
Katriina TiiraUniversity of Helsinki | HY
Katriina Tiira
PhD
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86
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Introduction
Additional affiliations
January 2002 - May 2008
June 2008 - September 2015
January 1997 - December 2001
Publications
Publications (86)
Background:
Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a prevalent and multifactorial neuropsychiatric disorder in the human population worldwide. Complex etiology and clinical heterogeneity have challenged the research, diagnostics and treatment of the disease. Hyperactive and impulsive behaviour has also been observed in dogs, and they c...
Personality and anxiety disorders across species are affected by genetic and environmental factors. Shyness-boldness personality continuum exists across species, including the domestic dog, with a large within- and across-breed variation. Domestic dogs are also diagnosed for several anxiety-related behavioral conditions, such as generalized anxiety...
Lagotto Romagnolo (LR) dogs with benign juvenile epilepsy syndrome often experience spontaneous remission of seizures. The long-term outcome in these dogs currently is unknown. In humans, behavioral and psychiatric comorbidities have been reported in pediatric and adult-onset epilepsies.
The objectives of this study were to investigate possible neu...
A key question of evolutionary importance is what factors influence who becomes dominant. Individual genetic variation has
been found to be associated with several fitness traits, including behaviour. Could it also be a factor influencing social
dominance? We investigated the association between social status and the amount of intra-individual gene...
Behavioral and physiological synchrony facilitate emotional closeness in attachment relationships. The aim of this pseudorandomized cross-over study was to investigate the emotional and physiological link, designated as co-modulation, between dogs and their owners. We measured the heart rate variability (HRV) and physical activity of dogs belonging...
Studies linking genetics, behavior and life history in any species are rare. In Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), age at maturity is a key life‐history trait and associates strongly with the vgll3 locus, whereby the vgll3*E allele is linked with younger age at maturity, and higher body condition than the vgll3*L allele. However, the relationship betwe...
As companion dogs spend most of their lives with humans, the human–dog relationship and owner temperament may affect the dog behavior. In this study (n = 440), we investigated the relationship between the dog owner temperament (ATQ-R), owner-perceived dog–owner relationship (MDORS) and the dog behavior in three behavioral tests: the object-choice t...
The extraordinary genetic and behavioural diversity of dog breeds provides a unique opportunity for investigating the heritability of cognitive traits, such as problem-solving ability, social cognition, inhibitory control, and memory. Previous studies have mainly investigated cognitive differences between breed groups, and information on individual...
We evaluated the effect of the dog–owner relationship on dogs’ emotional reactivity, quantified with heart rate variability (HRV), behavioral changes, physical activity and dog owner interpretations. Twenty nine adult dogs encountered five different emotional situations (i.e., stroking, a feeding toy, separation from the owner, reunion with the own...
We tested the possibility that vgll3, a gene linked with maturation age in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), may be associated with behaviour by measuring aggressiveness and feeding activity in 380 juveniles with different vgll3 genotypes. Contrary to our prediction, individuals with the genotype associated with later maturation (vgll3*LL) were signif...
Separation-related behaviour problems are common in domestic dogs. Vocalization is one of the most common symptoms in dogs, and neighbors often complain about dog barking and howling. We investigated the effect of digital application Digital Dogsitter® on the dogs’ vocalization (barking, howling, whining) when left alone. Digital Dogsitter® is an a...
Sex differences in a variety of cognitive traits have long been reported in various species, including dogs. However, only a few canine studies have taken the possible effect of reproductive hormones into account. The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of sex and reproductive status of pet dogs (N = 1032) on two cognitive traits: inhi...
The complex phenotypic and genetic nature of anxieties hampers progress in unravelling their molecular etiologies. Dogs present extensive natural variation in fear and anxiety behaviour and could advance the understanding of the molecular background of behaviour due to their unique breeding history and genetic architecture. As dogs live as part of...
Behaviour problems and anxieties in dogs decrease their quality of life and may lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. Considering the large number of pet dogs and the commonness of these problematic behaviours, a better understanding of the epidemiology and related molecular and environmental factors is needed. We have here studied the prevalence,...
Working dogs are used for a range of important operational tasks. Identifying potentially successful working dogs as early as possible is important as rejection rates are high and training is costly. Earlier research has mainly concentrated on personality traits such as boldness, and there is only little knowledge on the possible association betwee...
Katriina Tiira1,2 1SmartDOG, Riihimäki 11130, Finland; 2Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, Helsinki, FinlandCorrespondence: Katriina TiiraDepartment of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, University of Helsinki, PO Box 57, Helsinki FI-00014, FinlandEmail Katriina.tiira@helsinki.fiAbstract: What are the key factors...
Cat domestication and selective breeding have resulted in tens of breeds with major morphological differences. These breeds may also show distinctive behaviour differences; which, however, have been poorly studied. To improve the understanding of feline behaviour, we examined whether behavioural differences exist among cat breeds and whether behavi...
Dog ownership has been reported to have beneficial effects on physical activity and emotional well-being, both known to reduce the risk for type 2 diabetes (T2D). The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between dog ownership during the whole life course and having T2D in later life. The study subjects consisted of 731 people (307 men...
