Attraction of beagles to conspecific urine, vaginal and anal sac secretion odors

Abstract

Attraction of male and female Beagles to conspecific urine, vaginal and anal sac secretion odors was examined in four experiments. Males spent more relative time investigating female urine odors than odors of vaginal or anal sac secretions. Sexually experienced males, but not sexually inexperienced ones, spent more time investigating estrous than diestrous female urine and vaginal odors. Anal sac secretions from estrous bitches were not more attractive to males than those from diestrous bitches. Estrous females spent no more time than diestrous ones in the investigation of male anal sac secretion and urine odors. Male urine and anal sac secretions elicited little investigation from male conspecifics. Females spent more time investigating female urine odors than female anal sac or vaginal secretion odors, and exhibited a slight general preference for diestrous over estrous stimuli. A positive correlation between the odor investigation times of this study and investigation times of comparable animals to conspecifics in a social situation suggests odor preferences are relatively good indicators of social preferences, and vice versa, in this breed.