Framing messages to support feral dog eradication: Both ecocentric and anthropocentric frames work

Due to their impact on biodiversity, human health, and livestock husbandry, we need to eradicate feral dogs. However, eradication usually encounters public opposition, which hinders its implementation and success. Persuasive messages could help us attain public support for feral dog eradication. We evaluated the effectiveness of two message frames to increase intentions to support eradication of feral dogs via lethal methods. Messages addressed the negative impacts of feral dogs on (1) human health and livestock husbandry (anthropocentric frame) and (2) wildlife (ecocentric frame). These frames were randomly assigned to 506 Chilean citizens and Chilean residents in a before-after survey experiment measuring attitudes, subjective norm, and behavioral intentions to support feral dog eradication via lethal methods. Both frames significantly increased behavioral intentions, attitude, and subjective norm, irrespective of participant demographics. Changes in attitude and subjective norm influenced change in intentions. Both frames can aid managers increase public support to eradicate feral dogs.     

What Factors Are Associated with Positive Effects of Dog Ownership in Families with Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder? The Development of the Lincoln Autism Pet Dog Impact Scale

Scientific literature exploring the value of assistance dogs to children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is rapidly emerging. However, there is comparably less literature reporting the effects of pet (as opposed to assistance) dogs to these children. In particular, there are no known validated scales which assess how children may alter their behaviours in the presence of the dog, to evaluate the efficacy of pet dogs to these families. Additionally, given the highly individualised nature of ASD it is likely that some children and families gain more benefits from dog ownership than others, yet no research has reported the effect of individual differences. This pilot study reports the development of a 28-item scale based on the perceived impact of a pet dog on a child with autism by parents (Lincoln Autism Pet Dog Impact Scale—LAPDIS). The scale is comprised of three mathematically derived factors: Adaptability, Social Skills and Conflict Management. We assessed how individual differences (aspects) may be associated with scores on these three factors. Family Aspects and Dog Aspects were not significantly associated with ratings on the three factors, but Child Aspects (including: contact with horses, child age, disability level and language abilities) were related to impact of the dog on all factors. Training Aspects were related to scores on Social Skills (formal training with children with ASD and dogs and attendance at PAWS workshops run by Dogs for Good). These results suggest that individual differences associated with the child and the training approach may be important considerations for a positive impact from dog ownership on families with children with ASD. Differences in family features and the dog may not be so important, but may be worthy of further investigations given the early stage of development in this field.     

Owning a Dog and Working: A Telephone Survey of Dog Owners and Employers in Sweden

ABSTRACT

Many dog owners are faced with the problem of what to do with their dog when they go to work. Different solutions to the problem may affect dogs, owners, and employers. In this study, 204 working, Swedish dog owners and 90 employers were interviewed by telephone regarding practical issues and attitudes, in order to identify problems and possible solutions. Results show that leaving the dog at home was the most common solution (73%), followed by bringing the dog to work (16%) and using some form of dog day care (11%). Although dogs were rarely left alone at home for longer than 6 hours, 53% of dog owners preferred or would prefer to bring the dog to work, if possible. However, 81% of all employers had never noticed such a demand. Written dog policies at the workplace were unusual (18%), and there seemed to be great uncertainty among dog owners about the current rules. Studies support the beneficial effects of dogs on many human health aspects, and a majority of dog owners (76%) felt they were healthier because of the dog. There was also a widespread view among employers (59%) that dogs contribute positively to a more social and pleasant workplace, but many argued that allergies (68%) and fear of dogs (66%) could be a problem. Leaving the dog at home will probably remain the practical solution for many dog owners, while bringing the dog to work could be the option with the greatest potential for expansion.     

