suffer from chronic stress and thus, modified breeding policies could improve the welfare of our companion dogs.Problematic behaviours can be a threat to dog welfare. Anxious dogs may be more vulnerable to diseases and show decreased lifespan 1 . Satisfaction with the dog's behaviour may increase attachment to the dog 2 and problematic behaviours, especially aggressiveness, destructiveness, fearfulness and hyperactivity are a common reason for relinquishment to shelters 3,4 . Problematic behaviours can even lead to euthanasia at a young age 5,6 . Behaviour problems, especially aggressiveness, may be public health concerns 7 . Some of these behaviour problems have been suggested to be analogous, or possibly even homologous to human anxiety disorders 8 , and the study of these spontaneous behaviour problems arising in a shared environment with people may reveal important biological factors underlying many psychiatric conditions. For example, canine compulsive disorder resembles human OCD on both phenotypic and neurochemical level 8 .Behaviour problems are common in our companion canines 9 . The most common reported behaviour problems include excessive barking, inappropriate elimination, destructiveness, aggression and fearfulness 6,10-13 . The prevalence of noise sensitivity in previous studies has varied between 20% and 50% [14][15][16][17][18] . Around 20-25% of dogs show fearfulness of strangers, dogs or situations 15,16 and separation anxiety occurs in 14-20% of dogs 15,16,19 . Furthermore, comorbidity between noise sensitivity and separation anxiety has also been observed 15,20 .Behaviour has a major genetic component [21][22][23][24][25][26][27] and many traits are both phenotypically and genetically correlated 22 . For examp...

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Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 80%

Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs

Salonen

Sulkama

Mikkola

et al. 2020

Sci Rep

106

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“…The current study adds to previous studies findings that there are breed and sex specific differences in behavior, behavioral development and heritability of traits in dogs (25,26,29,44). The lack of personality differences found in dogs of different reproductive status in the current study could be because previous studies have found differential effects of neutering on the behavior of males and females [e.g., (90,107)]. Therefore, future studies should specifically examine sex-neuter status interactions.…”

Section: Discussionsupporting

confidence: 53%

Cross-Sectional Age Differences in Canine Personality Traits; Influence of Breed, Sex, Previous Trauma, and Dog Obedience Tasks

2020

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The dog has been suggested as a possible model for personality development over the lifespan, however, we know little about how aging may shape their personality or the magnitude of age-related changes. Previously we established that aging influences multiple dog demographics, which could also affect how personality traits change across different age periods. A demographic questionnaire and the Dog Personality Questionnaire were completed for a cross-sectional sample of 1,207 adult dogs living in Hungary (M age = 7.71, SD = 4.12), split into six different age groups. Results revealed three of the five factors showed significant age effects. Activity/Excitability decreased with age, and whilst Responsiveness to training also decreased, only dogs older than 12 years differed significantly from the other groups. Aggressiveness toward animals showed a quadratic trajectory peaking in dogs aged 6-10 years. The greatest magnitude of age-related change was detected between late senior and geriatric ages, likely caused by compensatory behavioral changes to biological aging and owner attitudes to aging. When the models were re-run including the other explanatory variables, age group was no longer significant for the Responsiveness to training trait. The amount of time spent interacting/playing with the owner partially mediated the relationship between age and this trait, implying that interventions to increase play and training motivation may alleviate the negative effects of aging on dogs' trainability. Fifteen out of 28 explanatory variables were significantly associated with at least one of the five factors [weight, breed (pure/mixed breed), sex, off-leash activity, diet, previous trauma, age of dog when arrived in the household, play, dog training activities, number of known commands and dog obedience tasks]. Similarly to humans, dogs that had previously experienced trauma scored higher in fearfulness and aggression. A higher level of basic obedience was linked to some desirable dog personality traits (lower Fearfulness and Aggression, and higher Activity/Excitability and Responsiveness to training). Regardless of the direction of this relationship, obedience is an important aspect contributing to dog personality questionnaires and the dog-owner relationship. This study is unique in that it considered a wide variety of demographic variables which are influenced by aging.

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“…As a result, the dog may perceive a lack of consistent responsiveness to its needs as an indication that it cannot use its owner as a secure base, as it was previously suggested that owners can represent a secure base for their dogs [57], especially in a threatening situation [36,58]. This might evoke fear in dogs, which is one of the most common motivations for aggressive behavior [10]. Security gained from a caregiver may reduce or eliminate the level of fear in dogs.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Nowadays, whilst many still play an important role as working dogs [3][4][5][6], the most common reason for owning a dog is companionship [7]. Despite the fact that the role of pet dogs in Western cultures has been elevated to the status of a family member [8], there are several factors that can negatively affect the quality of the dog-human bond, with aggression being the most serious [9,10]. Aggressive behavior of dogs is expressed as aggressive biting, by snapping or attacking, and aggressive threatening, by growling, barking and baring their teeth [11].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Dogs’ Sociability, Owners’ Neuroticism and Attachment Style to Pets as Predictors of Dog Aggression

Gobbo

Zupan

2020

Animals

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A dog’s aggressive behavior is influenced by external and internal factors, including its psychological profile. In this study, dogs’ and owners’ personalities and the owners’ attachment style to their dogs were identified and associated with owner-reported dog aggression towards humans and animals. Forty Slovenian owners participated with their dogs, of different breeds and aggression history, sorted into three groups (non-aggressive dogs, dogs aggressive towards humans, and dogs aggressive towards animals). The owners filled out three separate questionnaires that assessed dog aggression history towards different targets, owner’s personality and degree of insecure attachment styles to dogs; namely anxious and avoidant attachment. Dog personality was characterized using a standardized dog mentality assessment test, during which the dog was exposed to nine tasks, performed outside, and dogs were scored based on behaviors they exhibited. The results indicated that dogs which were aggressive towards humans were less sociable than non-aggressive dogs and this was associated with the higher neuroticism scores of their owners. We also found that dogs which were aggressive towards strangers had owners with lower scores for anxious attachment and that dogs which were aggressive towards owners had owners with higher scores for avoidant attachment. These results imply that the psychological profiles of both a dog and its owner influence dog aggression towards humans.

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Risk factors associated with stranger-directed aggression in domestic dogs

Cited by 48 publications

References 49 publications

Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs

Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs

Cross-Sectional Age Differences in Canine Personality Traits; Influence of Breed, Sex, Previous Trauma, and Dog Obedience Tasks

Dogs’ Sociability, Owners’ Neuroticism and Attachment Style to Pets as Predictors of Dog Aggression

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