Inappropriate behavior of potential guide dogs for the blind and coping behavior of human raisers

Inappropriate behaviors of potential guide dogs (puppies) for the blind and coping behaviors of their adult female raisers (puppy walkers: PWs) were videotaped in their play situation at home from when the puppies were 2-11 or 12 months of age. The frequency of inappropriate behavior decreased with an increase in the puppies' age, suggesting that human-dog relationships became friendlier. The PWs tended to use moderate coping behaviors to stop the inappropriate behaviors of the puppies. Rejecting interaction with the puppies was effective for stopping the puppies from biting the PWs. Forcible stopping was effective for stopping the puppies from damaging objects. Not responding to the puppies was effective for stopping the puppies from biting the PWs, barking/growling and damaging objects.     

Development of Social Behaviour in Four Litters of Dogs (Canis familiaris)

The development of social behaviour in 4 litters of dogs was observed without interfering with the puppies from birth to 8 weeks of age. Direct and continuous observation was combined with video recording. Three of the litters were observed during one session of 2 h once a week, and the fourth litter during one session of 40 min twice a week. Social interactions were divided into 1) investigation of litter mates (licking, sniffing or investigating orally), 2) social play, 3) and interactions in which agonistic elements (dominance postures, threats, bites or submission) were displayed. The different forms of social interactions appeared for the first time when the puppies were between 14 and 21 days of age. Social investigation appeared first and was followed by play and agonistic interactions. From week 5, differences between the puppies in the tendency to initiate social play and agonistic interactions emerged. Generally, within the litters individual differences were consistent over weeks 6-8 (positive correlations between weeks), whereas the tendency in the puppies during these weeks were negatively correlated with those of week 3 (play) or weeks 3 and 4 (agonistic interactions), indicating a rebound effect for both play and agonistic behaviour. No significant correlations, however, were found for social investigation. More often than expected males played or engaged in agonistic with other males, whereas these behaviours occurred less often than expected between females. Both males and females, however, preferred male partners for agonistic interactions. No sex differences were found in the direction of social investigation. Agonistic behaviour was often responded to by play and play was often responded to by agonistic behaviour, and the results indicated that before 8 weeks of age differences in social behaviour between the puppies were already established.     

Inhibition of lactation in the Beagle bitch with the prolactin inhibitor cabergoline (FCE 21336): Dose response and aspects of long-term safety

Sixteen healthy, lactating Beagle bitches with litters of three to six pups were assigned to four treatment groups for one daily oral treatment of cabergoline in an oily solution (0, 1.25, 2.50 or 5.0 mcg/kg body weight (BW) for 5 d, commencing on Day 8 of lactation. Bitches and all their puppies were weighed daily for 2 d before treatments started, and for 10 d thereafter. Technicians rated daily treatment effects on maternal health, maternal behavior and mammary glands, using a scoring system. Treatments had no effect on maternal health, maternal body weight, and maternal behavior. Treatments with the two higher doses caused a reaction and a regression of the mammary glands in a dose-related fashion, resulting in cessation of lactation with 5 mcg/kg BW. Maternal treatment did not adversely affect the puppies' health, and no puppy was lost during the trial. However, average daily weight gains of puppies declined with increasing levels of cabergoline, causing significant weight losses in the 2.5 and 5 mcg/kg treatment group. This became evident after 2 d of treatment. To save the puppies in the highest dosage group, hand-feeding, and later, crossfostering, had to be used with all litters, starting on Day 3 or 4 of treatment. Weight losses were dose-related with an ED(50) of 1.5 mcg/kg/d and persisted for at least 24 h after treatment had ceased. Since puppies were left with their mothers to provide a continued suckling stimulus, lactation rebounded in all bitches treated with 2.5 mcg/kg, but only in two of four bitches treated with 5 mcg/kg. All bitches returned to estrus at their normal intervals. Fertility and fecundity at the next breeding were undisturbed.     

PCR Detection and Molecular Characterization of Pentatrichomonas hominis from Feces of Dogs with Diarrhea in the Republic of Korea

Pentatrichomonas hominis is considered a commensal protozoan in the large intestine of a number of mammalian hosts, such as cats, dogs, and non-human primates. The resulting infections, which can induce diarrhea, have been attributed to opportunistic overgrowth of P. hominis. This study was performed to confirm the P. hominis infection and its molecular characterization from the feces of puppies with diarrhea. Fecal samples were obtained from 14 German shepherd puppies with diarrhea over 1 week (7 females and 7 males, 2-9 months of age) residing on a dog farm in August 2007. Species-specific PCR assay identified P. hominis 18S rRNA genes in 3 of the 14 puppies (1 female and 2 males; 1 aged 2 months and 2 aged 9 months). This phylogenetic analysis established that P. hominis belonged to the 1st clade, which is comprised of Bos taurus and Felines.     

