Article

Inter-rater and test-retest reliability of the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised (MCPQ-R)

June 2009
Applied Animal Behaviour Science 119(1):85-90

DOI:10.1016/j.applanim.2009.02.027

Authors:

Paul McGreevy

University of New England (Australia)

Pauleen C Bennett

La Trobe University

In developing a valid test for measuring canine personality, it is important to test the reliability of the instrument. The Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised (MCPQ-R) is a 26-item, adjective-based, owner-administered, questionnaire that measures canine personality along five dimensions: Extraversion, Motivation, Training Focus, Amicability and Neuroticism. Its reliability was tested using inter-rater reliability measures and test-retest measures. Sixty-five couples rated their pet dog individually using the MCPQ-R, with one member of each couple completing the same questionnaire after a 6-month interval. Inter-rater reliability values were similar to or stronger than those found in similar research in dogs, with statistically significant (P < 0.001) positive values for all five dimensions ranging from 0.75 (Neuroticism) to 0.86 (Extraversion). Test-retest results were also positive and statistically significant (P < 0.001) for all dimensions ranging from 0.79 (Neuroticism) to 0.93 (Motivation). The results of this study suggest the MCPQ-R is reliable for assessing canine personality along the five identified dimensions.

Personality Traits and Owner-Dog Attachment in a Canadian Sample

Article

Dec 2020

Much of the literature on owner-dog attachment and the influence of personality on the owner-dog relationship has originated in Europe, with few studies in North America. To address this imbalance, 29 owner-dog dyads from a Canadian population were tested in the Strange Situation Test (SST) and owners completed assessments of their own personalities (NEO-FFI-3), the personalities of their dogs (MCPQ-R), and their level of attachment to their dogs (DAQ). Attachment scores were comparable to those in previous research, and all owner-dog dyads were deemed to be securely attached. However, no predicted “matching” of seemingly analogous personality traits (e.g., human and dog Neuroticism) was found, and there was no relationship between dog personality and attachment behaviours during the SST. In contrast, owners with higher Extraversion scores initiated more contact with their dogs in the first reunion episode of the SST (following separation). Owners scoring low on Openness and/or Neuroticism had dogs with higher scores for Training Focus, suggesting that these dogs could more easily attend to a calm, stable owner. Owners who scored high in Openness had dogs with lower Amicability scores, possibly indicating more tolerance of a less desirable dog trait by such owners. Differences between the findings of this study and those conducted in Europe suggest that more emphasis should be given to the possible impact of cultural variation on the behaviours of and perceived relationships between owners and their dogs.

Assistance dog selection and performance assessment methods using behavioural and physiological tools and devices

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2022
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

This article provides a comprehensive overview of methods for evaluating the suitability of trainee dogs for assistance and guide work. It presents both current practices in industry as well as modern techniques with the aim of identifying important behavioural traits. It is divided into (1) selection and training methods, including breed, genetics, and training programme considerations; (2) behaviour assessment methods such as traditional test batteries, individual ratings and observational tests plus emerging techniques such as canine activity monitoring; (3) physiological assessment methods including cardiac, respiratory and hormonal biomarkers. Assistance dog organisations around the world share a similar overall structure of their training programmes and behavioural assessment methods, however the implementation details vary as no standardised technique is widely employed. Physiological indicators have demonstrated great potential to estimate affective states and personality characteristics such as emotional regulation and coping style. Further investigation is encouraged to validate and define the use of physiological measures to complement behavioural scores in evaluating the suitability of prospective dogs for assistance work. A number of commercially available off-the-shelf (COTS) devices are discussed in the terms of their suitability and reliability for monitoring canine activities and cardio-respiratory parameters. This interdisciplinary collaboration is key to further understanding the connection between behaviour and physiology, allowing a more complete evaluation of an individual’s capability which will ultimately enable a highly accurate prediction of their training outcome. We recommend that assistance dog organisations and researchers work together to design new assessment protocols considering validated practices and promising techniques from state-of-the-art literature.

Dog–Owner Relationship, Owner Interpretations and Dog Personality Are Connected with the Emotional Reactivity of Dogs

Article

Full-text available

May 2022

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 owner, a sudden appearance of a novel object). The results showed that both negative and positive situations provoked signs of heightened arousal in dogs. During negative situations, owners’ ratings about the heightened emotional arousal correlated with lower HRV, higher physical activity and more behaviors that typically index arousal and fear. The three factors of The Monash Dog–Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) were reflected in the dogs’ heart rate variability and behaviors: the Emotional Closeness factor was related to increased HRV (p = 0.009), suggesting this aspect is associated with the secure base effect, and the Shared Activities factor showed a trend toward lower HRV (p = 0.067) along with more owner-directed behaviors reflecting attachment related arousal. In contrast, the Perceived Costs factor was related to higher HRV (p = 0.009) along with less fear and less owner-directed behaviors, which may reflect the dog’s more independent personality. In conclusion, dogs’ emotional reactivity and the dog–owner relationship modulate each other, depending on the aspect of the relationship and dogs’ individual responsivity.

Exploring domestic rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) personality utilising behaviour coding behaviour testing and a novel behaviour rating tool.

Thesis

Full-text available

Sep 2020

Clare Frances Ellis

The purpose of the study was to attempt to identify personality traits in domestic rabbits (Oryctolagus cuniculus) and to evaluate a range of tools, suitable for use in a shelter setting, that can be used to measure personality traits. A literature review highlighted limited evaluation of reliability and validity in rabbit personality research published to date. Additionally, there is a lack of clarity on what is being measured by some behaviour tests that are currently employed in animal personality research and there are limited tools available to measure domestic rabbit responses to humans. Chapter three highlights several uses of rabbit behaviour and personality data in United Kingdom (UK) shelters. Shelter staff reported uses for understanding the behaviour of an individual rabbit to support the management of the individual while at the shelter and to match the rabbit to the most suitable future home. Challenges facing shelter staff to collect behavioural data for their rabbits centred around a lack of resources, specifically time available for collecting behavioural data. An additional challenge reported by shelter staff was inaccurate information being reported by the person handing the rabbit into the shelter. To ensure any personality assessment tool could be integrated into shelter routines, the tools would need to be relatively quick to complete and should ideally include a range of data collection methods so that a full picture can be available. In Chapter four, the results of a behaviour rating survey that was distributed to a selfselected pool of rabbit owners or those that worked with rabbits, using social media are reported. The survey was also completed by animal care technicians for rabbits taking part in direct behavioural observations, including a suite of behaviour tests and observations within the home cage. The use of an online survey enabled a large number of participants to take part. Following examination of the reliability of the data (interrater) and dimension reduction statistics, three components were retained that included 15 of the initial 47 items and accounted for 60.6% of the variance in the data (n=1,234). However, sufficient thresholds for inter-rater reliability were not achieved. As intended in the selection of survey items, the retained components accounted for intraspecific social behaviour, human-rabbit interactions (avoidance of humans) and boldness in relation to the environment. However, only the human-rabbit interaction component had sufficient distribution of scores across the sample population to consider this a personality trait. Behavioural tests are commonly used as measures of an individual animal’s personality; however, several tests have conflicting interpretations of the underlying traits that may drive behaviour in these tests. In Chapter 5, a suite of tests were used, reflecting three commonly used test paradigms for domestic rabbits; the open field test, novel object test and a new human interaction test. Five human-interaction items measured were reliable between raters and between tests and two items, location during subtest 3 where the handler was sat inside the door of the enclosure and a combined outcome score for subtest 3, 4 (stroke rabbit) and 5 (pick up rabbit) were retained to create component 2 on the final solution of the principal component analysis. From two variations of both the open field and novel object tests, two components were also derived, reflecting exploration and curiosity in rabbits. These three components were reliable between raters and between tests and accounted for 75.2% of the cumulative variance in the data. The component labelled ‘exploration’ comprising variables of activity in the open field tests were found to negatively correlate with component 2 from the behaviour rating scale, reflecting avoidance of humans. This is similar to past research in young rabbits where resistance to handling was correlated with activity in the open field. The use of behavioural observations in the home cage environment is rarely performed for personality assessment in domestic animals due to how time consuming such observations can be. As a requirement for the tools was to be able to be utilised by shelter staff, where time constraints are an important factor, home cage behavioural observations were designed to be quick to complete. Following a pilot test including three hours of observations over the day, it was possible to determine the behaviours that could be observed using video cameras positioned adjacent to or above rabbit enclosures. Additionally, this pilot test revealed that within the times of day available for testing, none were preferable over any other in terms of the range of behaviours observed in 12 rabbits. The main study therefore utilised three five-minute sampling points across the day with the refined ethogram and 30 second focal sampling. It was not possible to complete dimension reductive statistics on the sample of 16 rabbits used for this part of the study, although the behaviours observed in the relatively short time frame did represent activity patterns observed in past research. Two tools, the behaviour rating survey and suite of behaviour tests, are proposed to be retained for future examination of the utility of these tests in a shelter setting to measure rabbit behaviour and personality. These retained tests would provide information on an individual rabbit’s social behaviour (intraspecific), response to humans, boldness in relation to the environment, exploration and curiosity. Future research is recommended to determine the suitability of these tests for use in shelters, and to understand the predictive validity of these tools. That is to understand the usefulness of rabbit personality assessments to identify aspects of behaviour that are stable between different environmental contexts, such as between a shelter setting and within a home following being rehomed. http://nectar.northampton.ac.uk/13599/

Comparing two canine personality assessments: Convergence of the MCPQ-R and DPQ and consensus between dog owners and dog walkers

Article

Jan 2017
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Despite the number of emerging questionnaire-based canine personality assessments, there is still no consensus on the content and number of broad personality dimensions in domestic dogs. In the current study, we compared two canine personality questionnaires: The Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised (MCPQ-R) and the Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) to further clarify the structure of canine personality. To determine how the components of each assessment aligned with one another, target dogs (n = 60) were rated by two knowledgeable informants, the dog’s owner (n = 60) and the dog’s walker (n = 10), and their ratings were examined according to the following criteria: 1) convergence between MCPQ-R dimensions and DPQ factors, measured by correlations among seemingly analogous personality traits, and 2) consensus of ratings between owners and walkers, measured by inter-rater reliability of the pairs. For both owners and walkers, there were substantial significant positive correlations between seemingly analogous personality traits: Neuroticism (MCPQ-R) and Fearfulness (DPQ), Extraversion (MCPQ-R) and Activity/Excitability (DPQ), and Training Focus (MCPQ-R) and Responsiveness to Training (DPQ). Amicability (MCPQ-R) and both Aggression factors (towards People and towards Animals, DPQ) were significantly negatively correlated, as was Amicability (MCPQ-R) and Fearfulness (DPQ). Significant inter-rater reliability was observed for the MCPQ-R dimensions of Neuroticism, Extraversion and Amicability, as well as the DPQ factors Fearfulness, Aggression towards People, and Aggression towards Animals. Motivation (MCPQ-R) showed no consensus among raters, and was not well-supported as a high level trait in this study. Further research should 1) determine whether separating Aggression into two separate measures improves the validity of a canine personality instrument, and 2) if low inter-rater reliability for the MCPQ-R dimensions Training Focus and Motivation and the DPQ factors Responsiveness to Training and Activity/Excitability is a result of differences among raters in dog-related experience and/or the context in which the dog is typically observed. Further standardization of canine personality assessment tools and recognition of the factors that influence rater assessments are critical to the application of canine personality evaluation in real-world contexts, such as shelter re-homing and selection of working dogs.

