Dog Behaviour

Yes, humans and canines are different species, but current research provides fascinating, irrefutable evidence that what we share with our dogs is greater than how we vary. As behaviorist and zoologist Dr. Patricia McConnell tells us in this remarkable new book about emotions in dogs and in people, more and more scientists accept the premise that dogs have rich emotional lives, exhibiting a wide range of feelings including fear, anger, surprise, sadness, and love. In For the Love of a Dog, McConnell suggests that one of the reasons we love dogs so much is that they express emotions in ways similar to humans. After all, who can communicate joy better than a puppy? But not all emotional expressions are obvious, and McConnell teaches both beginning dog owners and experienced dog lovers how to read the more subtle expressions hidden behind fuzzy faces and floppy ears. For those of us who deeply cherish our dogs but are sometimes baffled by their behavior, For the Love of a Dog will come as a revelation–a treasure trove of useful facts, informed speculation, and intriguing accounts of man’s best friend at his worst and at his very best. Readers will discover how fear, anger, and happiness underlie the lives of both people and dogs and, most important, how understanding emotion in both species can improve the relationship between them. Thus McConnell introduces us to the possibility of a richer, more rewarding relationship with our dogs. While we may never be absolutely certain what our dogs are feeling, with the help of this riveting book we can understand more than we ever thought possible. Those who consider their dogs part of the family will find For the Love of a Dog engaging, enlightening, and utterly engrossing.

The first book to summarize the burgeoning research literature on the behavioural ecology of the dog. It presents a new ecological approach to the understanding of dog behaviour and highlights directions for future research. Providing links to human and primate behaviour research, it will appeal to anyone interested in behavioural ecology.

“Based on the latest findings in the field of canine cognition and behavior, this book is an invaluable resource.” —Hal Herzog, author of Some We Love, Some We Hate, Some We Eat: Why It's So Hard To Think Straight About Animals Every dog owner knows that along with the joy can come the stress and frustration of behavioral problems, which are expensive to diagnose and treat. Enter Kim Brophey, award-winning canine behavior consultant. Using cutting-edge research, Brophey has developed a groundbreaking system that allows owners to identify what their dog is struggling with, why, and how they can fix it. Brophey’s approach is unlike anything that has been published before and will give dog owners a new understanding of what motivates and affects their dog’s behavior. This innovative technique rethinks the way we categorize dogs, and distills information from over twenty scientific disciplines into four comprehensive elements: learning, environment, genetics, and self. With revolutionary tips for specific dog breeds, this book will change dog owners’ lives—and lead to happier human-canine relationships. “It’s refreshing to finally find a book that takes into consideration the many predispositions to behavior problems in dogs . . . teaches us to really see the dog in its entirety.” —Alexandre Rossi, author of A Dog at the Keyboard

The top dog behaviorists in the country - the top researchers, scientists, and veterinarians - have teamed up with a renowned media personality to create the most cutting-edge, scientifically accurate, definitive book on why our dogs do what they do and how we can prevent or solve common canine behavior problems.

The relationship between domestic dogs and humans represents a unique example of an interspecific relationship. For this and other reasons, there has been a substantial increase in research on dogs. This Special Issue entitled "Dog Behaviour, Physiology and Welfare" collects important information ranging from basic to applied ethology, dealing with canine endocrinology (prolactin, vasopressin, thyroid hormones), physiology (visual perception), welfare (in shelters and zoos), as well as the context of working dogs (service dogs, co-therapist dogs, herding dogs) and the dog-wolf comparison. All the papers are open access and can be read at https: //www.mdpi.com/journal/animals/special_issues/Dog_Behavior

The behaviour textbook that's been missing! - Dr Mandy Roshier, University of Nottingham, School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, UK This practical guide for busy veterinarians demystifies the apparently complex nature of canine behaviour while simultaneously emphasising its importance. Authored by acclaimed veterinary behaviour consultant Kendal Shepherd, the book provides practical knowledge of dog behaviour and an understanding of how to talk about it with clients. Shepherd shows how this can enhance the relationship between owner and pet and between dog and environment, including the vet surgery, as well as improve the vet's own sense of fulfilment and enjoyment of practice. From a discussion on the true nature of obedience to stressing the importance of behavioural indicators when assessing pain and mental welfare and finally by reminding vets of their obligations under Dangerous Dogs legislation, the emphasis is on the prevention of aggression throughout. Packed with anecdotes drawn from real-life cases, easy to read and understand, the principles explained can be effortlessly assimilated into the average consultation without the need for lengthy report-writing.

