Applied Animal Behaviour Science最新文献

{"title":"Interaction with enrichment objects depends on color and increases after feeding in some elasmobranchs but not others","authors":"A.B. Smith ,&nbsp;J. Landesman ,&nbsp;L. Williamson ,&nbsp;P.Y. Sun","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106829","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106829","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Environmental enrichment is important for the long-term wellbeing of captive organisms and is an understudied topic in aquatic taxa, particularly ectothermic organisms such as elasmobranchs. This study examines how individual elasmobranchs use environmental enrichment objects before and after feeding. The species included were <em>Heterodontus francisci</em> (horn shark)<em>, Cephaloscyllium ventriosum</em> (swell shark), <em>Triakis semifasciata</em> (leopard sharks) and <em>Caliraja inornata</em> (California skate). Results indicate that interaction peaks post-feeding with animals interacting with objects that have a different color relative to the surrounding environment. Interaction frequency is highest after feeding following an initial lag phase, particularly for <em>T. semifasciata</em>. These data suggest that environmental enrichment should take into account the optical range of elasmobranchs as well as timing of when enrichment objects are introduced to increase enrichment efficacy.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106829"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-10-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216503","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"An adapted Qualitative Behavioural Assessment of dogs’ facial expressions of fear and frustration","authors":"Beverley M. Wilson ,&nbsp;Catia Correia-Caeiro ,&nbsp;Daniel S. Mills","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106828","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106828","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Qualitative Behavioural Assessment (QBA) involves the quantification of people’s holistic interpretations of the style and quality of movement and has been used to assess the emotional states of many species, including dogs. Faces are a rich source of emotional expression, but there is enormous variability in dog facial morphology limiting the potential to use standardised anatomically-based descriptions across breeds. However, we hypothesise that style of movement in relation to emotion may be consistent and detectable by humans, by focusing on the face and irrespective of the morphological differences that occur in dogs. We aimed to see whether we could use an adapted form of Free Choice Profiling QBA (aFCP-QBA) where participants concentrated on the face of the dog, to reveal qualitative discriminations of fear and frustration. Twenty-two behaviourists were asked to describe using a aFCP-QBA methodology (i.e. using their own descriptors adjectives) the facial expressions of 5 fear and 5 frustration videos from a previously validated dataset of videos. They were blind to the video’s previous validation of their emotional content. Forty-nine adjectival descriptors were generated and Generalised Procrustes Analysis demonstrated significant inter-observer reliability (55 %, p &lt; 0.01) suggesting congruence in the description of facial emotions using our aFCP-QBA. Three Principal Components explaining 61 % of data variance were extracted and appeared to represent expressions of arousal, anticipation and valence. Participants generally assigned the videos to two groups consistent with our <em>a priori</em> emotional classification, suggesting they discriminated the two different emotions. There was good consensus for the emotional content of the fear videos, with similar adjectives used by participants. For the frustration videos, participants agreed that these videos differed from the fear videos (as they were separated by arousal, anticipation and valence) but the consensus profile of the adjectives was weaker. Participants also rated the videos using four visual analogue scales (VAS) relating to the level of fear, frustration, happiness and positive anticipation expressed by the dogs. Fear videos were rated significantly higher on fear (Friedman Chi-square 184.67, p &lt; 0.01), and frustration videos were rated significantly higher for frustration (Friedman Chi-square 161.80, p &lt; 0.01). This provides convergent validity for each of the two emotional expressions revealed by the aFCP-QBA. These results indicate that humans may identify the emotional state of dogs using holistic evaluations of the style when asked to concentrate on the facial expressions of dogs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106828"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216505","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Straight from the horse's mouth: Changes in salivary oxytocin, cortisol and behaviour in horses interacting with unfamiliar humans","authors":"Chantal Maria Kapteijn ,&nbsp;Claudia Maureen Vinke ,&nbsp;Hein van Lith ,&nbsp;Nienke Endenburg ,&nbsp;T. Bas Rodenburg ,&nbsp;Jean-Loup Rault","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106826","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106826","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Human-horse