Defining the Characteristics of Successful Biosecurity Scent Detection Dogs

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

To perform their role effectively, scent detection dogs require certain characteristics. Identifying these characteristics will inform the selection of prospective dogs and preferred approaches to their training. The current study drew upon the perspectives of industry stakeholders to identify the behavioural traits considered relevant for detection dogs in biosecurity screening roles. Dog handlers, trainers, and supervisors (n = 25) in Australian biosecurity operations participated in focus group interviews to determine the perceived characteristics that, in their experience, influence detection performance. Their descriptions were used to create a questionnaire which was then administered to handlers to assess the working behaviours of current biosecurity dogs. Responses were collected for 88% of the operational dogs (n = 36). An exploratory factor analysis revealed seven tentative dimensions: search motivation, emotional stability, search arousal, food motivation, play motivation, search independence, and search focus. Search motivation and search arousal were both positively associated with handler ratings of detection performance (p ≤ 0.006). In general, biosecurity dogs were scored consistently high in ratings of search motivation, emotional stability, and food motivation. Our approach has advanced our understanding of the working behaviours and characteristic profile of biosecurity detector dogs and will be used to inform candidate selection processes.

Bonded by nature: Humans form equally strong and reciprocated bonds with similar raised dogs and wolves

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2023

Introduction To explore human-canid relationships, we tested similarly socialized and raised dogs ( Canis familiaris ) and wolves ( Canis lupus ) and their trainers in a wildlife park. The aims of our study were twofold: first, we aimed to test which factors influenced the relationships that the trainers formed with the dogs or wolves and second, we investigated if the animals reacted to the trainers in accordance with the trainers’ perceptions of their relationship. Methods To achieve these goals, we assessed the relationships using a human-animal bonds survey, which the trainers used to rate the bonds between themselves and their peers with the canids, and by observing dyadic trainer-canid social interactions. Results Our preliminary results given the small sample size and the set-up of the research center, demonstrate that our survey was a valid way to measure these bonds since trainers seem to perceive and agree on the strength of their bonds with the animals and that of their fellow trainers. Moreover, the strength of the bond as perceived by the trainers was mainly predicted by whether or not the trainer was a hand-raiser of the specific animal, but not by whether or not the animal was a wolf or a dog. In the interaction test, we found that male animals and animals the trainers felt more bonded to, spent more time in proximity of and in contact with the trainers; there was no difference based on species. Discussion These results support the hypothesis that wolves, similarly to dogs, can form close relationships with familiar humans when highly socialized (Canine Cooperation Hypothesis). Moreover, as in other studies, dogs showed more submissive behaviors than wolves and did so more with experienced than less experienced trainers. Our study suggests that humans and canines form differentiated bonds with each other that, if close, are independent of whether the animal is a wolf or dog.

Valued personality traits in livestock herding Kelpies—Development and application of a livestock herding dog assessment form

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2022
PLOS ONE

Livestock herding dogs contribute greatly to the rural economy of Australia. However, their selection currently lacks a cohesive or methodical approach. For example, there is no accessible tool for assessing Australian livestock herding dogs’ suitability for work. The purpose of the current study was to devise a herding dog assessment form, the Herding Dog Assessment Form–Personality (HDAF-P), to facilitate collection of data on relevant behavioural phenotypes of large numbers of working Kelpies and to apply the HDAF-P to identify personality traits needed for herding dog performance. The focus was on creating a succinct form that was salient and accessible to livestock herding dog owners. Wherever practical, terms and methods from published personality questionnaires were integrated. Seventeen terms were included as behavioural descriptors in the HDAF-P which was then used by 95 owners to assess a sample of 228 of their working Kelpies. Owners were also asked to rate the overall ability of their dog(s). Of these dogs, 210 (all twelve months or older) were fully described and their data were used in the analysis. Thus, the study was designed to reveal which personality traits are most critical to the overall ability of the herding dogs and to undertake an exploratory analysis of the patterns of dog behaviour revealed by the HDAF-P in non-juvenile dogs. The traits that showed the strongest correlations (using Kendall’s Tau correlation analysis) with overall ability were initiative (T = 0.41, p < 0.001), persistence (T = 0.36, p < 0.001), intelligence (T = 0.32, p < 0.001), confidence (T = 0.36, p < 0.001) and nervousness (T = -0.30, p < 0.001). An exploratory principal component analysis of trait scores revealed that 64.5% of the variance could be explained by four components that share several similarities with those reported by previous dog personality studies. These findings confirm that the HDAF-P has potential for the practical assessment of livestock herding dog personality and can elucidate traits that should be considered for prioritisation in training and breeding to optimise herding dog ability.

Erratum: Catala, A., et al. Is There a Profile of Spontaneous Seizure-Alert Pet Dogs? A Survey of French People with Epilepsy. Animals 2020, 10, 254

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2021

The authors wish to make the following corrections to this paper: [...]

User centered design approaches to measuring canine behavior: tail wagging as a measure of user experience

Conference Paper

Dec 2018

Animal Computer Interaction (ACI) aims to design user-centered interactions between animals and technology. In this regard, a major challenge for researchers is accurately assessing and interpreting animal behavior, in part, due to the invasive nature of data collection techniques and to the individuality of behavior. This paper presents a method that uses tail wagging, a communicative behavior in dogs used in animal behavior and welfare studies, as a non-invasive parameter used to measure canine user experience (UX). We present findings from a study based on an observational analysis of three mobility assistance dogs' tail wagging behaviors and canine personality scores. The findings show tail wagging is a communicative indicator, that the manner in which the tail is wagged correlates to personality, and that tail wagging provides a baseline to assess canine UX. A tail wagging ethogram was used as an evaluative tool for measuring canine UX during task training.

Is there a Profile of Spontaneous Seizure-Alert Pet Dogs? A Survey of French People with Epilepsy

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2020

Despite controversies and the lack of research, dogs are empirically selected and trained to perform as service dogs, in relation to the dogs’ and future owners’ characteristics. We assessed the characteristics of both humans and dogs in an unbiased population (not selected or trained) of spontaneous seizure-alert by pet dogs and investigated whether we could replicate previous findings. We addressed a self-reporting questionnaire to French people with epilepsy. We analyzed the general characteristics of the humans and pet dogs and their behaviors that could alert their owner before a seizure. In addition, we used the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire refined to evaluate pet dogs’ personality through five different traits, and the Monash Dog-Owner Relationship scale to assess human–dog relationships. In line with previous reports, we found no particular factor, either pet-, people- or epilepsy-related that could be associated with the presence or absence of alert behaviors. Alert behaviors and circumstances were explored and three different alert patterns emerged. In terms of personality, seizure-alert pet dogs scored significantly higher than non-alerting dogs for the traits “Motivation” and “Training Focus” and lower for “Neuroticism”. The owner–dog bond score was significantly higher for seizure-alert dogs than for non-alerting dogs.

Evaluating Cognitive and Behavioral Outcomes in Conjunction with the Secure Base Effect for Dogs in Shelter and Foster Environments

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2019

Although it is widely accepted that dogs and humans form attachment relationships, characterizing attachment styles in dogs has only recently received attention in the literature. Previous research has shown that pet dogs display patterns of behavior in an attachment test that can be classified into secure and insecure attachment styles, much like human children and their caretakers. However, we currently know relatively little about the role of attachment styles in relation to canine well-being. This question may be of particular interest for the 3.9 million dogs that enter animal shelters in the United States alone each year, as this transition marks the dissolution of prior bonds and the establishment of new attachment relationships. Herein, results are presented from analyses of volunteer-reported canine personality and behavior measures, as well as performance on two cognitive tasks as they relate to attachment styles developed within shelter and foster environments. Results from the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) indicated that foster dogs were scored as having significantly higher levels of attachment and attention-seeking behaviors when compared with shelter dogs. In both environments, dogs categorized as securely attached to a shelter or foster volunteer had lower neuroticism scores. Secure attachment in foster homes was also associated with improved persistence and performance on a point following task. These results provide support for the idea that attachment styles formed with temporary caregivers is associated with other behavioral and personality measures, and therefore may have implications for behavior and welfare in dogs living in foster homes and animal shelters.

What are we measuring? Novices agree amongst themselves (but not always with experts) in their assessment of dog behaviour

Article

Feb 2019

Humans differ in how they perceive, assess, and measure animal behaviour. This is problematic because strong observer bias can reduce statistical power, accuracy of scientific inference, and in the worst cases, lead to spurious results. Unfortunately, reports and studies of measurement reliability in animal behaviour studies are rare. Here, we investigated two aspects of measurement reliability in working dogs: inter‐observer agreement and criterion validity (comparing novice ratings with those given by experts). Here, we extend for the first time a powerful framework used in human psychological studies to investigate three potential aspects of (dis)agreement in nonhuman animal behaviour research: (a) that some behaviours are easier to observe than others; (b) that some subjects are easier to observe than others; and (c) that observers with different levels of experience with the subject animal give the same or different ratings. We found that novice observers with the same level of experience agreed upon measures of a wide range of behaviours. We found no evidence that age of the dogs affected agreement between these same novice observers. However, when observers with different levels of experience (i.e., novices vs. a working dog expert) assessed the same dogs, agreement appeared to be strongly affected by the measurement instrument used to assess behaviour. Given that animal behaviour research often utilizes different observers with different levels of experience, our results suggest that further tests of how different observers may measure behaviour in different ways are needed across a wider variety of organisms and measurement instruments.

Assessment of domestic cat personality, as perceived by 416 owners, suggests six dimensions

Article

Feb 2017

Understanding individual behavioral differences in domestic cats could lead to improved selection when potential cat owners choose a pet with whom to share their lives, along with consequent improvements in cat welfare. Yet very few attempts have been made to elicit cat personality dimensions using the trait-based exploratory approaches applied previously, with some success, to humans and dogs. In this study, a list of over 200 adjectives used to describe cat personality was assembled. This list was refined by two focus groups. A sample of 416 adult cat owners then rated a cat they knew well on each of 118 retained words. An iterative analytical approach was used to identify 29 words which formed six personality dimensions: Playfulness, Nervousness, Amiability, Dominance, Demandingness, and Gullibility. Chronbach's alpha scores for these dimensions ranged from 0.63 to 0.8 and, together, they explained 56.08% of the total variance. Very few significant correlations were found between participant scores on the personality dimensions and descriptive variables such as owner age, cat age and owner cat-owning experience, and these were all weak to barely moderate in strength (r ≤ 0.30). There was also only one significant group difference based on cat sex. Importantly, however, several cat personality scores were moderately (r = 0.3-0.49) or strongly (r ≥ 0.5) correlated with simple measures of satisfaction with the cat, attachment, bond quality, and the extent to which the cat was perceived to be troublesome. The results suggest that, with further validation, this scale could be used to provide a simple, tick-box, assessment of an owner's perceptions regarding a cat's personality. This may be of value in both applied and research settings.

Investigating canine personality structure using owner questionnaires measuring pet dog behaviour and personality

Article

Apr 2016
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Questionnaire-based personality and behavioural assessments for domestic dogs are widely used by professional dog handlers, researchers and those working in welfare. In order for behaviour tests to provide accurate, useful information about the future behaviour of test subjects, they need to reflect aspects of personality despite the limited context and time in which they are conducted. It is therefore important for questionnaires used to assess external validity of behaviour tests, to measure aspects of canine personality, and for assessors to understand how context-specific behavioural traits, such as those measured in battery tests, relate to broader personality traits in domestic dogs. Furthermore, the reliability of questionnaire-based tools using behavioural ratings can be significantly affected by questionnaire design and application, particularly when owners are asked to rate their own dogs and when the experience of raters is varied. This paper investigates the hierarchical structure of canine personality by assessing correlations between factor scores from three published owner questionnaires, two of which were designed to assess aspects of canine personality and one designed to assess narrow, behavioural traits that are somewhat context-specific. Between-factor correlations were also compared between sub-groups of owners and dogs based on demographic factors, to investigate the stability of these relationships in a mixed sample of volunteer pet dog owners and pet dogs. Several broad clusters of traits were identified, which each correlated with a number of context-specific behavioural traits. Three of these traits, 'Neuroticism' and 'Extraversion' in the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised and 'Behavioural Regulation' in the Dog Impulsivity Assessment Scale, show similarities to personality traits identified in other species. However, notable differences were identified in the relationships between some factors in owner groups which varied in dog-related work experience, which calls in to question the validity of structure identified. These variations may reflect a lack of reliability in some measures when experience level within a rater sample is mixed. Further investigation of the hierarchical structure of canine personality is required, using tools which behave more reliably with a mixed group of raters.

