Owner-Reported Attachment and Behavior Characteristics of New Guinea Singing Dogs Living as Companion Animals

Abstract

ABSTRACT Domestic dogs are terrific companions in a variety of contexts. However, not all dogs have followed the same trajectory regarding domestication. In fact, little is known about how some dogs, including New Guinea singing dogs (NGSDs), fare as companion animals. The majority of NGSDs in the United States and Canada live as companion animals, yet observational studies of NGSDs have been limited to those living in zoos and in the wild. To learn more about NGSDs kept as companion animals, we compared housing and husbandry practices for NGSDs (n = 55) with those of dogs belonging to five primitive Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) subgroups (n = 1,101). We also compared behavioral traits of NGSDs and dogs belonging to the FCI subgroups using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), and their relationships with their owners using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). NGSDs differed from dogs belonging to some FCI subgroups on several C-BARQ measures. For instance, NGSDs showed greater fear than dogs in some subgroups and were more likely to urinate on objects than dogs in all subgroups. The latter finding might explain why a higher percentage of NGSDs than primitive breed dogs were housed outdoors. Nonetheless, NGSD owners scored just as highly on the LAPS as owners of other primitive dogs. Our findings suggest that NGSD owners may adapt their expectations and husbandry strategies to account for some of the behavioral differences between NGSDs and other dogs.