Postnatal differentiation of sexual preference in male pigs

Attraction to sexually mature males and the immobilization response were evaluated after postpubertal estrogen treatment of ovariectomized females and of males castrated within 48 hr after birth or at 4 or 8 months of age. The time spent in the end of an evaluation pen which housed a mature intact male, the proportion of animals that showed the immobilization response, and the latency to onset and the duration of this response were similar in ovariectomized females and males castrated within 48 hr after birth. These two groups spent more time in the male end of the evaluation pen as opposed to the opposite end which housed an ovariectomized female, showed a shorter latency to the onset of the immobilization response, and expressed this response for a greater number of days than males castrated either at 4 or 8 months of age. Males castrated at 4 or 8 months did not show a strong preference for either a mature male or an ovariectomized female. The immobilization response in estrogen-treated males castrated at 4 or 8 months of age diminished as these animals became older. On the basis of the observations made in this study, attraction to a mature, intact male is a sexually dimorphic behavioral trait in pigs, and defeminization of this trait in male pigs is associated with the pubertal increase in testicular steroid secretion. Presently, pigs are the only mammalian species in which a role has been identified for pubertal, testicular steroid secretion in the defeminization process.     

Sodium and potassium content and membrane transport properties in red blood cells from newborn puppies

The intracellular sodium and potassium concentrations and membrane transport properties for these ions were investigated in red blood cells from newborn puppies and adult dogs. At birth the intracellular concentrations of sodium and potassium are much higher than those found in adult dog red cells. During the first few weeks of life the intracellular concentrations of these ions gradually decrease until the adult level is reached. Changes in the membrane transport properties develop concurrently. The rate of active potassium influx, as measured by ouabain-sensitivity, and the pump to leak ratio are greater in red cells from newborn puppies than in those from adult animals. No ouabain-sensitive sodium efflux could be demonstrated in red cells from older puppies or adult dogs. When either puppy or adult dog red cells are depleted of ATP (by incubation at 37°C with no substrate), potassium permeability increases, and the permeability of the membrane to sodium decreases. The addition of adenosine reverses the effect of depletion.     

Dog Breeding in New Providence,The Bahamas,and Its Potential Impact on the Roaming Dog Population II: The Fate of Puppies

This article reports the first known study on the disposal of puppies in an Afro-Caribbean community. The study reported the fate of 2,427 puppies through 517 interviews with dog caregivers. The study reported that surviving puppies from “pure-bred” females were typically sold (60.1% of surviving puppies) whereas those from mongrel (potcakes) mothers were given away (48.4%). Pure-bred mothers produced the majority of surviving puppies (55.8%). Some caregivers failed to appreciate that the “stray dog problem” resulted from the inappropriate care of their dogs and disposal of puppies. Overall, the unstructured relinquishment (giving away) of puppies (22.7% of surviving puppies) could contribute to the roaming dog population unless they are cared for responsibly.     

Dog and owner demographic characteristics and dog personality trait associations

The aim of this study was to analyze the relationships between four personality traits (calmness, trainability, dog sociability and boldness) of dogs (Canis familiaris) and dog and owner demographics on a large sample size with 14,004 individuals. German speaking dog owners could characterize their dog by filling out a form on the Internet. There were five demographic variables for dogs and nine for owners. Two statistical methods were used for investigating the associations between personality and demographic traits: the more traditional general linear methods and regression trees that are ideal for analyzing non-linear relationships in the structure of the data. The results showed that calmness is influenced primarily by the dog's age, the neutered status, the number of different types of professional training courses (e.g. obedience, agility) the dog had experienced and the age of acquisition. The least calm dogs were less than 2.5 years old, neutered and acquired after the first 12 weeks of age, while the calmest dogs were older than 6.9 years. Trainability was affected primarily by the training experiences, the dog's age, and the purpose of keeping the dog. The least trainable dogs had not received professional training at all and were older than 3 years. The most trainable dogs were those who participated in three or more types of professional training. Sociability toward conspecifics was mainly determined by the age, sex, training experience and time spent together. The least sociable dogs were older than 4.8 years and the owners spent less than 3 h with the dog daily. The most sociable dogs were less than 1.5 years old. Males were less sociable toward their conspecifics than females. Boldness was affected by the sex and age of the dog and the age of acquisition. The least bold were females acquired after the age of 1 year or bred by the owner. The boldest dogs were males, acquired before the age of 12 weeks, and were younger than 2 years old. Other variables, including the owner's gender, age, education, previous experience with dogs, the number of people and dogs in the household, and purpose of keeping the dogs had minor, but detectable effects. The results suggest that on-line questionnaires are a very effective means for collecting data about dog behavior, especially if owners are motivated by instant feedback. However, note that the characteristics of dogs in the present study were reported by the owners, and the associations with the traits do not necessarily represent a causal relationship.     