Social factors influencing cortisol modulation in dogs during a strange situation procedure

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2015

In human-dog relationships, positive interaction and social attention may mutually dampen stress responses. In humans, attachment representations and personality are linked to the modulation of individual stress reactions. We investigated the connections between dog attachment to the owner, owner attitudes and relationship toward the dog, and the personality of both on stress coping in dogs during the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure for dogs. For the first time, dog attachment patterns were assessed via the original Ainsworth attachment classification system. In addition, cortisol was measured from saliva in the context of play with the owner and 2 threat situations, once with and once without the owner present. We found that dogs classified as “securely attached” secreted less cortisol during the attachment (P = 0.008) and play situations (P = 0.031) and showed by trend a stronger cortisol reactivity during the threat situation when the owner was absent (P = 0.086) than dogs which were classified as “insecure.” The higher the owner's self-reported insecure-ambivalent attachment toward the dog and perception of the dog as a social support, the higher was the dog's cortisol reactivity during the Ainsworth Strange Situation Procedure (P = 0.004 and P = 0.018). Furthermore, it was found that owners high in neuroticism and agreeableness had dogs with low cortisol reactivity (P = 0.003 and P = 0.001). Older dogs showed less cortisol reactivity than younger ones (P = 0.023). Male dogs of male owners tended to show the lowest cortisol reactivity compared to all other human gender-dog sex combinations (P = 0.008). In conclusion, results show that secure dog attachment to the owner, owner-dog relationship, and personality of both influence the dog's stress coping.

Quality of Life Measurement in Dogs and Cats: A Scoping Review of Generic Tools

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2022

Quality of life (QoL) assessment in companion animals is an essential aspect of veterinary medicine that helps guide treatment decisions and ensures optimal animal welfare. Veterinarians and pet owners can use disease-specific or generic QoL assessment tools to evaluate an individual animal's QoL. The aim of this scoping review was to identify and assess published generic QoL assessment tools suitable for use in either dogs or cats. A literature search identified 82 relevant publications, nine of which contained appropriate generic QoL assessment tools in accordance with inclusion and exclusion criteria. Each tool was assessed for evidence of psychometric evaluation including statistical analysis, reliability and validity. Commonly included items were determined to highlight potential important aspects of dog or cat QoL. Five of the nine publications used a statistical method such as factor analysis to determine tool design and structure. Although at least one aspect of reliability and validity was assessed for seven of the tools, none were validated across all measures. Two of the publications contained minimal to no statistical analysis. Common items for both dogs and cats included those regarding activity level, the desire for interaction and appetite. In addition, common items for cats included those regarding mood and grooming. This scoping review identified and evaluated currently available generic QoL assessment tools, providing a reference point for future tool development and validation.

Do you see what I see? Investigating the validity of an equine personality questionnaire

Article

Jan 2022
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Subjective equine personality questionnaires have the potential to predict a range of industry-relevant outcomes including fear reactivity, compliance with human cues, pain expression and susceptibility to stereotypies, in a time- and cost-efficient manner. However, to produce meaningful measures of target animals’ behavioural tendencies, subjective personality assessment tools must satisfy four criteria: internal consistency, predictive validity, inter-rater reliability, and test-retest reliability. The Equine Personality Test (EPT) has been developed to assess horses on five personality factors based on trait ratings from a familiar observer. While the EPT has been shown to have predictive validity, it has not been assessed for internal consistency, inter-rater reliability or test-retest reliability. To this end, three experienced primary caregivers and three riding instructors assessed 25 familiar horses using the EPT. The internal consistency, inter-rater reliability and test-retest reliability of the five subscales of the EPT were investigated using Cronbach’s α and intra-class correlation (ICC) analyses. The Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Extroversion and Gregariousness towards People subscales had high Cronbach α and inter-rater and test-retest ICC coefficients (α> 0.7; ICC>0.8). By contrast, the Gregariousness towards Horses subscale had low Cronbach α (α=0.39) and inter-rater ICC coefficient (ICC=0.498), and an adequate test-retest ICC coefficient (ICC=0.784). Primary caregivers had higher ICC coefficients than instructors for most subscales and questionnaire items. The EPT therefore provides internally consistent and highly reliable measures of Agreeableness, Neuroticism, Extroversion, and Gregariousness towards People in equines, although measures of Gregariousness towards Horses should be interpreted with caution. The reliability of EPT scores can be further improved by targeting primary caregivers as raters. Taken together with previous findings demonstrating predictive validity for the questionnaire, these results contribute to making the EPT the only subjective equine personality questionnaire to have been checked against all four criteria of a valid and reliable personality assessment tool. This positions the EPT as a highly relevant equine personality assessment tool that may be used to predict behavioural tendencies in industry or research settings alike.

Reaching out to the public – the increase of citizen science projects in applied ethology

Article

Jan 2022
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The Interplay Between Affect, Dog's Physical Activity and Dog–Owner Relationship

Article

Full-text available

Dec 2021

Leaving a dog home alone is part of everyday life for most dog owners. Previous research shows that dog–owner relationship has multifarious effects on dog behavior. However, little is known about the interplay between dog–owner relationship, physical activity of the dog, and affective experiences at the time of the owner leaving home and reunion when the owner comes home. In this paper, we explored how the general (daily, home alone, and over the 2-week study period) physical activity of the dog, and owner's perceptions of the dog's affective state were correlated at those particular moments. Nineteen volunteer dog owners had their dogs (N = 19) wear two activity trackers (ActiGraph wGT2X-GT and FitBark2) for 2 weeks 24 h/day. Prior to the 2-week continuous physical activity measurement period, the owners filled in questionnaires about the dog–owner relationship and the dog behavior. In daily questionnaires, owners described and assessed their own and their perception of the emotion-related experiences of their dog and behavior of the dog at the moment of separation and reunion. The results indicated that the dog–owner relationship has an interplay with the mean daily and weekly physical activity levels of the dog. An indication of strong emotional dog–owner relationship (especially related to the attentiveness of the dog, continuous companionship, and time spent together when relaxing) correlated positively with the mean daily activity levels of the dog during the first measurement week of the study. Results also suggest that the mean daily and over the 2-week measurement period physical activity of the dog correlated the affective experiences of the dog and owner as reported by the owner when the dog was left home alone. More research is needed to understand the interplay between affect, physical activity of the dog, dog–owner relationship, and the effects of these factors on, and their interplay with, the welfare of dogs.

Glucocorticoid Production, Activity Levels, And Personality Traits Of Fennec Foxes (Vulpes zerda) Managed For Different Roles In Zoos

Article

Oct 2021
J APPL ANIM WELF SCI

Fecal glucocorticoid metabolite (FGM) concentrations, activity, and personality were assessed for 35 fennec foxes (Vulpes zerda) to determine whether animals managed as ambassadors differed from exhibit or off-exhibit animals. A FGM assay, pedometer, and personality assessment tool were validated. Then, fecal samples and movement data were collected during winter and summer periods. Handling was recorded, and the personality of each fox was evaluated. Generalized linear mixed models assessed the relationships between FGM concentrations, activity, personality, handling, sex, season, rearing type, and role. FGM concentrations did not differ in relation to role or handling. Foxes were most active at night; the time of peak activity did not vary with role or handling. Foxes were more active in winter; males were more active than females, and ambassador foxes were more active than off-exhibit animals. Hand-reared foxes were more sociable, and, at one institution, ambassador foxes were more sociable than foxes in other roles. These results suggest that management for ambassador programs is not associated with changes in glucocorticoid production or circadian patterns but may increase activity and be associated with greater sociability.

Infrared Thermography in the Study of Animals’ Emotional Responses: A Critical Review

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2021

Whether animals have emotions was historically a long-lasting question but, today, nobody disputes that they do. However, how to assess them and how to guarantee animals their welfare have become important research topics in the last 20 years. Infrared thermography (IRT) is a method to record the electromagnetic radiation emitted by bodies. It can indirectly assess sympathetic and parasympathetic activity via the modification of temperature of different body areas, caused by different phenomena such as stress-induced hyperthermia or variation in blood flow. Compared to other emotional activation assessment methods, IRT has the advantage of being noninvasive, allowing use without the risk of influencing animals’ behavior or physiological responses. This review describes general principles of IRT functioning, as well as its applications in studies regarding emotional reactions of domestic animals, with a brief section dedicated to the experiments on wildlife; it analyzes potentialities and possible flaws, confronting the results obtained in different taxa, and discusses further opportunities for IRT in studies about animal emotions.

An Assessment of Dog Behaviour with Regard to Scientific Research Findings

Article

Jan 2017

Marta Walczak

Dogs have been used in the field of law enforcement for over 100 years . Despite advances in the overall performance of police officers due to improved training methods and use of various innovative devices, it is hard to imagine a fully effective police force operating without the involvement of specialist dog - handler teams. T he uniformed services generally hold in high regard the role that a well - trained canine team can play, serving as an essential deterrent to criminal activity, as well as assisting police departments in the locating of illegal drugs and explosives, in track ing fugitives and with finding missing persons or locating bodies . An understanding of general dog behaviour and interaction with different environments are essential elements, not only in the case of assessing candidate suitability for different types of training programme but also for behaviour evaluation of a companion animal. The ever - increasing demand for both working and pet dogs has seen the study of dog behaviour find itself a niche position in the realm of scientific research.

Effects of a new dietary supplement on behavioural responses of dogs exposed to mild stressors

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2021

Background & Objectives The effectiveness of a new dietary supplement (derived from fish hydrolysate and melon juice concentrate rich in superoxide dismutase) in reducing fear and stress-related behaviours in pet dogs was examined in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized study. Methods 39 dogs were recruited after the owners had filled out a fear susceptibility index questionnaire. Over a 30-day period, one group of dogs received the supplement, and another group a placebo. Twelve behavioural variables were recorded in a series of four subtests (ST1-ST4) on days 0, 15 and 30. Saliva cortisol levels were measured before and after each set of STs. Results The dogs rated as more fearful displayed significantly higher cortisol values before the day 0 test session, were less active, spent less time playing with the experimenter, and approached the unfamiliar object less frequently. The owners did not correctly guess whether their dog had received the supplement or not. Behaviours of dogs were significantly different across the three sessions, with significant increases of stress-related behaviours (time spent in the door zone, number of interactions with the door, of whining, and of lip-licking). Conversely time spent with the experimenter increased, interactions and curiosity for the novel object and play with the experimenter decreased, presumably due to a habituation process. This suggests that the design of the four subtests session was relevant to test for mild stressors situations. Moreover, supplemented and placebo dogs responded differently to the three test sessions, indicating a supplement effect on dogs' behaviours and their adaptation to mild stressors situations. Conclusion The trial results suggested that the supplement facilitates activity and curiosity in a familiar environment, promotes dog-human interactions with an increased human familiarity, and tends to reduce subtle stress behaviours. Our results suggest that the supplement was effective in the context of mild stressors and habituation.

An Animal-Assisted Education Intervention with Dogs to Promote Emotion Comprehension in Primary School Children-The Federico II Model of Healthcare Zooanthropology

Article

Full-text available

May 2021

Emotion comprehension (EC) is a crucial competence for children, as it determines the quality of peer interactions. This study assessed the efficacy of an animal-assisted education (AAE) intervention with dogs based on the Federico II Model of Healthcare Zooanthropology (FMHZ) to promote EC in a group of primary school children. One hundred and four children (48 females) aged 6–7 years took part in the study, of whom 63 participated in the AAE intervention (i.e., experimental group) and 41 did not (i.e., control group). The intervention was deployed in a school setting through a group format and consisted of five bimonthly sessions. EC was assessed pre- and post-intervention, and at a 3-month follow-up. Student’s t-test and mixed-model ANOVA were performed to analyze the effect of the intervention on EC. EC significantly improved in children of the experimental group compared to the control group. Significant time effects from pre- to post-intervention, post-intervention to follow-up, and pre-intervention to follow-up assessment were found in the experimental group only. AAE based on FMHZ was effective in improving EC in children.

