How Different Personalities Affect the Reaction to Adoption of Dogs Adopted from a Shelter
Abstract
:Simple Summary
Abstract
1. Introduction
2. Materials and Methods
2.1. Animals and Housing
2.2. Behavioral Observations
2.3. Statistical Analysis
3. Results
4. Discussion
5. Conclusions
Author Contributions
Funding
Institutional Review Board Statement
Informed Consent Statement
Data Availability Statement
Acknowledgments
Conflicts of Interest
Appendix A
Behaviour | Description of the Behaviour |
---|---|
Activity | |
Standing | staying in an upright position, on four legs. |
Walking | walking in the cage. |
Trotting | trotting in the cage. |
In/out | going in and out of the indoor/outdoor zone of the cage. |
Aggressive behaviour | |
Growling | threatening vocalisation coming from the throat. |
Sideways glance | looking transversely with the head upright or bent. The glance is threatening. |
Raising fur | raising the fur of the head, body and tail so that the dog appears to have a larger size and is thus more threatening. |
Curling lip | light raising of the upper lip, usually only on one side, with a threatening partial display of the teeth. |
Showing teeth | curling of the upper and lower lips while opening the mouth with a threatening display of the teeth. |
Dashing at bars | dashing at bars in the direction of the observer, of another person or of another dog. |
Anxiety | |
Body shaking | shaking the body quickly sideward. |
Scratching | raising one hind leg and vigorously scratching part of the body with the leg. |
Muzzle licking | passing the tongue over the muzzle. |
Self-grooming | cleaning itself with the tongue and the teeth. |
Yawning | opening the mouth and inhaling and exhaling air. |
Repetitive pacing in circles | repetitive walking in a circle within the cage. |
Licking or biting compulsively | repeatedly licking or biting the bars, the wall and/or objects in the cage. |
Catching flies | trying to catch an imaginary fly with the mouth, clutching at empty air with the teeth. |
Coprophagy | eating feces. |
Self-mutilation | licking itself continuously in same part of the body, so intensely to cause abrasions or even wounds. |
Attention | |
Raising ears | raising ears because dog’s attention has been caught by something. |
Looking outside | looking outside the cage, across the bars. |
Looking out carefully | looking outside the cage very carefully; the position resembles that described for "prompt" but the dog is not ready to spring up. |
Looking at observer | looking outside the cage towards the observer. |
Looking at unknown people | looking at people the dog does not know. |
Looking at volunteer | looking at a shelter volunteer worker. |
Looking at dog | looking outside the cage towards another dog. |
Raising foreleg | raising one foreleg towards something or someone that caught dog’s attention. |
Raising forelegs on wall | raising both forelegs onto the wall or onto the bars, looking carefully outside |
Sniffing environment | putting the muzzle on the ground, on the wall, or on the objects in the cage, the dog sniffs the environment. |
Sniffing air | raising the head, moving the nostrils and breathing the air to perceive odors. |
Sniffing observer | pointing the muzzle towards the observer, the dog moves the nostrils clearly trying to perceive the odors of the observer. |
Sniffing unknown people | pointing the muzzle towards people the dog does not know, the dog moves the nostrils clearly trying to perceive their odors. |
Sniffing volunteer | pointing the muzzle towards volunteers working in the shelter, the dog moves the nostrils clearly trying to perceive their odors. |
Sniffing dog | pointing the muzzle towards another dog, the subject moves the nostrils clearly trying to perceive the object’s odors. |
Dominant behaviour | |
Staring | gazing at the observer, another person or another dog right in the eyes. |
Stiff body and tail still | standing still in an upright posture, with the ears raised and turned forward, the four legs straight and rigid and the tail immobile and rigid at a medium height. |
Raised tail | the tail is held high while it is still. |
Wagging with the tail held high | moving the tail sideward while held high. |
Pricked-up ears | holding the ears forwards while assuming an upright body posture with head and tail held high, legs straight and stiff. |
Urinating with a raised leg | urinating keeping a leg raised. |
Paw/muzzle on a conspecific’s back | putting the muzzle or one forepaw or both over the back of another dog. |
Submissive behaviour | |
Avoiding eye contact | looking away from the observer, another human or another dog, who is looking at the subject. |
Lowering head | lowering the head in front of the observer, another human or another dog. |
Ears down | putting the ears down, pressed on the head, or holding them backwards. |
Cringing | lying with the ventral region in contact with the ground. |
Tail between the legs | holding the tail down or tightly between the hind legs and against the belly. |
Lying down on back | laying down on the back exposing the ventral side of the chest and sometimes the abdomen. |
Excitability | |
Drooling | the dog flows saliva out of the mouth. |
Try to mount | mounting another dog simulating a copulation. |
Pointer | holding the ears forwards while assuming an upright body posture with head and tail held high, legs straight and stiff. |
Try to chase a cat | pointing and showing the intention to chase a cat. |
Galloping | galloping in the cage. |
Jumping | jumping in the cage. |
Affiliative behaviour | |
Wagging tail | the tail is wagged sideward but not held high, in a relaxed manner. |
Giving the foreleg | raising one of the forelegs and leaning it in the direction of the observer. |
Leaning on bars | leaning the body in direct contact with the bars of the cage. |
Licking the muzzle of a dog | licking the muzzle of other dogs. |
Passive contact: | staying in contact with some part of the body, without sleeping. |