Anxiety disorders are among the leading health issues in human medicine. The complex phenotypic and allelic nature of these traits as well as the challenge of establishing reliable measures of the heritable component of behaviour from the associated environmental factors hampers progress in their molecular aetiology. Dogs exhibit large natural vari...
Objective:
We investigated the association between dog ownership during the life course and leisure-time PA (LTPA) in late adulthood.
Methods:
We included 714 participants (mean age = 70.8 ± 2.6 years) from the Helsinki Birth Cohort Study (HBCS). Dog ownership for every decade of life, current dog ownership, and current LTPA in metabolic equi...
Anxiety-related disorders, including fearfulness are common and leading welfare problems among the worldwide dog population. The etiology of anxieties is complex and affected by genetic and environmental factors. Thus, there is a need for more comprehensive approaches, such as metabolomics, to understand the causes of anxiety and to identify anxiet...
Significance
Urban, Westernized populations suffer extensively from noncommunicable diseases such as allergies. However, the overlapping effects of living environment and lifestyle are difficult to separate. Intriguingly, also our fellow animals, dogs, suffer from analogous diseases. Therefore, we suggest that pet dogs, sharing their environment an...
Our companion-animals, dogs, suffer increasingly from non-communicable diseases, analogous to those common in humans, such as allergic manifestations. In humans, living in rural environments is associated with lower risk of allergic diseases. Our aim was to explore whether a similar pattern can be found in dogs, using a nation-wide survey in Finlan...
Background
Anxieties, such as shyness, noise phobia and separation anxiety, are common but poorly understood behavioural problems in domestic dogs, Canis familiaris. Although studies have demonstrated genetic and environmental contributions to anxiety pathogenesis, better understanding of the molecular underpinnings is needed to improve diagnostics...
Fear is an emotion needed to survive, but when prolonged and frequent, causes suffering in both humans and animals. The most common forms of canine anxiety are as follows: general fearfulness, noise sensitivity, and separation anxiety are responsible for a large proportion of behavioral problems. Information on the prevalence and comorbidity of dif...
Fear of loud noises is a common welfare problem in pet dogs. Commercial treatment vests have been tested on dogs to relieve noise phobia, and peripheral oxytocin has been suggested to be one of the stress-relieving mediators. The effect of vests has not, however, been tested in a controlled situation. We tested whether individually customized vests...
A comprehensive feline health survey was conducted to reveal breed-specific inheritable diseases in Finnish pedigree cats for genetic research. Prevalence of 19 disease categories and 227 feline diseases were defined in a study population of 8175 cats belonging to 30 breeds. Dental and oral diseases, with a prevalence of 28%, and dental calculus an...
INTRODUCTION An individual’s fitness can be largely influenced by its genetic diversity. Low survival and poor fecundity are just few examples of the consequences of the loss of genetic variation (Mitton 1993; Falconer and Mackay 1996). Matings between closely related parents can result in progeny with lowered fitness, a phenomenon generally known...
Phenotyping behavior is difficult, partly because behavior is almost always influenced by environment. Using objective terms/criteria to evaluate behaviors is best; the more objective the assessment, the more likely underlying genetic patterns will be identified. Behavioral pathologies, and highly desirable behavioral characteristics/traits, are li...
Glaucoma is an optic neuropathy and one of the leading causes of blindness. Its hereditary forms are classified into primary closed-angle (PCAG), primary open-angle (POAG) and primary congenital glaucoma (PCG). Although many loci have been mapped in human, only a few genes have been identified that are associated with the development of glaucoma an...
Primers used for sequencing of the coding regions and flanking splice sites of candidate genes.
(XLSX)
The best associated SNPs were genotyped in four other breeds affected with glaucoma or PLD but no association to risk allele (A1) was identified in any of them.
(XLSX)
Pedigree of glaucoma affected Dandie Dinmont Terriers. The pedigree suggested that glaucoma in DDTs is inherited but the exact mode of inheritance is difficult to determine due to missing or unconfirmed phenotypes. The pedigree includes litters where both parents are affected. However, not all the littermates become affected suggesting a single loc...
The results of the sequencing of the candidate genes identified 6 coding and 12 intronic variants. None of the coding variants were expected to be causative.
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List of SNPs and primers used for replication of the association on CFA8 in other breeds.
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We describe a mild form of disproportionate dwarfism in Labrador Retrievers, which is not associated with any obvious health problems such as secondary arthrosis. We designate this phenotype as skeletal dysplasia 2 (SD2). It is inherited as a monogenic autosomal recessive trait with incomplete penetrance primarily in working lines of the Labrador R...
Non-synonymous variants in the critical interval CFA12: 467,795–4,906,914.
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Quantile-quantile (QQ) plot of the GWAS.
(TIF)
Measurements of long bone dimensions in a male SD2 affected Labrador Retriever and his non-affected brother.
(XLSX)
List of 277 dogs from 83 diverse breeds, which were free of the mutant allele at COL11A2:c.143G>C.