Reliability and Validity of a Dog Personality and Unwanted Behavior Survey

Article

Full-text available

Apr 2021

Dogs have distinct, consistent personalities, but the structure of dog personality is still unclear. Dog personality and unwanted behavior are often studied with behavioral questionnaires. Even though many questionnaires are reliable and valid measures of behavior, all new questionnaire tools should be extensively validated. Here, we examined the structure of personality and six unwanted behavior questionnaire sections: noise sensitivity, fearfulness, aggression, fear of surfaces and heights, separation anxiety and impulsivity/inattention with factor analyses. Personality consisted of seven factors: Insecurity, Training focus, Energy, Aggressiveness/dominance, Human sociability, Dog sociability and Perseverance. Most unwanted behavior sections included only one factor, but the impulsivity/inattention section divided into two factors (Hyperactivity/impulsivity and Inattention) and the aggression section into four factors (Barking, Stranger directed aggression, Owner directed aggression and Dog directed aggression). We also examined the internal consistency, test-retest reliability, inter-rater reliability and convergent validity of the 17 personality and unwanted behavior traits and discovered excellent reliability and validity. Finally, we investigated the discriminant validity of the personality traits, which was good. Our findings indicate that this personality and unwanted behavior questionnaire is a reliable and valid tool that can be used to study personality and behavior extensively.

Where Do We Stand in the Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) Positive-Emotion Assessment: A State-of-the-Art Review and Future Directions

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2020

Although there have been a growing number of studies focusing on dog welfare, the research field concerning dog positive-emotion assessment remains mostly unexplored. This paper aims to provide a state-of-the-art review and summary of the scattered and disperse research on dog positive-emotion assessment. The review notably details the current advancement in dog positive-emotion research, what approaches, measures, methods, and techniques have been implemented so far in emotion perception, processing, and response assessment. Moreover, we propose possible future research directions for short-term emotion as well as longer-term emotional states assessment in dogs. The review ends by identifying and addressing some methodological limitations and by pointing out further methodological research needs.

Los equipos caninos policiales: importancia de los criterios de selección, entrenamiento, certificación y rendimiento

Book

Full-text available

Dec 2019

The Human–Animal Relationship as the Focus of Animal-Assisted Interventions: A One Health Approach

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2019
Int J Environ Res Publ Health

Background: Animal-assisted intervention (AAIs) represent an adequate expression of integrated medicine, according to the One Health approach. We argue that AAIs are interventions based on interspecific relationships between humans and animals. Although there are many studies on the effects of AAIs on animal and human health and wellbeing, research is still needed to give us more data. For example, information is still lacking on the aspects characterizing and influencing the interspecific relationships occurring in AAIs. The efficacy of an intervention based on interspecific relationships will be influenced by different factors, such as attachment styles and personalities of both the animal and the handler, an appropriate choice of animal species and their individuality, animal educational training techniques, the relationship between the handler and the animal, and relational reciprocity between animal, the patients, and members of the working team. Method: This article aims to contribute to the study of interspecific relationships in AAIs via theoretical considerations. An interspecific relationship determines the result of safe interventions, which directly influences the welfare of the animal. Results and considerations: AAIs should be evaluated systemically as a network within a process in which every component interacts with and influences other components. Standardized methods using appropriate tests and parameters are needed to better select appropriate animals (i.e., species and individual subjects) using interspecific relational competences as well as appropriate educational training methods and health protocols to assess potential risks.

Seizure-alerting behavior in dogs owned by people experiencing seizures

Article

Mar 2019

Introduction: The unpredictability of epileptic seizures is considered an important threat to the quality of life of a person with epilepsy. Currently, however, there are no tools for seizure prediction that can be applied to the domestic setting. Although the information about seizure-alert dogs - dogs that display changes in behavior before a seizure that are interpreted by the owner as an alert - is mostly anecdotal; living with an alerting dog (AD) has been reported to improve quality of life of the owner by reducing the stress originating from the unpredictability of epileptic seizures and, sometimes, diminishing the seizure frequency. Aim of the study: The aim of the study was to investigate, at an international level, the behaviors displayed by trained and untrained dogs that are able to anticipate seizures and to identify patient- and dog-related factors associated with the presence or absence of alerting behavior. Methodology: An online questionnaire for dog owners with seizures was designed. Information about the participants (demographics, seizure type, presence of preictal symptoms) and their dogs (demographics, behavior around the time of seizures) was collected. In addition, two validated scales were included to measure the human-dog relationship (Monash Dog-Owner Relationship scale (MDORS)) and five different traits of the dogs' personality (Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire refined (MCPQ-R)). Results: Two hundred and twenty-seven responses of people experiencing seizures were received from six participant countries: 132 from people with dogs that had started alerting spontaneously, 10 from owners of trained AD, and the rest from owners of dogs that did not display any alerting behavior (nonalerting dog (NAD)). Individuals' gender, age, or seizure type did not predict the presence of alerting behavior in their dogs. People who indicated that they experience preictal symptoms were more likely to have a spontaneously AD. The owner-dog bond was significantly higher with ADs compared with NADs, and ADs scored significantly higher than NADs in the personality traits "Amicability", "Motivation", and "Training focus". Conclusion: This study collected a large group of dog owners with seizures reporting behavioral changes in their dogs before their seizures occurred. This was associated with the presence of preictal symptoms. The seizure-alerting behavior of the dog may have a positive influence on the bond between the owner and the dog.

Attachment security in companion dogs: adaptation of Ainsworth’s strange situation and classification procedures to dogs and their human caregivers

Article

Full-text available

Sep 2018

This exploratory study describes the development of a classification system for dogs’ attachment security to caregivers that adheres closely to Ainsworth’s seminal methodology. Fifty-nine adult dogs and caregivers participated in a mildly threatening laboratory encounter with a stranger (TS) and the Strange Situation (SSP). Dog and attachment experts adapted Ainsworth’s classification system for the behavioral repertoire of the dog. Four potentially comparable patterns of attachment were identified. The proportions of secure and insecure classifications (61% and 39%) were similar to those found in human toddlers. Caregivers’ sensitivity to their dogs during the TS procedure significantly differentiated dogs with secure vs. insecure classifications Lower scores on the Active/excited personality scale on the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised (MCPQ-R) also were related to secure classification. This system now makes it possible to compare directly the effects of human and dog attachment patterns on the health and emotional well-being of humans and dogs.

Los equipos caninos policiales: importancia de los criterios de selección, entrenamiento, certificación y rendimiento

Book

Full-text available

Nov 2019

Jorge Ulises Rojas

La Policía Nacional de Colombia (PNC), en el desarrollo de programas educativos que emplean equipos caninos (Perro-Manejador), utiliza pruebas de selección, fundamentales para determinar cuáles animales son Aptos o No Aptos para iniciar el adiestramiento, continuarlo y finalizar su certificación. Por lo anterior los objetivos de esta investigación fueron: 1). Proponer un conjunto de indicadores etológicos para evaluar el perro detector de sustancias, a partir de una prueba empírica de campo con base a instrumentos y 2). Determinar los criterios de calificación para el perro detector de sustancias durante el proceso de asociación, potenciación y certificación para cada una de las pruebas evaluadas. Lo anterior permite que los instrumentos se validen para que sean confiables y predecir los perros que aprueban o desaprueban las evaluaciones comportamentales, aportando al desarrollo de los programas académicos. Para alcanzar el propósito del estudio, se efectúo un análisis univariado utilizando tablas de contingecia de 2 por 2, estimando la Sensibilidad y Especificidad para cada una de las pruebas realizadas en los caninos detectores de sustancias narcóticas y explosivas (n=549); determinando los valores predictivos de los Test: Instrumento No 1 (Test-retest), Instrumento No 2 (Potenciación y Asociación) e Instrumento No 3 (certificación final). Estableciendo el nivel de acuerdo entre los evaluadores (Kappa de Cohen), correlacionando las 17 variables comportamentales individuales y agrupadas para predecir los caninos Aptos y No Aptos para el servicio policial. Dentro de los principales hallazgos se evidencia una sensibilidad y especificidad altas, con resultados estadísticamente significativos para la mayoría de las variables comportamentales analizadas individualmente (P<0,05). Siendo la “perseverancia”, la prueba que más influye en los Test antes del adiestramiento (Kappa de 1,0), además de un nivel de acuerdo “casi perfecto” entre los evaluadores para la mayoría de las pruebas, prediciendo en un alto grado los caninos Aptos y No Aptos para el servicio policial (Perros No Aptos en la certificación final, n=12; 3%). Es fundamental que los programas académicos que emplean binomios, validen sus pruebas, estableciendo cuales son las variables más representativas para cada evaluación en particular. Lo anterior mejora y ajusta los instrumentos de acuerdo a las necesidades de cada institución o especialidad del servicio canino, disminuyendo costos y mejorando los estándares de calidad, dependiendo del contexto operativo a desempeñar por cada binomio.

Development of the “Highly Sensitive Dog” questionnaire to evaluate the personality dimension “Sensory Processing Sensitivity” in dogs

Article

Full-text available

May 2017
PLOS ONE

In humans, the personality dimension ‘sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)’, also referred to as “high sensitivity”, involves deeper processing of sensory information, which can be associated with physiological and behavioral overarousal. However, it has not been studied up to now whether this dimension also exists in other species. SPS can influence how people perceive the environment and how this affects them, thus a similar dimension in animals would be highly relevant with respect to animal welfare. We therefore explored whether SPS translates to dogs, one of the primary model species in personality research. A 32-item questionnaire to assess the “highly sensitive dog score” (HSD-s) was developed based on the “highly sensitive person” (HSP) questionnaire. A large-scale, international online survey was conducted, including the HSD questionnaire, as well as questions on fearfulness, neuroticism, “demographic” (e.g. dog sex, age, weight; age at adoption, etc.) and “human” factors (e.g. owner age, sex, profession, communication style, etc.), and the HSP questionnaire. Data were analyzed using linear mixed effect models with forward stepwise selection to test prediction of HSD-s by the above-mentioned factors, with country of residence and dog breed treated as random effects. A total of 3647 questionnaires were fully completed. HSD-, fearfulness, neuroticism and HSP-scores showed good internal consistencies, and HSD-s only moderately correlated with fearfulness and neuroticism scores, paralleling previous findings in humans. Intra- (N = 447) and inter-rater (N = 120) reliabilities were good. Demographic and human factors, including HSP score, explained only a small amount of the variance of HSD-s. A PCA analysis identified three subtraits of SPS, comparable to human findings. Overall, the measured personality dimension in dogs showed good internal consistency, partial independence from fearfulness and neuroticism, and good intra- and inter-rater reliability, indicating good construct validity of the HSD questionnaire. Human and demographic factors only marginally affected the HSD-s suggesting that, as hypothesized for human SPS, a genetic basis may underlie this dimension within the dog species.