Ability of bed bug-detecting canines to locate live bed bugs and viable bed bug eggs

The bed bug, Cimex lectularius L., like other bed bug species, is difficult to visually locate because it is cryptic. Detector dogs are useful for locating bed bugs because they use olfaction rather than vision. Dogs were trained to detect the bed bug (as few as one adult male or female) and viable bed bug eggs (five, collected 5-6 d after feeding) by using a modified food and verbal reward system. Their efficacy was tested with bed bugs and viable bed bug eggs placed in vented polyvinyl chloride containers. Dogs were able to discriminate bed bugs from Camponotus floridanus Buckley, Blattella germanica (L.), and Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar), with a 97.5% positive indication rate (correct indication of bed bugs when present) and 0% false positives (incorrect indication of bed bugs when not present). Dogs also were able to discriminate live bed bugs and viable bed bug eggs from dead bed bugs, cast skins, and feces, with a 95% positive indication rate and a 3% false positive rate on bed bug feces. In a controlled experiment in hotel rooms, dogs were 98% accurate in locating live bed bugs. A pseudoscent prepared from pentane extraction of bed bugs was recognized by trained dogs as bed bug scent (100% indication). The pseudoscent could be used to facilitate detector dog training and quality assurance programs. If trained properly, dogs can be used effectively to locate live bed bugs and viable bed bug eggs.     

The influence of environmental change on the behaviour of sheltered dogs

The majority of sheltered dogs are overlooked for purchase because they are considered undesirable by potential buyers. Many factors may determine a dog's appeal, although of interest here are the dog's behaviour and cage environment which can influence its desirability. People prefer dogs which are at the front rather than the back of the cage, quiet as opposed to barking, and alert rather than non-alert. Potential buyers also prefer dogs which are held in complex as opposed to barren environments. This study examined the behaviour of sheltered dogs in response to environmental change, to determine whether it influenced dog behaviour in ways that could be perceived as desirable to potential dog buyers, and/or had any effect upon the incidence of dogs purchased from the shelter. One hundred and twenty dogs sheltered by the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals were studied over a 4-h period. The dogs' position in the cage, vocalisation, and activity were investigated in response to increased human social stimulation, moving the dog's bed to the front of the cage, or suspending a toy from the front of the dog's cage. Social stimulation resulted in dogs spending more time at the front of the enclosure, more time standing, and slightly more time barking. Moving the bed to the front of the cage encouraged dogs to this position, but did not influence activity or vocalisation. Suspending a toy at the front of the pen exerted no effect on dog behaviour, although its presence in the pen may help to promote more positive perceptions of dog desirability. The incidence of dogs purchased from the rescue shelter increased whenever the dogs' cages were fitted with a bed at the front of the pen, whenever the dogs were subjected to increased regular human contact, and whenever a toy was placed at the front of the enclosure. Findings highlight the important role that cage environment can play in shaping the behaviour of sheltered dogs and influencing whether or not an animal will become purchased.     

Provision of Service Dogs for People With Mobility Disabilities

ABSTRACT

Interactions among domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), black-tailed prairie dogs (Cynomys ludovicianus), and people were studied at Dry Creek, Boulder, Colorado. Our objective was to develop a basic understanding of the nature of dog—prairie dog interactions in this recreational area, because this is an issue that has high visibility and over which there is conflict in Boulder: There are those who want dogs to run free regardless of their impact on the behavior and lives of prairie dogs and those who want to protect prairie dogs and have dogs restrained or go elsewhere. We found that dogs clearly influenced the behavior of prairie dogs, however, no prairie dogs were known to be caught or killed by any dog during the course of study. Prairie dogs disturbed by dogs were more alert (vigilant) and wary of dogs and played less than undisturbed individuals. However, disturbed prairie dogs were less wary of the presence of humans than undisturbed animals. People tried to stop dogs from harassing prairie dogs only 25% of the time. A survey showed that 58% of people polled at Dry Creek (all dog owners) did not believe that prairie dogs should be protected even if dogs are a problem. Increased human responsibility would likely go a long way towards reducing existing conflict among people wanting to protect prairie dogs and those who do not. Boulder city officials have not yet incorporated our data into their immediate management plans. However, by identifying the nature of dog—prairie dog encounters and specific areas of conflict among people who side either with dogs or prairie dogs, in the future, proactive strategies grounded by empirical data can be developed and implemented so that the interests of all parties can be accommodated.     