The relationship of adult morphology and early social signalling of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Most research on dog communication has focused on either the use of lupine signals during intra-specific interactions or has studied single-breed groups, with little regard to the effects of morphological change in the dog on their communication. This oversight ignores the fact that most modern dog breeds do not resemble the wolf and thus they have lost the ability to send some signals and may encounter communication problems. Using puppies in 40 litters from 32 breeds, we investigated the relationship between the frequencies of behaviours (social signals), and the adult morphology of these dogs. Despite a high level of precision, no statistically significant relationships were found between the deviation of the adult morphology from the ancestral lupine morphotype and early social signalling in the dog. We concluded that any communication loss due to morphological deviation, is not compensated for by increasing the frequency of signalling behaviours at this age.     

不同粗蛋白含量日粮对Beagle犬生产力的影响

用4种不同粗蛋白含量的日粮饲喂60条2～3岁Beagle犬种犬(♀48,♂12)和200条(♀,♂各半)1～8月龄生长犬,对种母犬2～3胎的主要繁殖性能和生长犬的生长性能(体重月平均增加)进行测定.结果 表明饲喂粗蛋白含量水平为28.6%的日粮,受试母犬表现出优良的繁殖性能:配怀率98.5%、平均产仔数6.3条/胎、仔犬成活率90.3%;1～8月龄生长Beagle犬饲喂粗蛋白含量水平为32.8%为最佳,平均月增重为1.41 kg.说明不同粗蛋白含量日粮对Beagle犬生产力有明显的影响.     

Behavioral effects of the presence of a dog in a classroom

Abstract

To test the idea that dogs have a positive influence on the social behavior of school children, one of three dogs was introduced alternately into a class at an elementary school in Vienna, attended by 24 children (mean age: 6.7 years). Most of the 14 boys and ten girls came from first-generation immigrant families. With parental consent, their behavior was videotaped for two hours every week, during “open teaching situations,” first during a one-month control period in the absence of dogs, followed by an experimental period of similar duration, when a dog was present in the classroom. Frequency and duration of all observable behaviors of individuals and their interactions were coded from these tapes. Although major individual differences were found in the children's interest in the dog and their behavioral responses, the group became socially more homogenous due to decreased behavioral extremes, such as aggressiveness and hyperactivity; also, formerly withdrawn individuals became socially more integrated. Effects were more pronounced in the boys than the girls. Even though the children spent considerable time watching and making contacting with the dog, they also paid more attention to the teacher. We conclude that the presence of a dog in a classroom could positively stimulate social cohesion in children and provide a relatively cheap and easy means of improving teaching conditions.     

Characteristics of owned dogs on the island of New Providence, The Bahamas

This study reports the findings from street interviews on owned dogs (N = 442) in New Providence, The Bahamas. Many households kept dogs outside, and roughly 43% of households allowed at least 1 dog to roam. Dogs kept inside most likely were considered a companion, whereas dogs used for security were kept outside. With 36.1% of the dog population neutered and 4.4 puppies per litter surviving to breeding age (6 months), the population continues to produce more dogs than are required just to maintain its numbers. Potcakes, the local mongrel, followed by pit bulls, were the most commonly kept dogs. Comparison with a study conducted in the Yucatan, Mexico (A. Ortega-Pacheco et al., 2005), suggests that the hostile subtropical environment of New Providence well may be responsible for checking the growth of the dog population. The study also suggests that until less than 20% of the females breed, there will continue to be a dog problem on the island.     