interactions can have positive outcomes for humans, but not much is known about their effects on horses. As horses are increasingly used for equine-assisted interactions and many horses interact with unfamiliar humans on a daily basis, there is a need to study how interactions with unfamiliar humans affect horses. Salivary oxytocin and cortisol in combination with behavioural parameters are useful for assessing the effects of human-horse interactions on equine stress and welfare. This study investigated the effects of 10 min of standardized, affiliative interactions with two unfamiliar humans on salivary cortisol and oxytocin concentrations in 18 riding school horses related to their behaviour. Interactions were limited between 10:00–15:00 to avoid circadian effects. Pre- and post-interaction saliva samples were taken from the humans and the horses before and immediately after the interactions with an average sample interval of 20.7 ± 0.6 min and concentrations were determined through ELISA. Behavioural parameters included standing in voluntary proximity, receiving physical contact, nose touching, sniffing in relation to oxytocin and locomotion, chewing, licking, and head shaking related to cortisol. In humans, descriptive statistics indicated that the salivary oxytocin and cortisol concentrations were similar pre- and post interaction. In horses, a linear mixed model showed no significant differences in salivary oxytocin and cortisol concentrations when comparing pre- and post-interaction samples. Salivary oxytocin in horses was not significantly affected by voluntary proximity, receiving physical contact, nose touching, sniffing. Salivary cortisol in horses was negatively affected by headshaking and tended to be positively affected by lip licking. These results do not indicate that affiliative interactions with unfamiliar humans negatively affect stress and eventually welfare in horses, in this particular population under the context studied.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106826"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216502","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Importance of the social environment for reproductive and general welfare of domestic horse (Equus caballus) stallions","authors":"Aleksandra Górecka-Bruzda ,&nbsp;Christine Aurich","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106827","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106827","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The obligation to ensure the welfare of domestic horses is evident. Social bonds are an essential part of the daily life of feral horses. In human-controlled conditions, stallions usually live alone in a barren environment of individual boxes or paddocks with contact to conspecifics limited to visuals. Still, many stallions do not have regular access to paddocks and pastures. This provokes frustration and stress which has been shown to contribute to the development of stereotypies, self-mutilations, abnormal sexual behaviour and reproductive problems. This review highlights how domestic environments may negatively diverge from the natural conditions necessary for the healthy behavioural development of stallions. We address stallions' welfare and reproductive problems that may arise from their lack of social contact. These issues are discussed along the stages of a stallion's life under free ranging conditions. We postulate that today's breeding stallions must be enabled to enjoy the positive aspects of a bachelor stallion's life. This should include adequate consideration of the stallions' reproductive behaviour including contact with a sexually receptive mare. This will not only improve animal welfare but also ensure optimal semen quality and fertility.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106827"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-25","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154770","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"A systematic review of directions in animal enclosure use studies","authors":"James Edward Brereton ,&nbsp;Jenna Davison ,&nbsp;Alex Vine ,&nbsp;Shelby Renee Brereton ,&nbsp;Eduardo J. Fernandez","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106825","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106825","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Enclosure use research is important for better understanding the needs and preferences of animals under captive care. As such, enclosure use is often assessed in tandem with behavioural observations as part of holistic welfare assessments. Although valuable as a welfare tool, there are several inherent challenges in enclosure use research, including variability in zones, resource sizes and observation lengths, with several indices developed to account for these challenges. Nonetheless, it is unclear the extent to which these enclosure use indices are commonly used in published literature. Therefore, it is important that the role of these indices in welfare research be quantified and reviewed, with a view to understanding the needs of enclosure use researchers. In addition, although one enclosure use review has been previously published, the work was not systematic in its approach, and there is a need for updated research