Pet owner behaviors and attachment to yard versus house dogs

Abstract

The majority of research on the human–nonhuman animal bond has considered its advantages for the human. Research investigating the benefits of the bond for the companion animal has focused primarily on the relationship between owner attachment and the relinquishment or abandonment of pets. Shore, Douglas and Riley (2005) compiled a list of 67 behaviors of pet owners of potential benefit to the dog or cat, categorized the behaviors as Essential, Standard, Enriched, or Luxury Care, and studied the relationship between these behaviors and a measure of attachment. The present study continues the investigation of more routine pet-keeping activities by examining the prevalence of such behaviors among a subset of dog owners who keep their dogs out of doors as compared with those whose dogs live primarily in the house. Participants were 322 largely non-traditional college students at a university in the Midwestern United States. Scores on two attachment measures were significantly higher for owners of house dogs as compared with those of owners of yard dogs. Although the majority of both house and yard dogs received basic care, fewer yard dogs received as high levels of attention to some of their physical and safety needs. The gap between yard and house dogs widened as the category of care moved from Essential to Enriched. Involvement in agility training, being taken to events for pets, and exercising with a member of the family were notable exceptions, in that they occurred in equal proportions for yard and house dogs, and perhaps represent opportunities for yard dogs to be in closer contact with a human caretaker. The results suggest that adoptions of sheltered or rescued dogs to people who plan to keep the pet outside can be made with confidence that the dog will be cared for, but that programs to educate the public on the social needs of dogs and the benefits of keeping dogs indoors might result in increased attention to the needs of the animals, strengthening of the human–nonhuman animal bond, and reduction of relinquishment.     

Genetic and environmental factors affecting the suitability of dogs as Guide Dogs for the Blind

Summary Many dogs are found to be unsuitable for training as guide dogs for the blind. Consequently the Royal Guide Dogs for the Blind Association of Australia has embarked on a breeding program to produce a strain of labrador dogs which is suitable for guide dog training.The most common reasons for rejecting dogs are fearfulness, dog distraction, excitability, health and physical reasons and hip dysplasia. The selection program seems to have been successful in improving the success rate mainly by lowering fearfulness, but there has not been a continuing improvement. This is probably due to continual introduction of dogs from other populations into the breeding program.Males suffer from a higher rejection rate due to dog distraction and a lower rejection rate due to fearfulness and excitability than females, so that there is little sex difference in overall success rate.The heritability of success (0.44) is high enough to predict further progress from selection, again mainly against fearfulness.Variation in environment prior to 6 weeks of age, in age when dogs were placed into a private home and in age when males were castrated, had little effect on the success rate.     

Nonverbal Communication and Human–Dog Interaction

Human–dog interaction relies to a large extent on nonverbal communication, and it is therefore plausible that human sensitivity to nonverbal signals affects interactions between human and dog. Experience with dogs is also likely to influence human–dog interactions, and it has been suggested that it influences human social skills. The present study investigated possible links between human nonverbal sensitivity, experience with dogs, and the quality of human–dog interactions. Two studies are reported. In study 1, 97 veterinary students took a psychometric test assessing human nonverbal sensitivity and answered a questionnaire on their experience with dogs. The data obtained were then used to investigate the relationship between experience with dogs and sensitivity to human nonverbal communication. The results did not indicate that experience with dogs improves human nonverbal sensitivity. In study 2, 16 students with high, and 15 students with low, levels of human nonverbal sensitivity were selected. Each of the 31 students interacted once with an unknown dog in a greeting situation, and these human–dog interactions were videoed. We found that a combined score of dog behaviors relating to insecurity was associated with the students' level of nonverbal sensitivity and experience with dogs: the dog showed more of the insecure behavior when interacting with students with a low level of nonverbal sensitivity and no experience with dogs than it did when interacting with students with a high level of nonverbal sensitivity (irrespective of experience with dogs).     

Clonal relationships among Escherichia coli serogroup 06 isolates from human and animal infections

The clonal relationship of thirty E. coli strains of 0 antigen serotype 06 isolated from human, dog, pig or cow infections were investigated. Two main clones with serotypes 06 : H1 or 06 : H31, H- were identified. Isolates from humans, dogs, pigs and cows were found in both clones, indicating that animals are a possible source for human extraintestinal Escherichia coli strains. Two human ETEC (06 : H16) and two pig isolates (06 : H10) were not related to the 06 : H1 or 06 : H31, H- E. coli clones.     

