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Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion'...
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Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion' Section

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Human-Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2026 | Viewed by 6058

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Marcello Siniscalchi

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Animal Physiology and Behavior Unit, Department of Veterinary Medicine, University of Bari “Aldo Moro”, 70121 Bari, Italy
Interests: animal physiology; behavioral neuroscience; brain lateralization; emotion; animal communication; human–animal relationship
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

As Editor-in-Chief of the“Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion” section, I am very glad to announce the Special Issue, "Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion' Section". This Special Issue will bring together a selection of outstanding articles that present recent advances and emerging perspectives in this interdisciplinary and evolving field.

Contributions to this issue will cover a broad spectrum of topics, ranging from animal behavior to the complexity of cognitive processes and emotional functioning in the animal brain that underlie their deeply rooted relationships with humans.

We welcome the submission of manuscripts, reviews and original research articles from leading researchers in this field.

Researchers are welcome to send short proposals for submissions of “Featured Papers” for evaluation.

I look forward to receiving your contributions. 

Prof. Dr. Marcello Siniscalchi
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • behavior
  • emotion
  • human–animal relationship
  • animal communication
  • animal cognition

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Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (4 papers)

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Research

22 pages, 292 KB  
Article
Working on the Frontline of Dog Adoption: The Perspectives and Experiences of Animal Shelter Workers in RSPCA Queensland
by Eileen Thumpkin, Nancy A. Pachana and Mandy B. A. Paterson
Animals 2026, 16(8), 1279; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16081279 - 21 Apr 2026
Viewed by 449
Abstract
Estimates suggest that approximately 400 million dogs are kept as pets worldwide. Despite their popularity, around 10% to 30% are surrendered to rescue shelters each year. Shelter workers play a pivotal role in the success of dog adoptions and provide ongoing support to [...] Read more.
Estimates suggest that approximately 400 million dogs are kept as pets worldwide. Despite their popularity, around 10% to 30% are surrendered to rescue shelters each year. Shelter workers play a pivotal role in the success of dog adoptions and provide ongoing support to help owners keep these dogs in their homes. However, research that captures their perspectives and experiences regarding the dog adoption process remains limited. Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Queensland shelter teams participated in six focus group discussions to share their perspectives and experiences of the dog adoption process in their shelters. Reflexive thematic analysis of the gathered data generated three themes: 1. “Doing great adoptions” starts with an inclusive, well-resourced application process and a skilled team. 2. Finding the right fit involves navigating the duality of carer and advocate through honest, informative interactions with the whole family. 3. Successful outcomes involve supporting and educating the public to care for and keep their dog. This grounded understanding of the challenges facing shelters in their work could provide valuable feedback to help shelter leaders and staff develop policies and practices that support positive adoption outcomes, tailor programmes to local needs, and reduce return rates. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion' Section)
17 pages, 1184 KB  
Article
Showing Behaviour in One Hundred and One Dogs: Gazing, Breed and Cephalic Index
by Samuele Commauda, Veronica Maglieri, Emanuela Prato-Previde and Elisabetta Palagi
Animals 2026, 16(5), 760; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16050760 - 1 Mar 2026
Viewed by 927
Abstract
Dogs exhibit sophisticated interspecific communication skills, including the use of visual signals to indicate the location of inaccessible resources, known as showing behaviour. Previous studies have investigated factors such as age and training, but the effects of breed and cranial morphology remain unclear. [...] Read more.
Dogs exhibit sophisticated interspecific communication skills, including the use of visual signals to indicate the location of inaccessible resources, known as showing behaviour. Previous studies have investigated factors such as age and training, but the effects of breed and cranial morphology remain unclear. Here, we tested a uniquely large sample of 101 pet dogs from 43 different breeds, using a standardized out-of-reach/hidden object task to assess three key visual behaviours: gaze at the owner, gaze at the reward, and gaze alternation between owner and reward. Dogs were tested in familiar environments without pre-training, and owners were instructed to remain passive to avoid unintentional cues. Our results confirm the importance of gaze alternation and gazing at the reward as central components of showing behaviour, particularly when both owner and reward were present. Contrary to expectations, we found no effect of breed or Cephalic Index on these behavioural patterns, suggesting that life experiences rather than artificial selection can influence visual communicative strategies in this specific context. The exceptionally large and diversified sample of this study provides unprecedented insight into the consistency of visual signalling across dog breeds. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion' Section)