Allo-grooming | cleaning the fur of another dog, licking and nibbling. |
Playing | |
Inviting to play | inviting another dog or human to play: the dog bends down with the forelegs outstretched on the ground and the rump upwards, or brings an object, runs around and jumps. |
Answering invitation to play | playing with another dog after having been invited to do so. |
Appendix B
1. Is the dog subordinate to humans? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
2. Is the dog subordinate to dogs? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
3. Is the dog aggressive towards humans? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
4. Is the dog aggressive towards dogs? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
5. Is the dog dominant towards dogs? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
6. Is the dog active? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
7. Is the dog excitable? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
8. Is the dog sociable towards humans? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
9. Is the dog sociable towards dogs? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
10. Is the dog anxious? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
11. Is the dog playful? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
12. Is the dog attentive? | 1 2 3 4 5 |
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Behavioral Category | Observed Behavioral Patterns |
---|---|
Activity | Standing, walking, or trotting in/out from the internal to the external area of the cage and vice-versa. |
Aggressive behavior towards humans | Growling, sideways glances, raising fur, curling lips, showing teeth, dashing at bars. |
Aggressive behavior towards dogs | Growling, sideways glance, raising fur, curling lip, showing teeth, dashing at bars. |
Anxiety | Body shaking, scratching, muzzle licking, self-grooming, yawning, repetitive pacing in circles, licking or biting compulsively, catching flies, coprophagy, self-mutilation. |
Attention | Raising ears, looking outside, looking out carefully, looking at observer, looking at unknown people, looking at volunteer, looking at dog, raising foreleg, raising forelegs on wall, sniffing environment, sniffing air, sniffing observer, sniffing unknown people, sniffing volunteer, sniffing dog. |
Dominant behavior towards dogs | Staring, stiff body and tail still, raised tail, wagging with the tail held high, pricked-up ears, urinating with a raised leg, paw or a muzzle on a conspecific’s back. |
Submissive behavior towards humans | Avoiding eye contact, lowering head, ears down, cringing, tail between the legs, lying down on the back. |
Submissive behavior towards dogs | Avoiding eye contact, lowering head, ears down, cringing, tail between the legs, lying down on the back. |
Excitability | Drooling, try to mount, pointer, try to chase a cat, galloping, jumping. |
Affiliative behavior towards humans | Wagging tail, giving the foreleg, leaning on bars. |
Affiliative behavior towards dogs | Wagging tail, licking the muzzle of a dog, passive contact, allo-grooming. |
Playing | Inviting to play, answering invitation to play. |
Factor 1 | Factor 2 | |
---|---|---|
Insecurity | Self Confidence | |
Submissive towards dogs | 0.840 * | −0.234 |
Submissive towards humans | 0.823 * | −0.037 |
Aggressive towards humans | 0.792 * | 0.061 |
Anxiety | −0.570 * | −0.286 |
Aggressive towards dogs | 0.532 * | −0.066 |
Excitability | −0.347 | 0.040 |
Activity | −0.340 | 0.207 |
Dominance towards dogs | −0.261 | 0.706 * |
Attention | 0.040 | 0.685 * |
Affiliative towards humans | −0.065 | 0.585 * |
Playfulness | −0.164 | −0.515 * |
Affiliative towards dogs | −0.084 | 0.298 |
Behavioral Categories | Components | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |
Submissive towards humans | −0.125 | 0.815 * | 0.024 | −0.063 | 0.106 | −0.046 |
Submissive towards dogs | −0.221 | 0.626 * | −0.010 | −0.224 | 0.068 | −0.475 |
Aggressive towards humans | −0.183 | 0.176 | 0.317 | −0.303 | 0.632 * | −0.128 |
Aggressive towards dogs | −0.036 | 0.399 | 0.692 * | −0.116 | 0.377 | −0.057 |
Dominance towards dogs | 0.004 | −0.160 | −0.109 | −0.001 | −0.057 | 0.896 * |
Activity | 0.761 * | −0.024 | −0.085 | 0.264 | −0.075 | 0.007 |
Excitability | 0.626 * | −0.425 | 0.318 | 0.168 | 0.272 | 0.148 |
Affiliative towards humans | 0.183 | 0.390 | 0.048 | 0.632 * | 0.049 | 0.488 |
Affiliative towards dogs | 0.037 | 0.158 | −0.867 * | −0.055 | 0.212 | 0.077 |
Anxiety | −0.082 | −0.023 | 0.207 | −0.213 | −0.848 * | −0.004 |
Playfulness | 0.853 * | −0.117 | −0.078 | −0.224 | −0.034 | 0.039 |
Attention | −0.008 | −0.357 | −0.021 | 0.833 * | 0.038 | −0.041 |
Cluster | |||
---|---|---|---|
1 | 2 | 3 | |
Component 1: Activity, excitability, playfulness | 0.55800 | −1.16899 | 0.30020 |
Component 2: Submissive behavior | −1.00230 | −0.06218 | 0.32556 |
Component 3: Aggressive towards dogs, affiliative towards dogs (opposite sign) | 0.40421 | −0.16293 | −0.05609 |
Component 4: Affiliative towards humans, attention | −0.49745 | 0.58338 | −0.08412 |
Component 5: Aggressive towards humans, anxiety (opposite sign) | 0.32692 | 0.62147 | −0.34666 |
Component 6: Dominance towards dogs | −1.02936 | 0.03229 | 0.29589 |
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Corsetti, S.; Pimpolari, L.; Natoli, E. How Different Personalities Affect the Reaction to Adoption of Dogs Adopted from a Shelter. Animals 2021, 11, 1816. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061816
Corsetti S, Pimpolari L, Natoli E. How Different Personalities Affect the Reaction to Adoption of Dogs Adopted from a Shelter. Animals. 2021; 11(6):1816. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061816
Chicago/Turabian StyleCorsetti, Sara, Luisa Pimpolari, and Eugenia Natoli. 2021. "How Different Personalities Affect the Reaction to Adoption of Dogs Adopted from a Shelter" Animals 11, no. 6: 1816. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11061816