Psychobiological Factors Affecting Cortisol Variability in Human-Dog Dyads

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2017
PLOS ONE

Stress responses within dyads are modulated by interactions such as mutual emotional support and conflict. We investigated dyadic psychobiological factors influencing intra-individual cortisol variability in response to different challenging situations by testing 132 owners and their dogs in a laboratory setting. Salivary cortisol was measured and questionnaires were used to assess owner and dog personality as well as owners' social attitudes towards the dog and towards other humans. We calculated the individual coefficient of variance of cortisol (iCV = sd/mean*100) over the different test situations as a parameter representing individual variability of cortisol concentration. We hypothesized that high cortisol variability indicates efficient and adaptive coping and a balanced individual and dyadic social performance. Female owners of male dogs had lower iCV than all other owner gender-dog sex combinations (F = 14.194, p<0.001), whereas owner Agreeableness (NEO-FFI) scaled positively with owner iCV (F = 4.981, p = 0.028). Dogs of owners high in Neuroticism (NEO-FFI) and of owners who were insecure-ambivalently attached to their dogs (FERT), had low iCV (F = 4.290, p = 0.041 and F = 5.948, p = 0.016), as had dogs of owners with human-directed separation anxiety (RSQ) or dogs of owners with a strong desire of independence (RSQ) (F = 7.661, p = 0.007 and F = 9.192, p = 0.003). We suggest that both owner and dog social characteristics influence dyadic cortisol variability, with the human partner being more influential than the dog. Our results support systemic approaches (i.e. considering the social context) in science and in counselling.

Does Subjective Rating Reflect Behavioural Coding? Personality in 2 Month-Old Dog Puppies: An Open-Field Test and Adjective-Based Questionnaire

Article

Full-text available

Mar 2016
PLOS ONE

A number of studies have recently investigated personality traits in non-human species, with the dog gaining popularity as a subject species for research in this area. Recent research has shown the consistency of personality traits across both context and time for adult dogs, both when using questionnaire based methods of investigation and behavioural analyses of the dogs' behaviour. However, only a few studies have assessed the correspondence between these two methods, with results varying considerably across studies. Furthermore, most studies have focused on adult dogs, despite the fact that an understanding of personality traits in young puppies may be important for research focusing on the genetic basis of personality traits. In the current study, we sought to evaluate the correspondence between a questionnaire based method and the in depth analyses of the behaviour of 2-month old puppies in an open-field test in which a number of both social and non-social stimuli were presented to the subjects. We further evaluated consistency of traits over time by re-testing a subset of puppies. The correspondence between methods was high and test- retest consistency (for the main trait) was also good using both evaluation methods. Results showed clear factors referring to the two main personality traits 'extroversion,' (i.e. the enthusiastic, exuberant approach to the stimuli) and 'neuroticism,' (i.e. the more cautious and fearful approach to the stimuli), potentially similar to the shyness-boldness dimension found in previous studies. Furthermore, both methods identified an 'amicability' dimension, expressing the positive interactions the pups directed at the humans stranger, and a 'reservedness' dimension which identified pups who largely chose not to interact with the stimuli, and were defined as quiet and not nosey in the questionnaire.

Postoperative Acupuncture is as Effective as Preoperative Acupuncture or Meloxicam in Dogs Undergoing Ovariohysterectomy: a Blind Randomized Study

Article

Jun 2022

Background: Acupuncture has the same analgesic effect as non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs and opioids. It is challenging to perform preoperative acupuncture in unmanageable animals, while the residual postoperative anesthetic effect facilitates the performance of acupuncture postoperatively. Objectives: To compare preoperative acupuncture or meloxicam versus postoperative acupuncture for postoperative analgesia after ovariohysterectomy. Methods: This is a horizontal prospective positive control blind randomized experimental study. Thirty-six dogs were randomly divided into three groups: GA (preemptive acupuncture), GPA (postoperative acupuncture), and GM (meloxicam 0.2 mg/kg IV preoperatively). After sedation with acepromazine (0.05 mg/kg IM), anesthesia was induced with propofol (5.3 ± 0.3 mg/kg) and maintained with isoflurane/O2. Fentanyl (2 μg/kg, IV) was administered immediately before surgery. Bilateral acupuncture was performed at acupoints Large intestine 4, Spleen 6, and Stomach 36 for 20 minutes, before (GA) or immediately after surgery (GPA). Pain was evaluated by an observer blind to the treatment using the Glasgow scale before and for 24 hours after ovariohysterectomy. Dogs with a score ≥ 6 received rescue analgesia with morphine (0.5 mg/kg IM). Nonparametric data were analyzed by the Kruskal-Wallis test, followed by Dunn's test and parametric data by ANOVA followed by Tukey's test. Results: Two GA and one GPA dogs received rescue analgesia once. Two GM dogs received rescue analgesia and one of those was treated again twice. There were no differences in the number of dogs receiving rescue analgesia between groups (p = 0.80). Conclusion: Postoperative acupuncture was as effective as preoperative acupuncture or meloxicam in female dogs undergoing ovariohysterectomy.

Comparing Owner-Rated Dog Temperament Measures and a Measure of Owner Personality: An Exploratory Study

Article

Apr 2022

There is growing interest in the relationship between dog temperament and owner personality. Such work has potential implications for the placement of assistance dogs and the minimization of behavioral issues arising from the interaction of owner and dog characteristics. In this study, we investigated the relationship between owner personality and dog temperament using established measures (Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised [MCPQ-R] and Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire [C-BARQ]) in a field study of 74 owners (97.3% female) and their 123 dogs of varying breeds. Higher owner scores on Conscientiousness were positively related to dog temperament scores for “training focus,” “motivation,” “amicability,” and “extraversion.” Higher owner scores on Extraversion and lower owner scores on Neuroticism were related to higher owner-rated scores on dog “amicability.” The current study also compared demographic measures related to the dog with the measures of temperament. Taller dogs were rated lower in this sample on the traits of “extraversion” and “motivation.” Dog breed group was significantly related to dog temperament ratings, with crossbreeds rated higher for “motivation” and working dogs rated higher for “training focus.” Gun dogs, utility dogs, and crossbreeds were rated significantly higher than hounds for “amicability.” This study provides evidence that the use of a short-form dog temperament questionnaire in field research is possible and useful in studies exploring owner personality and dog temperament. Further exploration of the relationship between owner personality and ratings of dog temperament is recommended.

Do Canine and Human Personality Assessments Predict Successful Adoptions?

Article

Feb 2022

The goal of this study was to investigate whether dog personality, human personality, and dog–human personality domain combinations predict successful adoption of dogs. First, we investigated the level of consistency of the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire-Revised (MCPQ-R) on five different dog personality domains (Extraversion, Motivation, Training Focus, Amicability, and Neuroticism) by comparing the ratings of relinquishers and new adopters (n = 136 relinquisher–adopter pairs). The intra-class correlation, ranging from –0.12 for Motivation to 0.24 for Amicability, indicated low consistency between both groups of raters. Second, we evaluated the correlation of dog personality domains and adopter personality domains, utilizing the MCPQ-R and the International Personality Item Pool (IPIP) (n = 173 relinquisher-rated MCPQ-R/IPIP pairs; n = 136 adopter-rated MCPQ-R/IPIP pairs). Spearman correlation coefficients showed weak associations between human and dog personality across all dog–human joint personality domains (ranging from –0.11 to 0.16). Third, we evaluated the association between the personality dimensions of the MCPQ-R/IPIP and the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS) (n = 185). The regression results indicated that among the five dog personality domains, Training Focus showed the strongest (negative) correlation with LAPS score, indicating that human–animal attachment increased when the percentage of Training Focus of dogs increased, in both rater groups. Fourth, dog personality, human personality, and dog–human personality domain combinations did not have good discriminative ability for post-adoption attachment and retention, with the area under the ROC curves ranging from 58 to 80% (n = 185). In summary, the mechanisms leading to a successful adoption of a shelter dog is complicated and personality (both dog and human) alone cannot sufficiently determine it. A multifactorial approach may include pre-adoption conversation-based interviews and post-adoption support services such as education about positive reinforcement and force-free training methods.

Study of Behavioural Traits in Can de Palleiro (Galician Shepherd Dog)

Article

Full-text available

Nov 2021

The Can de Palleiro (CP) is an autochthonous canine breed from Galicia (NW Spain). Interestingly, no previous research has been published about the behaviour of this breed. Thus, the aim of the present study was to obtain a deeper understanding of CP behavioural and temperamental traits and detect any potentially problematic behaviour by using the Canine Behavioural Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) and the Socially Acceptable Behaviour (SAB) test. Behavioural information was obtained from 377 dogs—177 CPs and 200 general population (GP) dogs—using the C-BARQ. Additionally, 32 dogs were enrolled to perform the SAB test (19 CPs and 13 GP dogs) in order to directly evaluate their temperament. Our results indicated that CP dogs had a lower tendency to show aggressiveness towards their owners (0.18 times lower, p = 0.033) and less fear of other dogs (by 0.43 times, p = 0.001), as well as higher trainability levels (2.56 times higher, p < 0.001) when compared to GP dogs. CP dogs also had increased odds of showing chasing behaviour (3.81 times higher, p < 0.001). Conversely, CPs had reduced odds of non-social fear, separation-related problems and excitability (by 0.42, 0.35 and 0.48 times, respectively; p < 0.001, p < 0.001 and p = 0.002). The current research represents a starting point for the study of the behaviour of CPs, which appear to be a working breed, with guarding and, especially, herding characteristics.

A friend in need is a friend indeed: The benefits of the Human-Animal Bond during challenging times

Thesis

Jan 2021

Ana Martos Martinez-Caja

Throughout most of our common history, companion animals have played an important role in the lives of humans. As humans and animals evolved, so did the human-animal relationship. Different theoretical frameworks have been used to explain the potential beneficial effects of the emotional aspect of the human-animal relationship that we know as the Human-Animal Bond. This thesis examines these benefits in two novel scenarios, focusing on people (and animals) having to deal with challenging circumstances. Both studies explore the HAB in specific situations and reflect on the meaning of that bond for the humans and animals involved.

Understanding Dogs' Engagement with Interactive Games: Interaction Style, Behaviour and Personality

Conference Paper

Nov 2020

Influence du tempérament sur les performances d'apprentissage et de mémoire chez le cheval Equus caballus . Etude de sa modulation par le stress

Thesis

Jul 2013

Mathilde Valenchon

Comparative Perspectives on Temperament and Personality in Human and Nonhuman Animals

Chapter

May 2020

Kristine Coleman

The number of animal temperament and/or personality studies has undergone a marked increase in recent years. Once studied predominantly by psychologists, animal personality is now examined by researchers in a wide range of fields, including neuroscience, agricultural science, and behavioral management. Further, individual differences in personality have been found in species ranging from insects to fish to birds to nonhuman and human primates. The breadth of these studies underscores the importance of this trait. Studies of animal personality can provide insight into the relation between human personality and health outcomes. Such studies can also be used to help us better care for animals in captivity. In this chapter, I review studies of personality and temperament across the animal kingdom. I compare some of the tests commonly used to assess personality across various animal groups. Finally, I discuss some of the current research in animal personality, with a focus on translational and applied research.

V2-Specific Antibodies in HIV-1 Vaccine Research and Natural Infection: Controllers or Surrogate Markers

Article

Full-text available

Aug 2019

Most human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) vaccine trials have lacked efficacy and empirical vaccine lead targets are scarce. Thus far, the only independent correlate of reduced risk of HIV-1 acquisition in humans is elevated levels of V2-specific antibodies identified in the modestly protective RV144 vaccine trial. Ten years after RV144, human and non-human primate vaccine studies have reassessed the potential contribution of V2-specific antibodies to vaccine efficacy. In addition, studies of natural HIV-1 infection in humans have provided insight into the development of V1V2-directed antibody responses and their impact on clinical parameters and disease progression. Functionally diverse anti-V2 monoclonal antibodies were isolated and their structurally distinct V2 epitope regions characterized. After RV144, a plethora of research studies were performed using different model systems, immunogens, protocols, and challenge viruses. These diverse studies failed to provide a clear picture regarding the contribution of V2 antibodies to vaccine efficacy. Here, we summarize the biological functions and clinical findings associated with V2-specific antibodies and discuss their impact on HIV vaccine research.