given the changes in technology since its publication. To identify the current index, topics and species focuses, we conducted a systematic review of enclosure use literature, using several search engines. A total of 4275 papers were identified: following filtering 169 papers remained, which investigated 260 species-level studies. The review identified relatively few published publications before the turn of the millennium, with most papers published since 2004. In addition, 2023 had the most enclosure use-based publications, with a total of 21 papers found. The most common topics under study were visitor effects and enrichment, which demonstrates that much of the enclosure use literature is motivated by welfare-related questions. Most papers used no stated formal enclosure use index, which may pose challenges in terms of research design and interpretation. There was limited crossover in terms of index use between different industries, such as laboratories, agriculture and zoos. Additionally, over half of the identified studies focused on a mammalian species, whereas fish and invertebrate studies were identified infrequently. This systematic review demonstrates that there is need to share knowledge and enclosure use methodologies between industries, and focusing on a greater diversity of taxa would aid in improving overall species welfare and husbandry knowledge.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106825"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-23","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154768","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Development and validity of owner-based screening tools for canine cognitive decline","authors":"Honour Smith,&nbsp;Daniel S. Mills","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106824","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106824","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Canine cognitive dysfunction (CCD) is a progressive, age-related neurodegenerative disorder of dogs diagnosed by exclusion of alternative causes of the non-specific behavioural signs. This study validated owner-friendly versions of instruments for the assessment of CCD based on: The Canine Cognitive Dysfunction Rating (CCDR), Canine Dementia Scale (CADES), and Age-Related Cognitive and Affective Disorders (ARCAD). While scale development focuses on maximising specificity, clinical tools need to balance this with sensitivity, considering the risks of false positives e.g. treating some subjects unnecessarily versus those related to false negatives e.g. not starting treatment.</div><div>The scales were adapted for greater owner-comprehensibility to create CCDRa, CADESa, ARCADa. 959 completions of CCDRa, CADESa and ARCADa were obtained via an online questionnaire. Two groups of respondents were created for analysis: dogs with an owner-declared veterinary diagnosis for CCD (CCD dogs) and those without an owner-declared veterinary diagnosis for CCD and being “very unlikely” to have CCD (Non-CCD dogs). Individual total scale scores were calculated to examine how these changed with age group.</div><div>Receiver Operating Curves and Youden’s Indices were used to identify the peak trade-off between sensitivity and specificity, alongside Positive Predictive Values (PPV) and Negative Predictive Values (NPV). These were used to create recommendations for screening value (SV) thresholds for each scale, for different categories of dog, namely: older dogs (seniors of unknown specific age) CCDRa ≥ 40, CADESa ≥ 25, and ARCADa ≥ 17; dogs aged 7 – 12 years old, CCDRa ≥ 40, CADESa ≥ 25, ARCADa ≥ 19; dogs aged 13 years old and above, CCDRa≥ 42, CADESa ≥ 25, ARCADa ≥ 21.</div><div>CCDRa and CADESa showed the greatest level of convergent validity, and ARCADa least convergence when using published thresholds (CCDR ≥ 50, CADES ≥45, ARCAD ≥ 31) or SV thresholds. Using published thresholds, only 64/103 (62 %) of CCD cases were identified by at least one of the scales, but this rose to 102/103 (99 %) when the revised SV thresholds were applied.</div><div>Given that CCD is an irreversible disease, early intervention is crucial for patient health and welfare. SV thresholds (in the absence of other potential medical explanations for the signs) represent a value at which we recommend veterinarians consider discussing with owners the value of intervention for CCD, including a quantified risk of false positives. Our adapted version of CADES (CADESa) performed best and allows monitoring of disease progression. Accordingly, CADESa is our preferred tool for the assessment and monitoring of CCD.