(XLSX)
Photographs of a Labrador Retriever with very short legs and deformed paws and carrying the wildtype genotype at COL11A2:c.143G>C.
(PDF)
We describe a mild form of disproportionate dwarfism in Labrador Retrievers, which is not associated with any obvious health problems such as secondary arthrosis. We designate this phenotype as skeletal dysplasia 2 (SD2). It is inherited as a monogenic autosomal recessive trait with incomplete penetrance primarily in working lines of the Labrador R...
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) is a neuropsychiatric disorder observed both in humans and animals. Examples of Canine Compulsive Disorder (CD) include excessive tail chasing (TC), light/shadow chasing and flank sucking. We performed a questionnaire survey to investigate the characteristics of compulsive (TC) and its possible associations with...
Tail chasing in German Shepherd male. This is a four year old male at the time of video shooting and has TCindex 9. Dog chases its tail multiple times per day and usually in situations where the dog has to wait for food or when owner talks to other people.
(WMV)
Tail chasing in Staffordshire Bull Terrier male. This dog is ten months of age, and all his sisters and brothers and a father (litter size 7) chase tails, while the mother does not have any stereotypic behavior. Dog has a TCindex 7, and the owner reports that the dog may start TC when nobody pays attention to the dog. This dog also displays a tranc...
Demographic parameters of our study populations.
(DOCX)
Short examples of pedigrees of a) Bull Terrier b) Miniature Bull Terrier, c) German Shepherd d) Staffordshire Bull Terrier. Dogs with TCindex>2 are marked with black squares, dogs with mild TC (TCindex = 1) are marked with grey squares, and dogs marked with white squares are dogs with no TC or other stereotypy observed. Dogs inside a dotted line ha...
Tail chasing in Bull Terrier puppy. This female puppy is four months at the time of video shooting, and TCindex is 9 (index varies between 0–12). Dog performs TC multiple times per day, and no clear reason for the behavior can be seen. Dog started the TC behavior at the age of 9 weeks.
(WMV)
Stereotypic Behavior Questionnaire.
(DOCX)
Dog Personality Questionnaire.
(DOCX)
Koiran ruokinta ja hoito -kirja antaa käytännönläheistä tietoa eri käyttötarkoituksessa ja elämänvaiheessa olevien koirien ravinnontarpeesta ja ruokinnasta: - aikuiset koirat - käyttö- ja kilpakoirat - kantavat ja imettävät nartut - pennut sekä - ikääntyvät ja vanhat koirat.Julkaisu perehdyttää koiran ruuansulatukseen ja energian- ja muiden ravinto...
Dominance status was determined among groups of four fish by using individuals from eight brown trout Salmo trutta populations. Subsequent growth of the fish was later recorded in larger groups. Seven months after the first set of trials, an additional set of dominance trials was performed by using the same fish. Social status affected subsequent g...
Standard metabolic rate (R(S)), specific growth rate (G) and aggressiveness were investigated in three Finnish populations of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar (Neva, Saimaa and Teno), which were reared in identical hatchery conditions. The populations differed in their geographical origin and native habitat. There was a significant difference between po...
Variation in the innate behavioral response to predation threat is often assumed to reflect genetic differences among the prey individuals. To date, no published results, however, exist that would offer explanation for the origin of this behavioral variation within populations. Using microsatellites as markers, we estimated the genetic variability...
Inbreeding is one of the factors that can result in high infant mortality. In many species, however, mortality at early life stages is very difficult to observe in the wild and estimates from later life stages may therefore underestimate the effects of reduced genetic variability on fitness. Using microsatellites, we compared the amount of genetic...
The feeding rate of a group (DS) of two small, two medium and two large 1+ Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus was higher than in a group of six fish of the same size (SS), suggesting that size distribution had an effect on feeding behaviour, with a correlation between the size of the fish and the amount of food eaten–the largest fish eating the most....
The amount of intraindividual genetic variation has often been found to have profound effects on life history traits. However, studies concerning the relationship between behaviour and genetic diversity are scarce. Aggressiveness is an important component of competitive ability in juvenile salmonids affecting their later performance and survival. I...
By simulating all possible offspring genotypic combinations based on pair-wise matings in three vulnerable or endangered populations of salmonids (two Atlantic salmon Salmo salar and one Arctic charr Salvelinus alpinus), family level estimates of potential offspring genetic diversity were calculated using several commonly used genetic diversity est...
Studies focusing on the physiological variation between populations and its connection to fitness‐related traits are rare, even though integrating these fields would increase knowledge on the evolution of traits. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) has been suggested to influence an individual’s social status and the level of aggressiveness, as dominant...
1. Studies focusing on the physiological variation between populations and its con-nection to fitness-related traits are rare, even though integrating these fields would increase knowledge on the evolution of traits. Standard metabolic rate (SMR) has been suggested to influence an individual's social status and the level of aggressiveness, as domin...
Aggressiveness of juvenile salmonid populations has been suggested to correlate positively with the time the fish spend in the stream. Consequently, resident populations are expected to be more aggressive than migratory populations. Aggressiveness and growth rate have been found to correlate positively at the individual level, but no studies have c...