Early Interactions Between Mothers and Their Medically Fragile Infants

The purpose of this study was to examine the interactions of 56 medically fragile infants and their mothers and to determine the influence of infant age, neurological status, maternal education, ethnicity, and observation location on these interactions. The interactions were observed for about 1 hr every 2 months while in the hospital, 1 month after hospital discharge, and at 6 months corrected age. The age of the infants had the greatest effect on the interaction. As infants grew older, mothers spent less time feeding, involved, holding, in body contact, looking, rocking, gesturing, and touching. However, mothers talked more, and played more with older infants. Older medically fragile infants were alert more, vocalized more, and slept less. Only one variable was directly affected by neurological status: Mothers moved neurologically normal infants more often. The neurologically normal and compromised groups were also more similar at older ages than younger ages in the percentage of time the mother was involved and the infant vocalized. Mothers with more years of education fed their infants more and looked at them more often, and minority mothers talked to their infants less and moved them more.     

Plasma thyroxine and cortisol under basal conditions and during cold stress in the aging dog

The effects of aging on plasma concentration of thyroxine (T4) and cortisol and on responses of these hormones to low ambient temperatures were determined in the dog. Female beagle dogs were divided into three age groups: old, adult, and puppies. The mean (+/- SD) ages were 11.4 +/- 0.2 years, 3.0 +/- 0.4 years, and 7.6 +/- 0.2 weeks, respectively. All dogs came from a genetically homogeneous colony and were free from any disease. The adult and old dogs were used during anestrus. Based on four daily blood samples, the mean (+/- SE) T4 level in the old dogs (2.8 +/- 0.1 microgram/dl) was significantly (P less than 0.001) lower than that in the adults (4.2 +/- 0.2 micrograms/dl) and puppies (4.4 +/- 0.2 micrograms/dl). By contrast, mean plasma cortisol levels in the old dogs (21.1 +/- 3.1 ng/ml) and adults (15.4 +/- 2.4 ng/ml) were significantly higher than those in the puppies (7.2 +/- 1.1 ng/ml). No significant changes in plasma T4 and cortisol occurred in any of the three age groups at 22 degrees C or during exposure to 10 or 4 degrees C. Exposure to -5 degrees C, however, produced significant increases in T4 (greater than 130% by 5 hr) and cortisol (greater than 280% by 1 hr) in adult dogs. This temperature produced only a modest increase in T4 (70% by 3.5 hr) and no change in cortisol in the old dogs. The puppies showed no change in T4 and cortisol during exposure to -5 degrees C. The results demonstrate that with advancing age, plasma T4 and cortisol concentrations change in opposite directions, thus supporting the hypothesis of a negative relationship between these two hormones. These results also show that the responses of these hormones to the stress of cold decline during aging and are not yet developed in the very young.     

Thyroid gland activity and motor activity during dog ontogenesis]

The locomotor activity (LA) and the level of the protein-bound iodine (PBI) in the blood serum were investigated in 62 puppies at the age of 1--12 months. A parallel elevation of PBI and the LA was observed the first 4 months after birth. The second peak of the LA at the age of 7--9 months was not accompanied by any PBI rise. Inhibition of the thyroid function with mercasolyl increased the LA at the age of 1--3 months and decreased it at the age of 7 months. An increase of the LA one month after thyroidectomy was found at the age of 1 and 3.5 months. The activity of puppies operated on at the age of one month showed a sharp fall after 2--4 months. The data on various effect of thyroid hormones on puppies of different age pointed to the complex relation between the LA and the thyroid gland function.     

Birth of viable puppies derived from breeding cloned female dogs with a cloned male

Since the establishment of production of viable cloned dogs by somatic cell nucleus transfer, great concern has been given to the reproductive abilities of these animals (Canis familiaris). Therefore, we investigated reproductive activity of cloned dogs by (1) performing sperm analysis using computer-assisted sperm analysis and early embryonic development, (2) assessing reproductive cycling by measuring serum progesterone (P4) levels and performing vaginal cytology, and (3) breeding cloned dogs using artificial insemination. Results showed that most parameters of sperm motility in a cloned male dog were within the reference range, and in vivo–matured oocytes from a noncloned female were successfully fertilized by spermatozoa from a cloned male dog and develop normally to the 8-cell stage. Three cloned female dogs displayed normal patterns of P4 levels and morphologic changes of the vaginal epithelium. Two cloned female dogs became pregnant using semen from a cloned male dog and successfully delivered 10 puppies by natural labor. In conclusion, these data demonstrated that both cloned male and female dogs are fertile, and their puppies are currently alive and healthy with normal growth patterns.     