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106824"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-22","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145216504","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Associating behavioral and physiological biomarkers of affective states with judgment bias task outcomes in weaned pigs","authors":"Vivian L. Witjes ,&nbsp;Ingrid C. de Jong ,&nbsp;Francisca C. Velkers ,&nbsp;Johanna M.J. Rebel ,&nbsp;J. Arjan Stegeman ,&nbsp;J. Elizabeth Bolhuis ,&nbsp;Ellen Meijer","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106822","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106822","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Measuring positive affective states in animals remains challenging. One common method is the judgment bias task (JBT), where animals interpret ambiguous cues as optimistic or pessimistic. While many studies have examined the impact of enrichment on JBT responses, links between JBT outcomes and animal-based affective indicators—such as behavioral and physiological biomarkers—remain unclear. Additionally, personality traits may influence JBT responses. To explore these associations, we observed 36 pigs (aged 37–75 days) in their home pens using continuous focal sampling, collected blood and hair samples, and conducted a go/no-go JBT. Animals learned to associate a reward with the positive location (left/right) and a punishment with the negative location (right/left) and were tested at three test locations: near positive (nS+), middle (M), and near negative (nS-). We hypothesized that pigs exhibiting more positive behaviors would show greater optimism and explored the relationship between JBT performance and physiological biomarkers. Coping strategies and personality indicators were evaluated via a back-test (5d) and voluntary human approach test (72d). Results revealed limited associations between physiological markers and JBT responses. Elevated immunoglobulin (Ig)M levels were linked to greater optimism at the M (est.: 0.44, 95 %CI: 0.21–0.93) and nS- (est.: 0.37, 95 %CI: 0.18–0.77) locations. Conversely, higher IgG levels at the M location were associated with pessimism (est.: 2.95, 95 %CI: 1.50–5.82). Unexpectedly, higher hair cortisol correlated with optimism (nS+: est.: 0.97, 95 %CI: 0.95–0.99; M: est.: 0.95, 95 %CI: 0.92–0.98). Other physiological biomarkers, including serotonin, showed no or inconsistent effects. Positive behaviors, including play, enrichment exploration, social nosing, play barks, grunts, and tail wagging, showed no associations with optimistic JBT responses. However, increased levels of certain social behaviors were linked to pessimism across test locations (nS+ – social nosing: est.: 1.07, 95 %CI: 1.02–1.13; M – play barks and grunts: est.: 1.03, 95 %CI: 1.01–1.05; nS- – play fighting: est.: 1.09, 95 %CI: 1.03–1.15), suggesting that social isolation may influence JBT responses. Finally, no effects of personality indicators were detected. In conclusion, most biomarkers showed no or inconsistent associations, contradicting our expectations. Although positive behaviors have previously been linked to affect, our results indicate that they are not associated with optimism in the JBT. These findings suggest that factors such as social isolation and other unaccounted variables may influence JBT responses. To improve the reliability and efficiency of assessing animal affective states, we recommend direct measurement of animal-based affective indicators and further exploration of their interrelations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106822"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145105023","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluating the influence of previous handling on cattle chute scores: Development and application of an experience scoring system","authors":"Paula W.C. Wendling ,&nbsp;Clara W.B. Lachica ,&nbsp;Francisco A.R. Catalano ,&nbsp;Luiz E. Kozicki ,&nbsp;Ruan R. Daros","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106820","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106820","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Beef cattle behaviour in the restraining chute is widely used to assess cattle temperament traits, which have been linked to reproductive performance and welfare outcomes. However, few studies have evaluated the impact of animals’ prior experience during management in the chute on their chute score. This study aimed to develop a scoring system to assess an animal's experience in the chute and determine whether this experience influences chute scores during handling. A total of 290 female beef cattle (<em>Bos taurus indicus</em>) were included in this study. All animals passed through a restraining chute 3 times (D0, D8, and D10). All passages in the chute were video recorded. Two previously trained observers (kappa = 0.92) scored all passages using a previously described chute score (1 = passive to 5 = reactive). Simultaneously, a new ‘Chute Experience Score’ (CES) was developed to assess whether the cattle experienced a negative (i.e., aversive) or neutral (i.e., less aversive) event. The CES score ranges from 1 (the animal stays calm, and ranch staff do not touch or yell at the animals) to 5 (the animal is reactive, balks, falls in the chute, ranch staff yell and poke or push the animal), which were then later combined in negative or neutral categories. Statistical analysis was performed in R; a multivariable mixed linear regression was built to assess the effect of previous experiences (D0 and D8) on the chute score on D10. There was no association between the experience score on D0 and the behaviour on the restraining chute on D8 and D10. Beef cattle (n = 21) that underwent two consecutive negative experiences had, on average, a 0.36-point higher chute score on D10. Animals’ previous experience should be considered when assessing cattle chute scores, as integrating prior experiences into temperament assessments could improve the accuracy and reliability of such evaluations.