Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Ming Fei Li, Lavania Nagendran, Lauren Schroeder, David R. Samson
Summary: This study investigated the combined effects of biological, environmental, and human factors on the activity of sled dogs. The results showed that different factors had varying impacts on the daytime and nighttime activity of working and nonworking dogs, with human activity being the most influential factor on the activity of working dogs.
SCIENTIFIC REPORTS
(2022)
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Syed S. U. H. Bukhari, Alan G. McElligott, Sarah M. Rosanowski, Rebecca S. V. Parkes
Summary: This study investigated the impact of human perceptions of emotion and pain on the welfare of working donkeys in Pakistan. The results showed that owners who recognized donkey sentience and implemented good practices such as providing food, water, and padding were more likely to prioritize donkey welfare. On the other hand, owners who neglected donkey welfare and did not recognize their ability to feel pain and emotion were associated with negative practices.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Emma K. Grigg, Juliann Chou, Emily Parker, Anwyn Gatesy-Davis, Sara T. Clarkson, Lynette A. Hart
Summary: Research shows that dogs can exhibit fear and anxiety in response to common household noises, but many owners underestimate the level of fear in their dogs and often respond with amusement rather than addressing welfare concerns. Better education is needed for dog owners to interpret canine body language accurately and prevent the development of anxiety-related behavior problems.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Microbiology
Anna Bajer, Maciej Kowalec, Viktoriya A. Levytska, Ewa Julia Mierzejewska, Mustafa Alsarraf, Vasyl Poliukhovych, Anna Rodo, Dagmara Wezyk, Dorota Dwuznik-Szarek
Summary: This study found a high prevalence of Babesia spp. and Borrelia burgdorferi s.l. infections in pet dogs from Central and North-Eastern Europe, but not in sled dogs and Baltic countries.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Mia L. Cobb, Cynthia M. Otto, Aubrey H. Fine
Summary: Working dogs play vital roles in our society, and there is a growing focus on scientific exploration and understanding of animal welfare. This report examines studies on working dogs from the past decade, with a focus on modern ethics and the five domains of animal welfare, aiming to identify ways to enhance the welfare of working dogs.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Emily Haddy, Faith Burden, Zoe Raw, Joao B. Rodrigues, Jaime Humberto Zappi Bello, Julia Brown, Juliane Kaminski, Leanne Proops
Summary: Belief in animal sentience and the quality of human-animal relationships have a significant impact on animal welfare. This study explored the links between owner attitude, beliefs in animal sentience, and working equid welfare across different continents. The results showed that equids belonging to owners with an affective perspective and those who believed their equids could feel emotions had better overall health and body condition. Equids belonging to owners who believed their animals could feel pain were also less likely to be lame. These findings highlight the importance of the human-equid relationship and beliefs regarding animal sentience in influencing equid welfare.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE
(2023)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Cori Bussolari, Jennifer Currin-McCulloch, Wendy Packman, Lori Kogan, Phyllis Erdman
Summary: The qualitative study examined how Covid-19 restrictions impacted dog owners' relationships with their pets. Results showed that dog ownership during the pandemic helped reduce isolation and loneliness, and supported mental/physical health. The pandemic has negatively affected global psychological well-being, highlighting the importance of social connectedness for human survival and well-being.
Review
Veterinary Sciences
Sharmaine L. Miller, James A. Serpell, Kathryn R. Dalton, Kaitlin B. Waite, Daniel O. Morris, Laurel E. Redding, Nancy A. Dreschel, Meghan F. Davis
Summary: Investigations of therapy dog welfare have primarily focused on physiological and behavioral measures, but have not fully considered the continuum of welfare. This review proposes using objective measurements of the HPA axis and behavioral observations to evaluate positive welfare in therapy dogs. The role of oxytocin and questionnaire data are also discussed. However, to date, no studies have comprehensively measured these factors to assess therapy dog welfare.
FRONTIERS IN VETERINARY SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Melissa Smith, Joanna C. Murrell, Michael Mendl
Summary: By adapting the Holeboard Task and implementing the Disappearing Object Task, working memory in dogs can be effectively measured. Differences in task context may influence memory performance.
APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE
(2021)
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Rachel Forrest, Leena Awawdeh, Fiona Esam, Maria Pearson, Natalie Waran
Summary: This study aims to investigate the attitudes of dog owners in New Zealand and the factors contributing to canine obesity. The survey results show that many dog owners provide various types of food to their dogs, making it challenging to determine the appropriate amount. It is also found that there is disagreement among dog owners regarding the correct body condition, which may negatively impact the welfare of dogs.
Article
Veterinary Sciences
Paris Emmanuelle Gibson, Jessica Lee Oliva
Summary: The Australian public showed equal interest in both assistance and companion dogs, but were more supportive of the use of assistance dogs and perceived them as happier. Participants commonly endorsed the practical benefits of assistance dogs and the emotional benefits of companion dogs.
JOURNAL OF APPLIED ANIMAL WELFARE SCIENCE
(2022)
Article
Chemistry, Multidisciplinary
Rim Yu, Yongsoon Choi
Summary: This study proposes a mobile application that utilizes deep learning to analyze the behavior and poses of companion dogs. By training an AI model and analyzing the 3D poses, the app provides analytical information on stress-related behaviors.
APPLIED SCIENCES-BASEL
(2022)
Article
Behavioral Sciences
Paula Perez Fraga, Linda Gerencser, Melinda Lovas, Dora Ujvary, Attila Andics
Summary: Dogs exhibit more human-oriented behaviors when facing an unsolvable problem compared to miniature pigs, possibly due to species predispositions in communicative behavior.
Article
Agriculture, Dairy & Animal Science
Heidi K. Ortmeyer, Jamie Giffuni, Danielle Etchberger, Leslie Katzel
Summary: Providing companion dogs to veterans as an alternative to gym-based exercise is an effective method to promote health and wellness. The veterans showed improved physical function, increased daily steps, and more time engaged in moderate physical activity, as well as decreased body weight.
Article
Multidisciplinary Sciences
Natsuko Murata-Kobayashi, Keiko Suzuki, Yuko Morita, Harumi Minobe, Atsushi Mizumoto, Shiro Seto
Summary: This study conducted a questionnaire survey to evaluate the benefits of full-time hospital facility dogs (HFDs) in a medical facility. The results showed that HFDs had the greatest impact on terminal care and patient cooperation.