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14 pages, 639 KB  
Article
The Influence of Cat Coat Colour, Eye Shape, and Pupil Size on Ratings of Adoptability Based on a Standardised Online Image, in an Australian Sample
by Sarah C. Whelan, Deanna L. Tepper, Jessica K. Dawson, Diana Rayment, Lily Chilcott, Pauleen C. Bennett and Tiffani J. Howell
Animals 2026, 16(2), 339; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16020339 - 22 Jan 2026
Viewed by 2086
Abstract
Online pet adoption profiles, which present images of available pets, can create powerful first impressions. Research about factors influencing pet adoptability online is limited and has mainly focused on dogs, yet cats are also in need of homes. People may judge a cat’s [...] Read more.
Online pet adoption profiles, which present images of available pets, can create powerful first impressions. Research about factors influencing pet adoptability online is limited and has mainly focused on dogs, yet cats are also in need of homes. People may judge a cat’s behaviour based on physical factors, like coat colour, eye shape, and pupil size. This study aimed to determine whether those physical traits relate to cat adoptability and, if so, whether they might do this through influencing perceptions of cuteness and specific behaviours. Australian adults (N = 624) were surveyed online using a single cat image that was modified to have all possible combinations of four different coat colours, three eye shapes, and three pupil sizes. Adoptability scores varied significantly with the cat’s coat colour and eye shape, but not pupil size. Black cats with walnut-shaped eyes had the highest adoptability ratings. A stepwise multiple regression determined seven variables influencing adoptability scores, including the degree to which the image was rated as cute, friendly, shy, active, difficult, playful, and devoted. Cuteness had the strongest influence, explaining 34% of the model variance. Multiple two-way ANOVAs compared these seven variables across combinations of coat colour and eye shape, with black cats being perceived as significantly more friendly and playful. This information may help animal adoption agencies understand how cats’ physical features can be utilised in online profiles to enhance adoption outcomes. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion' Section)
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24 pages, 2933 KB  
Article
Chronic State and Relationship to Humans Influence How Horses Decode Emotions in Human Voices: A Brain and Behavior Study
by Serenella d’Ingeo, Marcello Siniscalchi, Angelo Quaranta, Hugo Cousillas and Martine Hausberger
Animals 2025, 15(21), 3217; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15213217 - 5 Nov 2025
Viewed by 1902
Abstract
Current research on acoustic encoding of emotional content suggests that there are universal cues, allowing for decoding within and across taxa. This is particularly important for human–animal relationships, wherein domestic animals are supposed to be particularly efficient in decoding human emotions. Here we [...] Read more.
Current research on acoustic encoding of emotional content suggests that there are universal cues, allowing for decoding within and across taxa. This is particularly important for human–animal relationships, wherein domestic animals are supposed to be particularly efficient in decoding human emotions. Here we investigated whether the decoding of the emotional content in human voices shared universal acoustic properties, or whether it could be influenced by experience. Emotional human voices were presented to two populations of horses, in which behavioral, cardiac, and brain responses were measured. The two populations differed in their living and working conditions: one population lived in naturalistic conditions (stable social groups in pastures) and were ridden occasionally for outdoor trail riding with one to a few different riders, while the other was kept in more restricted conditions (individual stalls) and participated in riding lessons involving many different riders. Assessment of the horses’ welfare state (animal-based measures) and their relationships with humans, performed independently of the playback experiments, revealed that the populations differed in both aspects. Whereas both populations appeared to react to the angry human voice, the population with the best welfare state and relationship with humans showed little differentiation between the different emotional voices and exhibited low behavioral reactions. On the contrary, the other population showed high behavioral and cardiac reactions to all negative voices. Brain responses also differed, with the first population showing higher responses (increased gamma, i.e., excitation) for the happy voice and the second for fear and anger (increased theta, i.e., alarm). Thus, animals’ affective state and past experiences appear very influential for their perception of (cross-taxa) acoustic emotional cues. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Featured Papers in the 'Human–Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion' Section)
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