Community-Based Control of the Brown Dog Tick in a Region with High Rates of Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever, 2012–2013

Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF) transmitted by the brown dog tick (Rhipicephalus sanguineus sensu lato) has emerged as a significant public health risk on American Indian reservations in eastern Arizona. During 2003–2012, more than 250 RMSF cases and 19 deaths were documented among Arizona''s American Indian population. The high case fatality rate makes community-level interventions aimed at rapid and sustained reduction of ticks urgent. Beginning in 2012, a two year pilot integrated tick prevention campaign called the RMSF Rodeo was launched in a ∼600-home tribal community with high rates of RMSF. During year one, long-acting tick collars were placed on all dogs in the community, environmental acaricides were applied to yards monthly, and animal care practices such as spay and neuter and proper tethering procedures were encouraged. Tick levels, indicated by visible inspection of dogs, tick traps and homeowner reports were used to monitor tick presence and evaluate the efficacy of interventions throughout the project. By the end of year one, <1% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community had visible tick infestations five months after the project was started, compared to 64% of dogs in Non-Rodeo communities, and environmental tick levels were reduced below detectable levels. The second year of the project focused on use of the long-acting collar alone and achieved sustained tick control with fewer than 3% of dogs in the RMSF Rodeo community with visible tick infestations by the end of the second year. Homeowner reports of tick activity in the domestic and peridomestic setting showed similar decreases in tick activity compared to the non-project communities. Expansion of this successful project to other areas with Rhipicephalus-transmitted RMSF has the potential to reduce brown dog tick infestations and save human lives.     

The Responsible Dog Owner: The Construction of Responsibility

ABSTRACT

Policy and campaigning messages related to dog ownership and welfare center on the concept of responsible ownership. However, the perspectives and experiences of pet owners and how they perceive and perform their responsibilities has not been studied in depth. This qualitative study used conversations about owning and walking dogs in order to elucidate beliefs and views about responsibility in dog ownership. Data comprised 12 in-depth interviews with dog-owning households, 14 short interviews with dog owners while walking their dogs or representing their breed at a dog show, and autoethnography of the first author’s experiences owning and walking dogs. All participants considered themselves responsible dog owners, yet there was great variation in key aspects of their dog-owning behavior. The feelings of responsibility were rooted in the valued unconditional and reciprocal love that owners believed underpinned their human–dog bond. Dogs were described as dependents, similar to, but different from, children. In deciding how to look after their dogs, owners sought to balance their views of dogs as kin, having individual needs to be met, with consideration of the needs of others. Four processes through which issues of irresponsible dog ownership may arise were suggested: owner–dog relationship being too weak or too strong; differences in interpretation of what is best for the dog; difficulties predicting and avoiding situations of conflict; and differences in tolerance of negative impacts of dog ownership. While “responsible dog ownership” has considerable appeal as a concept, how it is perceived and interpreted varies so extensively that simply telling owners that they should “be responsible” is of limited use as a message to promote behavior change. Facilitating “responsible dog ownership” and reducing “irresponsible dog owner” behaviors relies on a detailed understanding of the variables which influence how the dog’s role is constructed within the family and the wider society.     

An Exploratory Study of Human–Dog Co-sleeping Using Actigraphy: Do Dogs Disrupt Their Owner’s Sleep?

ABSTRACT

This exploratory study aimed to contribute to the limited research on human–animal co-sleeping by investigating the extent to which human sleep is disturbed by co-sleeping with a dog. Five female Australian dog owners and their dogs were fitted with activity monitors for seven nights. Raw activity of the dog and human for each sleep episode were matched and then compared using a time series correlation. Dog movement was a significant leading indicator of human movement, with dog activity positively indicating human activity up to 2.5 minutes in advance. Dogs were active for about 20% of the night, with humans 4.3 times more likely to be awake during dog activity than during dog inactivity (10.55%/2.45%). Co-sleeping appears to cause sleep disturbances (both arousals and wake ups), which is reinforced by poor scores on validated sleep measures. There also appears to be disparity between these objective measures and subjective evaluations of sleep quality and number of disturbances. At least in the small sample considered in the present study, co-sleeping with a dog appears to result in measurable, but relatively mild, reductions in overall sleep quality. This detrimental impact must be weighed against the benefits of co-sleeping.     

