Abstract
A high proportion of pet dogs show fear-related behavioural problems, with noise fears being most prevalent. Nonetheless, few studies have objectively evaluated fear expression in this species. Using owner-provided video recordings, we coded behavioural expressions of pet dogs during a real-life firework situation at New Year’s Eve and compared them to behaviour of the same dogs on a different evening without fireworks (control condition), using Wilcoxon signed ranks tests. A backwards-directed ear position, measured at the base of the ear, was most strongly associated with the fireworks condition (effect size: Cohen’s d = 0.69). Durations of locomotion (d = 0.54) and panting (d = 0.45) were also higher during fireworks than during the control condition. Vocalisations (d = 0.40), blinking (d = 0.37), and hiding (d = 0.37) were increased during fireworks, but this was not significant after sequential Bonferroni correction. This could possibly be attributed to the high inter-individual variability in the frequency of blinking and the majority of subjects not vocalising or hiding at all. Thus, individual differences must be taken into account when aiming to assess an individual’s level of fear, as relevant measures may not be the same for all individuals. Firework exposure was not associated with an elevated rate of other so-called ‘stress signals’, lip licking and yawning.
Highlights
A high proportion of pet dogs show fear-related behavioural problems, with noise fears being most prevalent
As nonhuman animals cannot report on what they are feeling, we can attempt to infer the emotion that is likely being experienced based on changes in these emotion components and the circumstances in which these are occurring[1,3]
A fear of loud noises is innate in many a nimals[20], and noise fears are among the most common fears affecting pet dogs[15,31,32]
Summary
A high proportion of pet dogs show fear-related behavioural problems, with noise fears being most prevalent. Identifying indicators of emotions in nonhuman animals is important for assessing their welfare state as well as to improve our ability to predict subsequent behavioural responses This is relevant in domestic dogs, which live more closely with us than any other species and do play a role as social partners[6,7], and as therapy d ogs[8], assistance dogs[9,10] or working dogs with functions ranging from search and r escue[11] to police work[12]. We shall use the term ‘fear’ to denote both fear and anxiety responses in dogs, since they have in common that they are aversive emotional states due to a (perceived) threat that are associated with intense negative emotions and physiological changes[21], and sufficient criteria to distinguish between the different concepts in dogs have yet to be established (c.f.22).
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