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106820"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145117982","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Phenotypic plasticity in conservation aquaculture: Insights, challenges, and future directions","authors":"Lorenzo Latini ,&nbsp;Giovanni Polverino ,&nbsp;Claudia Gili ,&nbsp;Claudio Carere ,&nbsp;Daniele Canestrelli","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106821","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106821","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Phenotypic plasticity, which enables single genotypes to produce diverse phenotypes in response to changing conditions, facilitates individuals to persist in dynamic environments fostering divergence within populations and driving diversification. Its role is particularly relevant in the context of conservation aquaculture, especially in reintroduction programs, where simplified rearing environments can alter the natural development of functional phenotypic traits. Identifying phenotypic alterations and elucidating the mechanisms associated with these changes can assist managers in refining strategies employed in rearing settings, and improving the prospects of post-release survival. By relying on the available literature on marine organisms, this review provides an overview of the implications of phenotypic plasticity for conservation aquaculture programs. Specifically, the following points are examined: (i) how hatchery environments can alter wild phenotypes, particularly in terms of behavioural and morphological traits, (ii) how the introduction of ecologically relevant stimuli into rearing environments can mitigate these effects, and (iii) how such approaches can provide strategies to enhance the success of reintroduction actions. Finally, several key questions are proposed to inspire new research directions for critically assessing the implications of phenotypic plasticity in successful conservation aquaculture programs.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106821"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145154769","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Household hostilities: A descriptive study of inter-dog aggression requiring veterinary treatment of dog bite wounds in Pretoria, South Africa","authors":"Josef Hanekom ,&nbsp;Peter N. Thompson ,&nbsp;Johan P. Schoeman ,&nbsp;Elize van Vollenhoven","doi":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106819","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.applanim.2025.106819","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Inter-dog aggression (IDA) places a high burden on the dogs involved, their owners and their households. Treating dog bite wounds (DBW) accounts for a substantial proportion of small animal veterinary practice caseload. This study aimed to identify potential risk factors of IDA in dogs presented for the treatment of DBW at a veterinary teaching hospital in Pretoria, South Africa. Veterinary staff completed a survey regarding wound severity, distribution, treatment, and outcome of 126 dogs treated for DBW. A separate, but related survey was completed by 124 owners of dogs presenting for DBW, describing the fighting event, dogs involved, and the household context where these fighting dogs lived. Control household data was collected from surveys completed by 71 owners of dogs being treated for alternative conditions, where no household dogs had been treated for DBW by a veterinarian. Most fighting between dogs occurred on the owner’s property (85.4 %) and between household dogs (68.5 %). From the 83 household pairs where the sex and sterilisation status were known, fighting was more common between dogs of the same sex (71 %) and sterilisation status (53 %). Fighting pairs were most frequently both intact male (25 %) or both sterilised female dogs (16 %). Compared to control households, dog bite households kept on average significantly more dogs (4.14 compared to 3.44 dogs, p = 0.029) and significantly more male intact dogs (1.04 compared to 0.66 dogs, (p = 0.043). Breeds over-represented in dog bite households were Boerboels (p = 0.043), German Shepherd dogs (p = 0.034) and Pitbull Terriers (p = 0.002) compared to control household. Breeds under-represented in dog bite households were Dachshunds (p = 0.046), Labrador Retrievers (p = 0.026), Miniature Poodles (p = 0.016) and Schnauzers (p = 0.032) compared to control households. Few biting incidents occurred during supervised walks (4 %), which differs substantially from previous studies, which reported that most fights between dogs occurred in public spaces involving unleashed dogs. Based on our study findings, the following locally relevant IDA prevention measures are indicated: limiting the number of household dogs to three or fewer, reducing the number of male intact dogs, mixing sexes, and avoiding Boerboels, German Shepherds and Pitbull Terriers breeds in multidog households.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":8222,"journal":{"name":"Applied Animal Behaviour Science","volume":"292 ","pages":"Article 106819"},"PeriodicalIF":2.0,"publicationDate":"2025-09-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145104882","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}