Characteristics of Owned Dogs on the Island of New Providence,The Bahamas

This study reports the findings from street interviews on owned dogs (N = 442) in New Providence, The Bahamas. Many households kept dogs outside, and roughly 43% of households allowed at least 1 dog to roam. Dogs kept inside most likely were considered a companion, whereas dogs used for security were kept outside. With 36.1% of the dog population neutered and 4.4 puppies per litter surviving to breeding age (6 months), the population continues to produce more dogs than are required just to maintain its numbers. Potcakes, the local mongrel, followed by pit bulls, were the most commonly kept dogs. Comparison with a study conducted in the Yucatan, Mexico (A. Ortega-Pacheco et al., 2005), suggests that the hostile subtropical environment of New Providence well may be responsible for checking the growth of the dog population. The study also suggests that until less than 20% of the females breed, there will continue to be a dog problem on the island.     

Preference for Cute Infants Does Not Depend on Their Ethnicity or Species: Evidence from Hypothetical Adoption and Donation Paradigms

Results of previous work suggest a preference of adult observers for cute compared to less cute infants. In Study 1 we investigated whether the preference for cute infants depends on the ethnicity and species of the infant. We simultaneously presented two faces (one cute and one less cute) and asked Caucasian participants to choose the infant to whom they would rather give a toy (Task 1) and which infant they would rather adopt (Task 2). The infants were Caucasian or African human babies or dog puppies. For all face categories and in both tasks we found a strong preference for cute infants. A possible reason for preferring cute infants may be that cute infants look healthier than less cute infants. To investigate whether cuteness is associated with the assessment of health we conducted Study 2. Faces of Caucasian and African infants and dog puppies were rated for cuteness and health. The findings revealed a significant relationship between health and cuteness evaluation across all stimuli. We suggest that one reason why cute infants are preferred might be because they are perceived as being healthier.     

Long-Term Responses to Loss of Renal Mass: Pathophysiological Aspects: The Influence of Age on the Response to Renal Parenchymal Loss

The effect of age on compensatory hypertrophy and functional adaptation to loss of 75 percent of renal mass was studied in canine puppies. In one group of animals the surgery was done between 1-5 days after birth and in another group, at two months of age. All animals were studied six weeks later. Shamoperated littermates served as controls. The newborn puppies in the experimental group were able to grow and maintain homeostasis as well as their controls, whereas the older experimental animals grew poorly and had significantly higher levels of plasma creatinine than their sham-operated counterparts (p < .05). The increase in mass of the remaining kidney was twice as much in the newborn as in the older dogs. Functional adaptation, as expressed by GFR, was nearly complete in the young, but reached only about 45 percent of controls in the older age group (p<.005). The intrarenal blood flow distribution was similar for experimental and control animals in both groups studied. There were, however, marked differences in the pattern of single glomerular perfusion rates: whereas in the older dogs the increase was confined to the deeper nephrons, in the newborn an increase occurred in all zones of the kidney. These studies demonstrate that compensation for massive loss of renal tissue is complete when the injury is sustained in the immediate postnatal period but only partial when it occurs later on in life. A loss in the adaptive capacity of the superficial nephrons appears to account for this age-related difference.     

Why Do People Laugh during Dog–Human Play Interactions?

Given that human laughter has been posited to signal playfulness to dogs, nonserious social incongruity, and positive affect, laughter should occur during incongruous contexts in an affectively positive, nonserious social activity such as dog–human play. A total of 116 laughs in relation to dogs were discerned on videotapes of 46 dog–human play interactions in the US, 23 with familiar and 23 with unfamiliar pairs. Laughter occurred during 61% of interactions, and always expressed positive affect. Contexts in which laughter occurred (in decreasing frequency) were failure of the dog during play, or to play at all or as the person wanted; exaggerated or unexpected engagement by the dog; excretion; unexpected success by the dog in obtaining an object; and, once, threat from the dog. Laughter never induced play, and usually occurred when a dog was not playing. Women laughed more than men, especially for a male audience when playing with their own dog. In all contexts, participants experienced incongruous events; contexts were nonserious, except for the dog's threat, where laughter signaled friendliness. These data are largely consistent with laughter signaling positive affect and awareness of (usually nonserious) social incongruity, and inconsistent with laughter signaling playfulness to dogs.