Investigating performance on the Kong test with domestic dogs

Poster

Full-text available

Jul 2018

Lateralisation has been found to be related to success in service roles for assistance dogs and noise phobias in domestic dogs. This poster presents the results of a study using the Kong test to determine motor laterality in domestic dogs and their performance on the task

A preliminary investigation into personality and pain in dogs

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2018
J VET BEHAV

Adherence to basic animal welfare standards involves effective monitoring and control of pain, especially in a veterinary setting. Assessment relies on behavioral and physiological indicators. However, individual differences in physiology mediate consistent individual differences in behavior, referred to as “personality”. Therefore, personality may confound measurements of pain. The current work is a preliminary investigation into whether extraversion and neuroticism are associated with differences in individual behavioral and physiological responses to pain. Twenty dogs were observed during recovery from routine castration in a clinical setting. Core temperature was recorded using infrared thermography on admission, 15 minutes after extubation and every 30 minutes thereafter, until the subject was collected by their owner. Behavior during recovery was scored using Short-Form Glasgow Composite Measure Pain Scale at the same intervals as infrared thermography readings. Personality was measured using Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire–Revised, and owners rated their dog's tolerance to pain on a 5-point Likert scale. Pain score did not have an association with eye temperature discrepancy or core temperature changes from control, indicating it may not predict affective response to pain. More highly “extravert” subjects had significantly higher pain scores (P = 0.031), despite experiencing similar tissue damage. More “extravert” subjects showed significantly greater right eye temperature (P = 0.035), suggesting hemispheric dominance. “Neuroticism” had no association with physiological or behavioral responses to pain. Finally, owners were not able to predict their dog's behavioral or physiological response to pain. These results indicate that personality may be a useful clinical tool for assessing individual differences in response to pain, whereas owners' ratings of their dog's response are not reliable.

KUTYASZEMÉLYISÉGET MÉRŐ KÉRDŐÍV MAGYAR NYELVRE FORDÍTÁSA

Research

Full-text available

Jan 2018

Kutatásunk célja az volt, hogy a kutyaszemélyiséget mérő, Jones-féle Dog Personality Questionnaire-t magyar nyelvre fordítsuk, majd azt magyar populáción teszteljük, az adatokat pedig faktoranalízisnek vessük alá. Hipotézisünk, miszerint az eredeti kérdőív fejlesztéséül szolgáló adatokból képezett faktorokat fogjuk a magyar populáción felvett adatokban is megtalálni, teljesült. A 2667 személy által kitöltött, magyar nyelvre fordított, kutyaszemélyiséget mérő kérdőívünk adatai alapján végzett redukció nyomán 5 faktort sikerült azonosítanunk. A faktorok összetételében azonban van eltérés az eredeti faktorstruktúrához képest: jelen elemzésben nincs pusztán az agressziót leíró faktor, legfőképpen azért, mert az ezt leíró tételek szétosztódtak több faktorba, illetve Jonestól eltérően a dominanciát nem azonosítjuk az agresszióval.

Owner-reported personality assessments are associated with breed groups, but not with oxytocin receptor gene polymorphisms in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris)

Article

Dec 2016

Variation in the oxytocin receptor (OXTR) gene has been linked to dog social behavior in some studies, while others have failed to replicate this relationship (in dogs and other species). Ratings of observed behavior are often used to assess personality, however owner-based behavior/personality assessments have been shown to be comparably consistent. The relationship between OXTR gene variation and behavior as measured by owner-based personality questionnaires has yet to be explored in dogs. The aims of our current study were three-fold: (1) to investigate the relationship between two OXTR SNPs (rs8679684 and 19131AG) and three owner-based behavior/personality measures in dogs (the MCPQ-R, a history of aggression questionnaire, and an “eagerness to please” scale), (2) to explore the relationships of personality assessments and OXTR polymorphisms with genetic breed clusters, purebred versus mixed breed status, and how the dog was acquired (shelter versus other means), and (3) to examine the relationships among the three owner-based assessments. We found no relationship between any of the three personality measures and genotype at either SNP. This may be due to the relationships between OXTR gene SNPs and behaviors being breed-specific, in which case our genetically varied sample would not detect them. In line with kennel club breed descriptions and prior research, herding breeds scored higher in “eagerness to please” than scent hound breeds, and scent hounds’ Training Focus scores were lower than those of both herding and working breeds. Purebred and mixed breed dogs did not score differently in any of the three personality assessments, and dogs adopted from shelters were rated lower in Extraversion and “eagerness to please” than those acquired by other means, suggesting that early shelter experience may affect adult behavior. Dogs with no history of aggression towards household members, unfamiliar children, unfamiliar men/women, and unfamiliar dogs scored higher in Amicability, and “eagerness to please” scores were positively correlated with Training Focus and Amicability. These personality measures appear to evaluate different facets of the same personality concepts. Future research on OXTR gene variation in dogs should be mindful of the possibly limited implications of behavioral assessments that are context-specific.

Use of questionnaire-based data to assess dog personality

Article

Full-text available

Oct 2016
J VET BEHAV

The study of dog personality is of general academic interest and also has applications for the management of both working dogs and pets. However, acquiring direct behavioral assessments of large numbers of animals is both time-consuming and logistically difficult. An alternative approach that is becoming increasingly common is the collection of questionnaire-based information directly from dog owners. In this review, we discuss some commonly used questionnaires for dog personality traits and findings that have been published using these tools. We suggest that the use of such questionnaires may contribute to research that is based on estimation of effects from large sample sizes, for example, genomic analyses of dog personality traits.

Assessing lateralization in domestic dogs: Performance by Canis familiaris on the Kong test

Article

Aug 2016
J VET BEHAV

A widely used method for testing lateralization in domestic dogs is the Kong test. This study examined the Kong test and the individual characteristics of dogs associated with performance on this task. Assessments of paw preference were conducted on 96 dogs, with additional demographic and temperament data collected from the owners. To standardize the Kong test for this study, each dog was presented with a Kong filled with the same frozen food, and the criterion for completion of the test was 50 touches, within a 1-hour time limit. The results showed that 60% of dogs completed the test, a further 15% engaged with the task but failed to reach the required 50 touches, and almost 25% did not engage with it at all. Dogs with higher owner-rated levels of “neuroticism” were less likely to complete the task. Completion of the task was more likely in taller dogs and those that slept apart from the owners. Performance was unrelated to the dog's age, sex, whether the dog was from a single or multiple dog household, and other temperament measures. The results suggest that the Kong test is most appropriate for larger breeds. Future research may further investigate factors that influence performance on the Kong test of motor laterality.

The Five-Factor Model plus Dominance in Chimpanzee Personality

Article

Full-text available

Jun 1997

Forty-three trait-descriptive adjectives with representative items from the human Big-Five model were used to assess the factor structure of personality in 100 zoo chimpanzees. Interrater reliabilities were acceptably high, with an overall η of .75 and those of individual adjectives ranging from .55 to .81. Analysis of variance showed no significant interaction between zoos and individual trait descriptors or between zoos and factors based on those adjectives. There were therefore no between-zoo differences in patterns of intercorrelation among trait descriptors or among factors. Factor analysis showed that the chimpanzee ratings were accurately described by six factors, five of which resembled the human Big Five. The sixth factor was dominance related and was consistent with the central role of dominance in chimpanzee personality. Convergent and discriminant validity of the factor structure was excellent. These results are the first quantitative evidence of profound similarities in the personality structure of humans and chimpanzees.

Owner-companion dog interactions: Relationship between demographic variables, potentially problematic behaviours, training engagement and shared activities

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2007
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Many companion dogs occupy a privileged position in our society, living closely with human caretakers who go to great lengths to provide for their needs and desires. Others fare less well, being abandoned or killed, many because they are believed to exhibit behaviour problems. The aim in this study was to investigate the frequency of potentially problematic behaviours experienced by a convenience sample of companion dog owners and to establish if the presence of these behaviours was associated with demographic variables, involvement in dog training activities and participation in other dog-human interactions. Potentially problematic behaviours were reported to occur by the 413 adult participants only infrequently, but fell into five factors; disobedience, unfriendliness/aggression, nervousness, anxiety/destructiveness and excitability. Each of these factors was associated with a number of owner and dog characteristics. Engagement in training activities was predictive of lower scores being obtained for many of the behaviours, as well as increased involvement in shared activities. Some of the behaviours, particularly the perceived friendliness of the dog, were also predictive of involvement in shared activities. This confirms that strategies designed to increase participation in dog training activities and promote canine sociability may have significant benefits for both companion dog owners and their dogs.

Guidelines, Criteria, and Rules of Thumb for Evaluating Normed and Standardized Assessment Instrument in Psychology

Article

Full-text available

Dec 1994

Domenic Vincent Cicchetti

In the context of the development of prototypic assessment instruments in the areas of cognition, personality, and adaptive functioning, the issues of standardization, norming procedures, and the important psychometrics of test reliability and validity are evaluated critically. Criteria, guidelines, and simple rules of thumb are provided to assist the clinician faced with the challenge of choosing an appropriate test instrument for a given psychological assessment. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

The importance of being valid: Reliability and the process of construct validation

Chapter

Full-text available

Jan 2007

The empirical sciences all design measurement procedures to obtain accurate information about objects, individuals, or groups. When astronomers measure the behavior of planets and stars, when molecular biologists assay the expression of hormones in cells, when medical doctors assess how much amniotic fluid is left late in a pregnancy, they all worry whether their measurement procedures provide the kind of information they are looking for--that is, is the information generally applicable and does it capture the phenomenon they are interested in? Across all these disciplines, reliability and validity are fundamental concepts that help researchers evaluate how well their measures work. Having a keen understanding of issues related to reliability and validity is important, and this chapter is intended to provide both historical and contemporary ideas about these key measurement issues. In addition, this chapter also provides answers to questions commonly asked by students of personality psychology, such as whether an alpha reliability of .50 is high enough, why we should care whether a scale is unidimensional, and what one should do to show that a measure is valid. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Context dependence of personalities: Risk-taking behavior in a social and a nonsocial situation

Article

Full-text available

Jul 2005

Individuals of many species differ consistently in their behavioral reaction to mild novel challenges. Suites of these behaviors are referred to as behavioral syndromes or personalities. Personality traits are often phenotypically and genetically correlated. Therefore, animal personalities are generally considered as broad characteristics, with one underlying genetical and physiological mechanism that is expressed across situations and contexts. Because there are carryover effects between situations, animals are not entirely flexible in their behavior in each situation. This may cause behaviors to seem nonadaptive in isolated situations. To test whether individuals with different personalities could react differently to changes in their environment, we studied context dependence of personalities in the great tit (Parus major). We tested birds categorized as either fast or slow explorers for their latency to come back to a feeding table after a mild startle (risk-taking behavior) in a nonsocial followed by a social context. We found that the relation between exploratory behavior and risk-taking behavior depended on the social context. Females in general returned later in the social test, while male reaction to the presence of a conspecific was dependent on their behavioral type. Slow males thereby reacted to the behavior of the companion and fast males did not. These results show that although personalities have a rigid structure the relation between personality traits is context dependent. These results are discussed in the perspective of the adaptive significance and maintenance of personalities. Copyright 2005.

Implicit Personality Theory and the Five-Factor Model

Article

Full-text available

Jul 1992

Peter Borkenau

The Big Five have not only been identified in ratings of knowledgeable informants, but also in ratings of strangers, in co-occurrence likelihood ratings of traits, in semantic similarity ratings of trait pairs, and in prototypicality ratings of acts for traits. This article describes the shared and distinctive characteristics of correlations among trait ratings and implicit personality theory and reviews studies that compare the structure of memory-based ratings and of on-line behavior counts. Three hypotheses suggested in the literature to account for these correlations are delineated and discussed: an accurate reflection hypothesis, a distortion hypothesis, and an overlap hypothesis. It is concluded that the distortion hypothesis, has been discredited and that an overlap model best accounts for the available evidence. This implies that traits are real and accurately perceived, provided that the judges have the necessary information.