Struggling to solve your dog's behavioural problems? Looking to achieve the perfect relationship with your dog? The Dog Guardian is here to help. Dog behaviourist Nigel Reed teaches emotional intelligence for dog owners, leading to confident, happy and well-behaved dogs. Through his many years of experience Nigel has found that there are four fundamental components for a content and well-behaved dog. In The Dog Guardian Nigel explains the philosophy and gives you practical, step-by-step advice. This new and vital information will empower you to address any of your dog's undesirable behaviours, no matter its age, breed or history. The Dog Guardian has already helped thousands of dogs and their owners address problem behaviours including anxiety, nervousness, aggression, hyperactivity, lead pulling, jumping up and much more. It's easier than you'd think.

Dogs, Canis familiaris, share the lives of humans all over the world. That dogs, and the behavior of dogs, are of interest to many is therefore no surprise. In this thesis, the main aim has been to identify factors that affect dogs’ behaviours. The dog, Canis familiaris, is our first domesticated animal. Since domestication, various types of dogs have developed through adaptation to an environment shared with humans and through our selective breeding, resulting in a unique variation in morphology and behaviour. Although there is an individual variation in the behaviour of dogs, there is also a difference between breeds. Moreover, selection during the last decades has split some breeds into divergent types. Labrador and golden retrievers are divided into a common type, for show and companionship, and a field type, for hunting. By comparing the breed types, we can study the effects of recent selection. In Paper I, we investigate differences in general behavioural traits between Labrador and golden retriever and between common and field type within the two breeds by using results from the standardized behaviour test Dog Mentality Assessment. There were differences between breeds and types for all behavioural traits. However, there was also an interaction between breed and type. Thus, a common/field-type Labrador does not behave like a common/field-type golden retriever. Even though they have been selected for similar traits, the selection has affected the general behavioural traits differently in the two breeds. In paper II, we were interested in dogs’ human-directed social skills. Dogs have a high social competence when it comes to humans. Two experiments commonly used to study these skills are the problem-solving test, where dogs’ human-directed behaviours when faced with a problem are measured, and the pointing test, where dogs are tested on how well they understand human gestures. We compared the social skills of German shepherds and Labrador retrievers, and of common- and field-type Labradors. Labradors were more successful in the pointing test and German shepherds stayed closer to their owners during the problem solving. Among Labrador types, the field type had more human eye contact than the common type. Importantly, when comparing the two experiments, we found no positive correlations between the problem-solving test and the pointing test, suggesting that the two tests measure different aspects of human-directed social behaviour in dogs. A previous study has identified two suggestive genetic regions for human-directed social behaviours during the problem-solving test in beagles. In paper III, we show that these SNPs are also associated to social behaviours in Labrador and golden retrievers. Moreover, the Labrador breed types differed significantly in allele frequencies. This indicates that the two SNPs have been affected by recent selection and may have a part in the differences in sociability between common and field type. The behaviour of dogs cannot simply be explained by genetics, there is also an environmental component. In paper IV, we study which factors that affect long-term stress in dogs. Long-term cortisol can be measured by hair samples. We found a clear synchronization in hair cortisol concentrations between dogs and their owners. Neither dogs’ activity levels nor their behavioural traits affected the cortisol, however, the personality of the owners did. Therefore, we suggest that dogs mirror the stress level of their owners. The mediator between genes and the environment is epigenetics, and one epigenetic factor is DNA methylation. In paper V, we compared methylation patterns of wolves and dogs as well as dog breeds. Between both wolves and dogs and among dogs there were substantial differences in methylated DNA regions, suggesting that DNA methylation is likely to contribute to the vast variation among canines. We hypothesize that epigenetic factors have been important during domestication and in breed formation. In this thesis, I cover several aspects on how dogs’ behaviours can be affected, and paint an intricate picture on how genetics, epigenetics, and human-dog relations forms dog behaviour.