Live Births from Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) Embryos Produced by In Vitro Fertilization

Development of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) in the dog has resisted progress for decades, due to their unique reproductive physiology. This lack of progress is remarkable given the critical role ART could play in conserving endangered canid species or eradicating heritable disease through gene-editing technologies—an approach that would also advance the dog as a biomedical model. Over 350 heritable disorders/traits in dogs are homologous with human conditions, almost twice the number of any other species. Here we report the first live births from in vitro fertilized embryos in the dog. Adding to the practical significance, these embryos had also been cryopreserved. Changes in handling of both gametes enabled this progress. The medium previously used to capacitate sperm excluded magnesium because it delayed spontaneous acrosome exocytosis. We found that magnesium significantly enhanced sperm hyperactivation and ability to undergo physiologically-induced acrosome exocytosis, two functions essential to fertilize an egg. Unlike other mammals, dogs ovulate a primary oocyte, which reaches metaphase II on Days 4–5 after the luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. We found that only on Day 6 are oocytes consistently able to be fertilized. In vitro fertilization of Day 6 oocytes with sperm capacitated in medium supplemented with magnesium resulted in high rates of embryo development (78.8%, n = 146). Intra-oviductal transfer of nineteen cryopreserved, in vitro fertilization (IVF)-derived embryos resulted in seven live, healthy puppies. Development of IVF enables modern genetic approaches to be applied more efficiently in dogs, and for gamete rescue to conserve endangered canid species.     

Using the canine genome to cure cancer and other diseases

A high-quality draft genome sequence of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris), together with a dense map of single nucleotide polymorphisms, has been reported. Such new tools offer scientists amazing opportunities to define genetic, nutritional, environmental, and other risk factors for various canine diseases. Because many of the diseases that affect man's best friend also affect us, understanding a dog's disease may lead to new preventions and therapies for diseases that affect both dogs and people. Since a dog's life span is shorter than that for a human, monitoring potential risk factors in a well-controlled population of dogs is possible. Such a population should be one where dogs live in close relationship with their owners. Although longitudinal studies have been previously conducted on animals housed in laboratory environments, the natural environment offers a chance to study dogs in environments shared by their owners. If dogs are carefully monitored, and select exposures defined, considerable information could be collected in a dog's lifetime--the next 10-20 years. Such information could hold the clues for important discoveries, including causes and cures for cancer.     

Protectors,Aggressors, and Kinfolk: Dogs in a Tribal Community

Free-roaming dogs are a common phenomenon on many American Indian reservations as well as globally. Lack of canine restriction may be pathologized by outsiders, assumed to be a “problem” that reflects underlying individual or community dysfunction. Seldom investigated are the cultural logics underlying the lack of restriction, and the positive role that dogs may be playing in the community. This paper examines relationships between a northern plains reservation community and their dogs. We found these relationships to be complex and multifaceted, harkening back to a pre-contact past when human survival itself depended on the dog, and extending into a present shaped by a broad range of cultural notions about the human–dog relationship. We explore the concept of dog restriction, asking what it means for connections with dogs in a context where relationships with dogs run deep, but have been disrupted by settler colonialism. We found a community that very much desires dogs and views them positively, with their role as protector highly valued on nearly every level. While traditional notions guided many behaviors toward dogs, other conceptualizations were simultaneously in play, including rural ideas about animals as well as American popular culture. Our findings call into question the ethnocentric bias that construes all free-roaming dogs as strays, which is linked to cultural notions of “pet ownership” that equate love for dogs with restrictions on their movement.     

