Fear of noises affects canine problem solving behavior and locomotion in standardized cognitive tests

Abstract

As part of a larger problem solving study, 22 dogs who were identified by owners/clients as reacting to noise and 13 identified by owners/clients as not reacting to noise that had been previously compared for auditory function were compared with respect to their reported noise reactions, performance on a puzzle box test, response to a provocative noise recording, and movement. Each dog was evaluated using a standardized, validated, semi-quantitative objective questionnaire from which an Anxiety Intensity Rank (AIR) score was calculated. AIR score calculations reflect the number of categories of noise to which the dog reacts, the behaviors exhibited, and the intensity of the reaction. Each dog underwent a 13 item problem-solving test (The Canine Intelligence Test Protocol; CITP) designed to evaluate 4 standardly evaluated cognitive domains. We report on two of the 13 tests – the puzzle box test and the provocative noise test – for this group of dogs. During testing most dogs wore collars containing accelerometers using custom firmware which provided second-by-second 3D movement data. AIR scores for the 2 groups differed significantly (Welch’s t tests; t = 4.34, df = 19.23, P < 0.0004), although the affected group was only mildly affected. Affected dogs took longer to solve the tasks and, overall, did more poorly (P < 0.5). Accelerometry revealed that during testing, movements of affected dogs were more erratic, less continuous and subject to greater extreme deviations and longer pauses than were the movements of unaffected dogs. Even dogs mildly affected with fear of noises differed from unaffected dogs, and performed more poorly on problem-solving tests possibly, in part, because their movements were characterized by a high degree of physical and behavioral/emotional reactivity. Reactions to noise affect how these dogs move, which may affect every investigatory and interactive aspect of their lives. Combining AIR scores with movement measures may be a useful method to assess welfare in pet dogs.