Mechanisms of aggressive behaviour in dogs

doctoral dissertation

Elena Gobbo (Author), Manja Zupan (Mentor)

Abstract

In order to investigate the mechanisms associated with dog aggression using a multidisciplinary approach, four separate studies were conducted as part of this thesis. In the first study, retrospective questionnaire data were used to determine the contextual aspects of dog bites and revealed a high incidence of bites during unintended interaction with the biting dog. The second study examined psychosocial factors using a combination of behavioural tests and questionnaires reported by dog owners. Low sociability in dogs and high neuroticism in owners, as well as high avoidant and low anxious attachments between owner and dog were the characteristics associated with dog aggression. In the third study, three behavioural tests were used to examine the association between two different aspects of inhibitory control and aggression. Impaired self-control, measured as performance on the delay of gratification test, but not cognitive inhibition, measured as performance on the reversal learning test, was found to be associated with aggressive biting behaviour. In the final study, behavioural responses and several physiological changes were examined simultaneously and in real-time. Aggressive dogs were found to have decreased salivary serotonin concentration and increased facial surface temperature. In addition, frequent tail wagging and a tendency to wag the tail to the left during aggression were observed for the first time. Through new or improved approaches, our findings contribute to a better understanding of dog aggression, and may benefit not only the scientific community, but also the general public.

Keywords

dogs;animal behaviour;ethology;aggressive behaviour;cognition;personality;attachment styles;animal physiology;doctoral dissertations;

Data

Language:	English
Year of publishing:	2022
Typology:	2.08 - Doctoral Dissertation
Organization:	UL BF - Biotechnical Faculty
Publisher:	[E. Gobbo]
UDC:	636.7:591.5(043.3)
COBISS:	117260035
Views:	67
Downloads:	30
Average score:	0 (0 votes)
Metadata:

Other data

Secondary language:	Slovenian
Secondary title:	Mehanizmi agresivnega obnašanja pri psih
Secondary abstract:	Za ocenjevanje mehanizmov, povezanih s pasjo agresijo, so bile z uporabo multidisciplinarnega pristopa v okviru te disertacije izvedene štiri ločene študije. V prvi študiji je bil za določitev kontekstualnih vidikov pasjih ugrizov uporabljen retrospektivni vprašalnik. Razkril je visoko incidenco ugrizov med nenamerno interakcijo z ugrizlim psom. Druga študija je s kombinacijo testiranja obnašanja in vprašalnikov, ki jih je izpolnil lastnik, raziskovala psihosocialne dejavnike. Nizka družabnost pri psih, visok nevroticizem pri lastnikih ter visoka izogibajoča navezanost lastnika in psa ter nizka anksiozna navezanost lastnika in psa so bile lastnosti, povezane z agresijo psov. V tretji študiji je bila s tremi testi obnašanja raziskana povezava med dvema različnima vidikoma inhibicijske kontrole in agresije. Izkazalo se je, da je oslabljen samonadzor, merjen kot uspešnost pri nalogi zapoznelega nagrajevanja, vendar ne tudi kognitivna inhibicija, merjena kot uspešnost pri nalogi obratnega učenja, povezana z agresivnim grizenjem. V zadnji študiji so bili sočasno in v realnem času preučeni obnašanje in več fizioloških sprememb. Ugotovljeno je bilo, da so imeli agresivni psi znižano koncentracijo serotonina v slini in povišano površinsko temperaturo obraza. Med to študijo sta bila tudi med agresijo prvič opažena pogosto mahanje z repom in nagnjenost k mahanju repa v levo stran. Z uporabo novih ali izboljšanih pristopov so te ugotovitve pomembne za nadaljnje razumevanje agresije pri psih. Z novimi ali izboljšanimi pristopi naše ugotovitve izpopolnjujejo razumevanje agresije psov in lahko koristijo ne le znanstveni skupnosti, ampak tudi širši javnosti.
Secondary keywords:	psi;obnašanje živali;etologija;agresivno obnašanje;kognicija;osebnost;navezanost;fiziologija živali;doktorske disertacije;
Type (COBISS):	Doctoral dissertation
Study programme:	0
Embargo end date (OpenAIRE):	1970-01-01
Thesis comment:	Univ. v Ljubljani, Biotehniška fak.
Pages:	1 spletni vir (1 datoteka PDF (VIII, 106 str., [4] str. pril.))
ID:	15989358