Comparative map between the domestic pig and dog

Cross-species chromosome painting with probes derived from flow-sorted dog and human chromosomes was used to construct a high-resolution comparative map for the pig. In total 98 conserved autosomal segments between pig and dog were detected by probes specific for the 38 autosomes and X Chromosome of the dog. Further integration of our results with the published human--dog and cat--dog comparative maps, and with data from comparative gene mapping, increases the resolution of the current pig--human comparative map. It allows for the conserved syntenies detected in the pig, human, and cat to be aligned against the putative ancestral karyotype of eutherian mammals and for the history of karyotype evolution of the pig lineage to be reconstructed. Fifteen fusions, 17 fissions, and 23 inversions are required to convert the ancestral mammalian karyotype into the extant karyotype of the pig.     

Nonsurgical fertility control for managing free-roaming dog populations: A review of products and criteria for field applications

About 75% of dogs worldwide are free to roam and reproduce, thus creating locally overabundant populations. Problems caused by roaming dogs include diseases transmitted to livestock and humans, predation on livestock, attacks on humans, road traffic accidents, and nuisance behavior. Nonsurgical fertility control is increasingly advocated as more cost-effective than surgical sterilization to manage dog populations and their impact. The aims of this review were to 1) analyze trends in numbers of scientific publications on nonsurgical fertility control for dogs; 2) illustrate the spectrum of fertility inhibitors available for dogs; 3) examine how differences between confined and free-roaming dogs might affect the choice of fertility inhibitors to be used in dog population management; and 4) provide a framework of criteria to guide decisions regarding the use of nonsurgical fertility control for dog population management. The results showed that the 117 articles published between 1982 and 2011 focussed on long-term hormonal contraceptives, such as gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonists, immunocontraceptives, and male chemical sterilants. The number of articles published biennially increased from one to five papers produced in the early 1980s to 10 to 20 in the past decade. Differences between confined dogs and free-roaming dogs include reproduction and survival as well as social expectations regarding the duration of infertility, the costs of sterilization, and the responsibilities for meeting these costs. These differences are likely to dictate which fertility inhibitors will be used for confined or free-roaming dogs. The criteria regarding the use of fertility control for dog population management, presented as a decision tree, covered social acceptance, animal welfare, effectiveness, legal compliance, feasibility, and sustainability. The review concluded that the main challenges for the future are evaluating the feasibility, effectiveness, sustainability, and effects of mass nonsurgical sterilization campaigns on dog population size and impact as well as integrating nonsurgical fertility control with disease vaccination and public education programs.     

Chloditan-induced changes in lipid peroxidation in the adrenals of dogs and guinea pigs

The effect of adrenocorticolytic drug chloditan (1-(o-chlorophenyl)-1-(p-chlorophenyl)-2,2-dichloroethane;) on the content and the rate of lipid peroxidation in dog and guinea pig adrenals was studied. In adrenals of dogs and guinea the amount of malondialdehyde (MDA) was increased. In vitro spontaneous lipid peroxidation was delayed in adrenal homogenate of DDD-treated dogs. Spontaneous lipid peroxidation in adrenal homogenate was not decreased by feeding DDD in the guinea pig. DDD consumption did not affect on lipid peroxidation promoted by ascorbic acid and ferrous iron. The accumulation of MDA in dog and guinea pig adrenal homogenates was inhibited by NADPH.     

Demographic Data of a Population of Insured Swedish Dogs Measured in a Questionnaire Study

Dogs, in the age range 1–3 years old, were randomly selected from the largest animal insurance database in Sweden for inclusion in the study. The study was performed in 1997, and a total of 680 dog owners were selected for the study. A total of 461 dog owners completed the survey, at an overall response rate of 68%. Data was compared to a recent gallup performed on a sample of all dogs in Sweden. The demographic statistics of the insured dog population were in many aspects similar to the total dog population of Sweden. Typical for both insured dogs and the total population of dogs were a low proportion of neutered dogs, that many dogs were bought at an early age, that many dogs were in contact with a "breeder" when sold, and a similar profile of health status. However, "dog breeders" seemed to have their dogs insured to a higher extent than the general dog owner. It was concluded that as the populations were alike in many respects, it is reasonable to use the insurance database for epidemiological studies on diet and exercise in Swedish dogs.