1
|
Salamon A, Baranya E, Zsiros LR, Miklósi Á, Csepregi M, Kubinyi E, Andics A, Gácsi M. Success in the Natural Detection Task is influenced by only a few factors generally believed to affect dogs' olfactory performance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12351. [PMID: 38811746 PMCID: PMC11137087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into dogs' olfactory ability is growing rapidly. However, generalising based on scientific results is challenging, because research has been typically conducted on a few specially trained subjects of a few breeds tested in different environmental conditions. We investigated the effects of temperature and humidity (outdoors), age, test location, sex, neutering status, and repeated testing (outdoors and indoors) on the olfactory performance of untrained family dogs (N = 411) of various breeds. We employed the Natural Detection Task with three difficulty levels, from which we derived two performance metrics: Top Level and Success Score. Temperature (0-25 °C) and humidity (18-90%) did not affect olfactory performance. Young adult dogs surpassed other age groups in reaching the Top Level. Sex and neutering status showed no discernible influence on Top Level and Success Score. Dogs performed better in both metrics when tested indoors compared to outdoors. In the test-retest procedure no significant learning effect was observed. We confirmed on untrained companion dogs that olfactory performance declines with age and rejected some factors that have been previously hypothesised to significantly affect dogs' olfactory success. The influence of the testing environment was notable, emphasising the need to consider various factors in understanding dogs' olfactory capabilities.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Attila Salamon
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Hungarian Ethology Foundation, Göd, Hungary.
| | - Eszter Baranya
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Róbert Zsiros
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Melitta Csepregi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Lendület "Momentum" Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Hungarian Ethology Foundation, Göd, Hungary
| |
Collapse
|
2
|
Novack LI, Schnell-Peskin L, Feuerbacher E, Fernandez EJ. The Science and Social Validity of Companion Animal Welfare: Functionally Defined Parameters in a Multidisciplinary Field. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:1850. [PMID: 37889767 PMCID: PMC10251938 DOI: 10.3390/ani13111850] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/07/2023] [Revised: 05/18/2023] [Accepted: 05/22/2023] [Indexed: 10/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Social validity refers to the social significance and acceptability of intervention goals, procedures, and outcomes. Animal practitioners, who are often guided by the principles of ABA, lack the benefit of verbal participants (at least with respect to target animals) with which to assess a client's needs and preferences. The study of a learner's welfare is useful for determining areas where intervention is needed or how the learner feels about an intervention that is underway. Three tenets of animal welfare measurement include physiological function, naturalistic behavior, and affect, where affect refers to private events, including emotions, which are a function of the same variables and contingencies responsible for controlling public behavior. The development of new technologies allows us to look "under the skin" and account for subjective experiences that can now be observed objectively. We introduce the reader to tools available from the animal welfare sciences for the objective measurement of social validity from the learner's perspective.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Lauren I. Novack
- Department of Special Education, Hunter College, New York, NY 10022, USA;
| | | | - Erica Feuerbacher
- Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, VA 24060, USA;
| | - Eduardo J. Fernandez
- School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, University of Adelaide, Adelaide, SA 5005, Australia;
| |
Collapse
|
3
|
A novel task of canine olfaction for use in adult and senior pet dogs. Sci Rep 2023; 13:2224. [PMID: 36754988 PMCID: PMC9908929 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-023-29361-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/20/2022] [Accepted: 02/02/2023] [Indexed: 02/10/2023] Open
Abstract
While much work has been done in the field of canine olfaction, there has been little exploration of hyposmia or anosmia. This is partly due to difficulties in reducing confounds like training history and environmental distraction. The current study describes a novel olfaction test using spontaneous search behavior in dogs to find a hidden food treat in a three-choice task with both light-phase and dark-phase conditions. The study was performed in 18 adult control dogs, 18 senior/geriatric dogs enrolled in a longitudinal aging study, and a single dog with severe nasal pathology. In the senior/geriatric and control groups, dogs performed with higher accuracy (p < 0.0001) and were less likely to show biased selection strategy (p < 0.01) in the dark-phase than light-phase. While senior/geriatric dogs performed above chance, they had lower accuracy in the dark-phase compared to controls (p = 0.036). Dogs who scored higher on an owner questionnaire of cognitive decline showed a positive correlation with performance in the dark-phase; performance on additional cognitive tests did not correlate with performance in the dark-phase. This task can be used to quantify canine olfaction using clearly defined endpoints and spontaneous behaviors thus making it feasible to compare between and within groups of pet dogs.
Collapse
|
4
|
d'Angelo D, Sacchettino L, Carpentieri R, Avallone L, Gatta C, Napolitano F. An Interdisciplinary Approach for Compulsive Behavior in Dogs: A Case Report. Front Vet Sci 2022; 9:801636. [PMID: 35400099 PMCID: PMC8988433 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2022.801636] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 02/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Compulsive disorder is a debilitating condition affecting both humans and animals, characterized by intrusive thoughts and recurring out-of-place behaviors. Among them, tail chasing might represent one of the most common traits in compulsive dogs. Herein, we reported the case of a 7-year-old intact male German Shepherd mixed-breed dog, presenting with tail chasing behavior. He underwent a first behavioral evaluation 1 year before (at the age of 6), when he injured himself with severe wounds at level of the tail and left thigh. To avoid any specific suffering and increase his physical health, of course, the study was carried out through an interdisciplinary approach, employing a veterinary behaviorist and a rehabilitating dog instructor. Three months after pharmacological treatment with fluoxetine and α-s1 casozepine, associated with a behavioral recovery program, the owner reported an improvement of compulsive events in his dog, in terms of intensity and frequency. Interestingly, over the following 3 months, the dog did not experience any new tail chasing episodes.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Danila d'Angelo
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Luigi Sacchettino
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | | | - Luigi Avallone
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
| | - Claudia Gatta
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- Claudia Gatta
| | - Francesco Napolitano
- Department of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Production, University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy
- CEINGE-Biotecnologie Avanzate, Naples, Italy
- *Correspondence: Francesco Napolitano
| |
Collapse
|
5
|
Holcova K, Koru E, Havlicek Z, Rezac P. Factors associated with sniffing behaviors between walking dogs in public places. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
|
6
|
Figueira MP, Silva FFR, Ribeiro A, Silva IO, Boere V. The behavioral response of the crab-eating fox to olfactory enrichment. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2021.105430] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
|
7
|
Delanoeije J, Gerencsér L, Miklósi Á. Do dogs mind the dots? Investigating domestic dogs' (
Canis familiaris
) preferential looking at human‐shaped point‐light figures. Ethology 2020. [DOI: 10.1111/eth.13016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Joni Delanoeije
- Department of Ethology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Linda Gerencsér
- Department of Ethology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
- MTA‐ELTE “Lendület” Neuroethology of Communication Research Group Hungarian Academy of Sciences—Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- Department of Ethology Eötvös Loránd University Budapest Hungary
- MTA‐ELTE Comparative Research Group Budapest Hungary
| |
Collapse
|