Validation of the five factor model of personality across instruments and observers

Article

Full-text available

Feb 1987

Two data sources--self-reports and peer ratings--and two instruments--adjective factors and questionnaire scales--were used to assess the five-factor model of personality. As in a previous study of self-reports (McCrae & Costa, 1985b), adjective factors of neuroticism, extraversion, openness to experience, agreeableness-antagonism, and conscientiousness-undirectedness were identified in an analysis of 738 peer ratings of 275 adult subjects. Intraclass correlations among raters, ranging from .30 to .65, and correlations between mean peer ratings and self-reports, from .25 to .62, showed substantial cross-observer agreement on all five adjective factors. Similar results were seen in analyses of scales from the NEO Personality Inventory. Items from the adjective factors were used as guides in a discussion of the nature of the five factors. These data reinforce recent appeals for the adoption of the five-factor model in personality research and assessment.

Dynamics of dog and cat populations in a community

Article

Full-text available

Apr 1997
JAVMA-J AM VET MED A

To describe dynamics of the pet dog and cat populations in a single community in terms of reproductive patterns and turnover. Cross-sectional, random-digit dial telephone survey. Information gathered from 1,272 households in St Joseph County, Ind that owned a dog or cat between Dec 1, 1993 and Nov 30, 1994 was compared with data on 9,571 dogs and cats received by the Humane Society of St Joseph County during the same period. Prevalence of pet ownership was lower than expected, compared with consumer panel surveys. Eight hundred forty-three of 1,335 (63.1%) dogs were neutered, compared with 816 of 1,023 (79.8%) cats. Cost was cited as a reason that 35 of 441 (7.9%) dogs and 34 of 132 (25.8%) cats were not neutered. Only 33 of 968 (3.4%) dog-owning households reported that their dog had had a litter during the past year, whereas 52 of 662 (7.9%) cat-owning households reported their cat had had a litter of kittens. Most cat litters were unplanned, whereas two thirds of dog litters were planned. Annual turnover in owned pets was 191 of 1,354 (14.1%) dogs and 194 of 1,056 (18.4%) cats. Pet owners underreported relinquishing pets to a shelter in the telephone survey. A combination of animal shelter- and human population-based data are needed to describe pet population dynamics in a community. Information about species-specific reproductive patterns is essential in designing population control programs.

From mice to men: What can we learn about personality from animal research?

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2001

Samuel D Gosling

The author explores the viability of a comparative approach to personality research. A review of the diverse animal-personality literature suggests that (a) most research uses trait constructs, focuses on variation within (vs. across) species, and uses either behavioral codings or trait ratings; (b) ratings are generally reliable and show some validity (7 parameters that could influence reliability and 4 challenges to validation are discussed); and (c) some dimensions emerge across species, but summaries are hindered by a lack of standard descriptors. Arguments for and against cross-species comparisons are discussed, and research guidelines are suggested. Finally, a research agenda guided by evolutionary and ecological principles is proposed. It is concluded that animal studies provide unique opportunities to examine biological, genetic, and environmental bases of personality and to study personality change, personality-health links, and personality perception.

What Happens to Shelter Dogs? An Analysis of Data for 1 Year From Three Australian Shelters

Article

Full-text available

Feb 2004

Annually, welfare shelters admit many dogs, including those whose caregivers surrender them or dogs who are strays. This article analyzes admission data from 3 metropolitan Australian shelters. The study collected data for a 1-year period and analyzed them to identify the characteristics of the typical shelter dog; patterns of relinquishment, sales, reclamation and euthanasia; and duration of stay and reasons underlying euthanasia, relinquishment, and postadoptive return. The study tracked more than 20,000 admissions during this period. To facilitate reclamation, the local Code of Practice requires a mandatory holding period for stray dogs; assessment for suitability for rehoming then occurs. Dogs failing the assessment are euthanized. Surrendered dogs can be assessed immediately. The Code of Practice also recommends that unsold dogs be euthanized 28 days postassessment. Typically, shelter dogs in Melbourne are strays, sexually entire, adult, small, and-usually-male. The majority of admissions are reclaimed or sold. Most reclamations occur within 4 days, and postadoptive return rates are low. That current desexing messages do not appear to have reached the owners of stray dogs to the same extent as they have other dog owners is a major finding, suggesting that a targeted education campaign may be required.

Human and Animal Factors Related to Relinquishment of Dogs and Cats in 12 Selected Animal Shelters in the United States

Article

Full-text available

Feb 1998

Since the 1940s, perceived companion animal overpopulation in the United States has been an important issue to the animal welfare community (Moulton, Wright, & Rinky, 1991). This surplus of animals has resulted in millions of dogs and cats being euthanized annually in animal shelters across the country. The nature and scope of this problem have been notoriously difficult to characterize. The number of animal shelters in the United Stares, the demographics of the population of animals passing through them, and the characteristics of per owners relinquishing animals are poorly understood. What portion of these animals are adopted or euthanized, why they are relinquished, and their source of acquisition are all questions for which there have been little data. Consequently, we are no closer to answering the fundamental question of how and why many animals are destroyed each year in shelters (Arkow, 1994).

A Dog's Got Personality: A Cross-Species Comparative Approach to Personality Judgments in Dogs and Humans

Article

Full-text available

Jan 2004

This research offers a blueprint for how a cross-species comparative approach can be realized empirically. In a single design, parallel procedures and instruments were used in 2 species, dogs (Canis familiaris) and humans (Homo sapiens), to test whether personality differences exist and can be judged in dogs as accurately as in humans. Personality judgments of humans and dogs were compared on 3 accuracy criteria: internal consistency, consensus, and correspondence. Results showed that, on all 3 criteria, judgments of dogs were as accurate as judgments of humans. These findings are consistent with the evolutionary continuity hypothesis and suggest an important conclusion not widely considered by either personality or animal researchers: Personality differences do exist and can be measured in animals other than humans.

Assessment of donkey temperament and the influence of home environment

Article

Apr 1993
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

J.M. French

The temperament of individual donkeys being sent to foster homes from the Donkey Sanctuary was evaluated with a calibrated-line rating method using eight pairs of contrary adjectives to describe traits, e.g. calm-nervous. The donkeys' attitude to other animals and people was also recorded. A factor analysis of normalized scores for the trait adjective pairs produced two factors: ‘obduracy’ and ‘vivacity’. Once in their foster homes, the donkeys appeared more overtly outgoing. One explanation of this change in temperament is that pairs of donkeys in foster homes experience less social intimidation than those living in groups. The donkeys' attitude towards other donkeys and people was un-affected by their change in surroundings, but their behaviour towards other animals could change. Temperament assessment can assist in matching potential pets with homes, e.g. donkeys that were perceived as liking humans had a higher ‘vivacity’ score and donkeys that were reported to like dogs, had a lower ‘obduracy’ score.

Multivariate Data Analysis, 5th Ed

Book

Jan 1998

Multivariate Data Analysis (5)

Book

Jan 2005

Reliability of the emotions profile index, primate form, with Papio hamadryas, Macaca fuscata, and two Saimiri species

Article

Oct 1985
PRIMATES

An evaluation of the reliability of the Emotions Profile Index (EPI), primate form, was carried out using two captive species of Old World monkeys (Papio hamadryas andMacaca fuscata) and two species (?) of New World monkeys (Saimiri sciureus andS. boliviensis). Observers, some familiar with the animals and some unfamiliar, rated members of the four groups at different times. Inter-rater reliability was high for most members of all species, but only when the observers were familiar with the animals. Assessments remained stable over at least one year.

Early Prediction of Adult Behaviour in Potential Guide Dogs

Article

Jun 1986
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Between 4 weeks and 6 months of age, dogs were subjected to a battery of behavioural tests. The ability of these tests to predict fearfulness, activity and learning ability of the dogs when adult was assessed. Consistent individual differences in fearfulness were apparent at about 8 weeks of age, and the ability to predict adult fearfulness increased with age. The most useful tests involved responses to a strange person, a strange dog, a strange place and certain unusual objects. There appears to be genetic variation between dogs in fearfulness when young, but genetic selection against fearfulness would be more accurate if carried out in adult dogs rather than in young dogs. Consistent individual differences in activity from 4 weeks of age were found, but this behaviour correlated poorly with the activity of the dogs when adult. Puppies responded to fear by inhibiting movement. None of the tests used predicted the dogs' performance on specific learning tasks.

Reforging the bond - Towards successful canine adoption

Article

Sep 2003
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

While most human–canine relationships are very fulfilling others fail, resulting in a large number of animals being abandoned or relinquished to animal shelters each year. This paper reviews our current understanding of the canine relinquishment and adoption process, with the aim of identifying those areas in which research is incomplete or absent. In order to achieve this aim, the process of canine ownership, relinquishment and adoption is broken down into a number of logical stages, which are then evaluated separately. The areas reviewed include the reasons why people acquire dogs, factors involved in their relinquishment, the effects of shelter admission upon canine behaviour, the evaluation of a dog’s potential for adoption, characteristics of adopters, factors influencing a prospective adopter’s choice and problems which may be experienced post-adoption. The review identifies deficiencies in our current knowledge and indicates valid directions for future research.

Describing categories of temperament in potential guide dogs for the blind

Article

Jun 1998
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Julie A Murphy

Trainers at the Royal Guide Dogs Associations of Australia (RGDAA) assess 12-month-old potential guide dogs for 20 categories of temperament after walking and observing each dog over 5 days in increasingly complex environments. The present study investigated how trainers interpret these temperament categories from the canine behaviour observed. Dogs were videotaped by the author on their final assessment walk. Trainers who had no prior knowledge of the dogs on the videotapes observed the tapes and pointed out segments which, in their opinion, showed dogs expressing particular categories of temperament. One hundred and two segments of tape were isolated and examined in detail. The elements of behaviour observed in each segment were noted. Descriptions or `indicator sets' were determined for nine temperament categories. Each set lists the elements of behaviour shown by dogs in 60%–69%, 70%–79% and ≥80% of cases. Indicator sets were not determined for categories that were rarely identified by trainers, rarely observed in dogs, or which could not be assessed from a single videotaped walk. Although each indicator set was unique, some elements of behaviour were common to more than one set. Therefore, it is best to interpret temperament categories from many elements of behaviour rather than just one or two. If adopted by other guide dog associations, the indicator sets derived from this study may be useful in standardising the identification and assessment of temperament categories of potential guide dogs by avoiding anthropomorphism or misinterpretation of dogs' behaviour.

Factor analysis of fearfulness in potential guide dogs

Article

Apr 1984
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The correlations between measurements of a variety of responses, including approach, avoidance, nature of contact with the stimulus, tail position and posture, to a large number of stimuli were analysed. In general, the measurements were correlated, indicating a general trait of fearfulness, but some of the correlations were very low. Factor analysis showed that measurements were more likely to be highly correlated if they were based on similar responses, or used similar stimuli, or were made close together in time. In most cases, it was avoidance responses which were most highly correlated with fearfulness as assessed by guide dog trainers. Adult fearfulness could be predicted to some degree from fearfulness at 3 months of age, but the accuracy of the prediction improved with age.

The use of a behaviour test for the selection of dogs for service and breeding, I: Method of testing and evaluating test results in the adult dog, demands on different kinds of service dogs, sex and breed differences

Article

Jul 1997
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The behaviour test results of 1310 German shepherds and 797 Labrador retrievers, 450–600 days of age, were evaluated. The purpose was to investigate whether the behaviour tests, previously used at the Swedish Dog Training Centre, could be used to select dogs for different kinds of work and for breeding. Ten behavioural characteristics were scored based on the dogs' reactions in seven different test situations. All tests were conducted by one experienced person.Marked differences in mental characteristics were found between breeds and sexes, but particularly between various categories of service dogs. Regardless of differences in the behaviour profiles of these service categories, there were marked similarities between different categories of service dogs compared with dogs found to be unsuitable for training as service dogs. To interpret the data, an index value was created, based on the test results for each individual dog, and was found to be an excellent instrument for selecting dogs for different types of work.For both breeds the factor analysis resulted in four factors. In comparing the different characteristics, the same pattern was found in both breeds, with the exception of the characteristic prey drive, which seems to be irrelevant for Labrador retrievers. The conclusion is that a subjective evaluation of complex behaviour parameters can be used as a tool for selecting dogs suitable as service dogs. The results also show that the use and correct interpretation of behaviour tests can be enhanced by adjusting the results for each breed and planned service category.

A friend or an enemy? Dogs' reaction to an unfamiliar person showing behavioral cues of threat and friendliness alternately

Article

Feb 2005
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Responsiveness of adult pet dogs (Canis familiaris) to an unfamiliar human was observed in two studies. Subjects were faced with an approaching woman (Stranger) who showed definite signs of friendliness and threat during alternate approaches. Observations consisted of two episodes: the Stranger either approached the dog in normal speed of walk while talking to it and finally petted it gently (Friendly approach episode) or she moved slowly and haltingly and looked steadily into the eyes of the dog without any verbal communication (Threatening approach episode).In the first study 30 dogs of 19 different breeds were tested in the two episodes in a balanced sequential order. The dogs acted appropriately according to the different human behaviour cues. The order of the Friendly/Threatening approaches had no significant effect on the dogs’ responsivity.In the second experiment 60 dogs of three breed groups (20 Belgian shepherds, 20 retrievers and 20 sled dogs) were first ‘greeted friendly’ and then approached ‘threateningly’ by the same Stranger. Results show significant breed specific differences in the responsivity when dogs faced an apparent switch of the human behaviour cues. Compared to retrievers and sled dogs, Belgian shepherds more frequently changed their response, showing passive or active avoidance or sign of aggression when approached threateningly.While sex differences were not found, breed comparisons suggest that selective breeding (i.e. for hunting or shepherd work) influenced the dogs’ sensitivity to human social cues in different ways. Results also support the hypothesis that human influence (domestication) has led to extreme flexibility of the dogs’ situation-relevant behaviour while interacting with an unfamiliar human.

The Problem of Units and the Circumstance for POMP

Article

Jul 1999
MULTIVAR BEHAV RES

Many areas of the behavioral sciences have few measures that are accepted as the standard for the operationalization of a construct. One consequence is that there is hardly ever an articulated and understood framework for the units of the measures that are employed. Without meaningful measurement units, theoretical formulations are limited to statements of the direction of an effect or association, or to effects expressed in standardized units. Thus the long term scientific goal of generation of laws expressing the relationships among variables in scale units is greatly hindered. This article reviews alternative methods of scoring a scale. Two recent journal volumes are surveyed with regard to current scoring practices. Alternative methods of scoring are evaluated against seven articulated criteria representing the information conveyed by each in an illustrative example. Converting scores to the percent of maximum possible score (POMP) is shown to provide useful additional information in many cases.

The " Big Five" Factor Taxonomy: Dimensions of Personality in the Natural Language and in Questionnaires

Article

Jan 1990

Oliver John

describes . . . a descriptive model, the "Big Five" dimensions of personality description, derived from analyses of the natural-language terms people use to describe themselves and others describes the history of the lexical approach and the discovery of the five dimensions / presents more recent research replicating and extending this model, both in English and in several other languages present a consensual definition of the five dimensions, which I [the author] then use . . . to discuss numerous other dimensions of personality, temperament, mood, and interpersonal behavior proposed by researchers outside the lexical tradition address some criticisms of the Big Five structure, and discuss problems and issues that still await resolution (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2012 APA, all rights reserved)

Individual variation in learning by foraging pumpkinseed sunfish, Lepomis gibbosus: the influence of habitat

Article

Apr 1991

Individual variation in the foraging behaviour of the pumpkinseed sunfish was investigated under laboratory conditions in feeding arenas containing structured and open-water habitats. In general, fish learned to feed on a novel prey item over a 10-day period with both inter-capture interval and total time to capture prey decreasing over the period. With respect to habitat differences, pumpkinseed sunfish fed faster in an open-water habitat. Individuals varied in such measures as foraging efficiency in the different habitats. Although fish acted differently in the two habitats, the degree of flexibility varied between individuals. The order of habitat presentation had an effect on the overall behaviour of the fish.

Are we barking up the right tree? Evaluating a comparative approach to personality

Article

Dec 2002

Animal studies can enrich the field of human personality psychology by ad-dressing questions that are difficult or impossible to address with human studies alone. However, the benefits of a comparative approach to personality cannot be reaped until the tenability of the personality construct has been established in an-imals. Using criteria established in the wake of the person–situation debate (Ken-rick & Funder, 1988), the authors evaluate the status of personality traits in animals. The animal literature provides strong evidence that personality does exist in animals. That is, personality ratings of animals: (a) show strong levels of inte-robserver agreement, (b) show evidence of validity in terms of predicting behav-iors and real-world outcomes, and (c) do not merely reflect the implicit theories of observers projected onto animals. Although much work remains to be done, the preliminary groundwork has been laid for a comparative approach to per-sonality.

A refinement and validation of the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire (MCPQ)

Article

Jan 2009
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

The investigation of canine personality has failed to find strong agreement between studies as to its structure. The area has been hampered by a reliance on human personality models and by a tendency to limit the types of dogs used as subjects. These problems were recently addressed during the development of the Monash Canine Personality Questionnaire (MCPQ). In this follow-up study, over 450 participants provided demographic information about themselves and their dog and completed the MCPQ for their dog. Structural Equation Modelling results necessitated reassessing the original data and reanalysis suggested a more succinct questionnaire, the MCPQ-R, to measure five dimensions of canine personality very similar to those revealed in earlier work (extraversion, motivation, training focus, amicability and neuroticism). Owner reports of personality were generally consistent across demographic variables for all five canine personality subscales. There was no association between any subscale score and owner gender or education level, or dog sex or sexual status (desexed or not desexed). Significant, but generally weak associations were found for owner age and Extraversion (r=0.17, P

Personality dimensions that emerge in companion canines

Article

Jul 2007
APPL ANIM BEHAV SCI

Studies of dog personality have shown that personality concepts can be applied to dogs but suggest that canine personalities may not fall into the same dimensions as do human personalities. To investigate this, the structure of canine personality was explored using a method previously used to characterize human personality. A large number of adjectives believed by experts and companion dog owners to potentially describe canine personality traits were examined by the members of two focus groups, who identified 203 adjectives thought to be applicable to companion canines. These adjectives were rated by 92 participants in a pilot study and the number of words reduced to 67 using statistical and theoretical principles. Over 1000 owners then rated their companion dog on these 67 personality adjectives. Principal component analysis revealed five underlying factors that accounted for 32.6% of the total variance. Two of these, extraversion (8.3% of variance) and neuroticism (4.6%), are similar, but not identical, to dimensions identified in other species. The remaining three, tentatively labeled self-assuredness/motivation (6.5%), training focus (6.7%) and amicability (6.4%), may be unique to canines and reflective of the strong and unique selective pressures exerted on this species by humans. # 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Personality features in vervet monkeys: The effects of sex, age, social status, and group composition

Article

Jan 1994
AM J PRIMATOL

Personality ratings were completed in 97 socially living vervet monkeys (Cercopithecus aethiops sabaeus) ranging in age from 19 months to 14 years. Monkeys were rated on 17 distinct items on three separate occasions over a 14 month period. For each rating session, factor analysis resulted in similar factors: socially competent, playful/curious, and opportunistic, which are provisionally labeled as personality features. Individuals' scores on the three factors were linked to the subjects' social status, age, and sex. Relative to subordinate animals, dominant individuals had higher scores on the socially competent and lower scores on the opportunistic factors. Juvenile and subadult animals scored higher on playful/curious and opportunistic factors than adults. Females had higher scores on the opportunistic factor than males. Scores on the three factors changed during maturation, which suggests that some aspects of personality are age- and context-dependent. When group composition and social status were unaltered, intraindividual differences in factor scores were as consistent over time as were the rates of social grooming, being in proximity to others, resting, and other overt behaviors. Alterations in social status, group composition, and group membership were associated with changes in factor scores among some, but not all animals. These observations suggest that studies assessing personality can supplement ethological investigations of nonhuman primate behavior, and support the view that nonhuman Primates can serve as models for important features of human behavior.

Additional Information on the Relationship between Intra‐specific Aggression and Anti‐predator Behaviour in the Three‐spined Stickleback, Gasterosteus aculeatus

Article

Apr 2010
ETHOLOGY

18 non-breeding three-spined sticklebacks from a heavily predated site a further 24 fish from a predator-free site were screened for their responses to a realistic model pike. The behaviour of the same fish when confronted with a territorial intruder during the breeding season was also recorded, the two tests being carried out in random sequence and with an interval of at least 6 weeks. Multivariate analyses identified major behavioural dimensions in the pike test and in the intruder test, summarized by the labels ‘boldness’ and ‘aggression’ respectively. Sticklebacks from the heavily predated site were both less bold and less aggressive than those from the unpredated site. Levels of aggression for individuals within each population were positively correlated with their boldness scores, but only for the period when the subjects were recovering from a simulated predatory attack.

The relationship between anti-predator behaviour and aggression among conspecifics in the three-spined stickleback, Gasterosteus Aculeatus

Article

May 1976

Felicity Ann Huntingford

The response of individual breeding three-spined sticklebacks to territorial intruders of various species was compared with their response to a predator outside the breeding season. The nature of the territorial response to the different intruders, as revealed by factor analysis, was very similar and the level of aggression shown to the different species co-varied across individuals and during each breeding cycle. The level of territorial aggression of the individual fish was positively correlated with their ‘boldness’ towards a predator. These results provide tentative support for the idea that anti-predator behaviour and aggression towards conspecifics are linked in this species. Supporting evidence for and possible adaptive significance of these results are discussed.

Can judges agree on the personality of horses?

Article

Jul 2002
PERS INDIV DIFFER

Do stable personnel agree on the personality characteristics of horses in their care? Working independently and under experimenter supervision, nine stable personnel rated the personality characteristics of each of 10 individual horses using a questionnaire adapted from the NEO-PI-FFI of Costa and McCrae [Costa Jr., P. T. & McCrae, R. R. (1992) Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO-PI-R) and NEO Five Factor Inventory (NEO-FFI) professional manual. Odessa FL: Psychological Assessment Resources]. Raters achieved high inter-correlations in the ranking of the horses for all the Big Five dimensions, with the strongest agreement being achieved for Neuroticism and Extraversion. While previous research has demonstrated individual differences reminiscent of human personality characteristics, relatively few studies have explicitly used a human personality inventory for application to another species. It is also relatively rare for raters to be amateurs, rather than sophisticated research personnel and even human studies have rarely used more than two raters of the same individual. Our findings provide support for claims that personality is dependent upon biological factors with a long evolutionary history, such as brain anatomy and chemistry. The reliability of assessments by the participants and their ability to utilise personality descriptors with another species also raises interesting questions regarding the legitimacy of everyday use of psychological terms to describe animal behaviour.

A Very Brief Measure of the Big-Five Personality Domains

Article

Dec 2003

When time is limited, researchers may be faced with the choice of using an extremely brief measure of the Big-Five personality dimensions or using no measure at all. To meet the need for a very brief measure, 5 and 10-item inventories were developed and evaluated. Although somewhat inferior to standard multi-item instruments, the instruments reached adequate levels in terms of: (a) convergence with widely used Big-Five measures in self, observer, and peer reports, (b) test–retest reliability, (c) patterns of predicted external correlates, and (d) convergence between self and observer ratings. On the basis of these tests, a 10-item measure of the Big-Five dimensions is offered for situations where very short measures are needed, personality is not the primary topic of interest, or researchers can tolerate the somewhat diminished psychometric properties associated with very brief measures.

How to Measure Survey Reliability and Validity

Article