Barking Dog Research Articles

A survey of public attitudes towards barking dogs in New Zealand

AIMS: To investigate public attitudes towards barking dogs in New Zealand in order to quantify the extent to which people perceive barking dogs to be a problem, to compare tolerance of barking with that of other common suburban noises, to assess the level of public understanding about the function of barking, to determine risk factors for intolerance of barking and to assess knowledge of possible strategies for the investigation and management of problem barking.METHODS: A 12-page questionnaire was sent to 2,000 people throughout New Zealand randomly selected from the electoral roll. Risk factors for being bothered by barking were examined using logistic regression analysis.RESULTS: A total of 1,750 questionnaires were successfully delivered; of these, 727 (42%) were returned. Among respondents, 356/727 (49.0%) indicated that frequent barking during the day would bother them while 545/727 (75.0%) would be bothered by barking at night. Barking and howling were ranked above other suburban noises as a cause of annoyance. Risk factors for being bothered by daytime barking were not being home during the day, not owning a dog, and considering a dog bite to be a serious health risk. Risk factors for being bothered by night-time barking were not being home during the day, marital status, considering dog bites to pose a serious health risk, and having been frightened by a dog. Overall, 510/699 (73%) respondents understood that barking was a form of communication.Action likely to be taken by 666 respondents hearing frequent barking included notifying and offering to help the owner (119; 17.8%), complaining to the owner (127; 19.1%) or the authorities (121; 18.2%), or doing nothing (299; 48%). Possible responses by 211 dog owners if they had a barking dog included seeking help from dog trainers (59; 28%) or behaviourists (54; 26%), buying an anti-barking device (33; 15%) or getting rid of the dog (20; 10%).CONCLUSIONS: Barking was considered to be potentially disturbing by respondents to this survey. Attitudes towards barking were most influenced by age, dog ownership, past experience with dogs and attitude towards dog bites. Public understanding of the possible reasons for barking and appropriate methods of managing the behaviour when it becomes a problem could be improved by better education and the provision of information through veterinary clinics and social media.

More than noise?—Field investigations of intraspecific acoustic communication in dogs (Canis familiaris)

Besides being a widely investigated behavioural phenomenon, barks of dogs often represent a factor of nuisance for people. Although some argue that dog barking has no or only minimal communicative function, it was shown recently that these acoustic signals carry various information that humans can decipher. However, apart from a few laboratory studies, until now no targeted research has been done about the communicative role of barks in the intraspecific domain. In this field experiment companion dogs were tested with bark playbacks at home, in a suburban environment. From a hidden sound system, placed near to the gate outside of the property, each subject was exposed to pre-recorded barks of an unfamiliar and a familiar dog. Barks for the playbacks were recorded in two different contexts: when the dog was either left alone or when it was barking at a stranger at the fence. We found differences in the behaviour of dogs depending on both the familiarity and context of the playback barks. The position of the dogs (near the house or near the gate) was mainly influenced by the context of the barks (p=0.011), in a significant interaction with the familiarity of the barking dog (p=0.020). Subjects stayed at the gate (nearest to the source of the sound) the longest when they heard an unfamiliar dog barking at a stranger (padj=0.012). Meanwhile they stayed at the house mostly during the barks of a lonely unfamiliar dog (padj=0.001). Dogs oriented more towards the house (where the familiar dog stayed during the experiment) when they heard the familiar dog's barking (p=0.019). Subjects barked more often when they heard the ‘stranger’ barks, independently of the familiarity of the caller (p=0.035). As a conclusion, dogs seemingly distinguished among the callers based on familiarity and between the contexts of the barks. This is the first study on companion dogs in their natural environment that found evidence that dogs are able to extract detailed information from the barks. The relevance of our findings for the management of excessive bark is discussed.

Stress-induced behavioral and metabolic adaptations lead to an obesity-prone phenotype in ewes with elevated cortisol responses.

The underlying cause of predisposition to obesity is complex but one marker is cortisol responsiveness. Selection of sheep for high (HR) or low (LR) cortisol responses to adrenocorticotropin shows that HR are more likely to become obese. Increased propensity to obesity is associated with reduced skeletal muscle thermogenesis. We sought to determine whether metabolic or behavioral responses to stress also contribute to altered propensity to obesity in LR and HR. Animals (n=5-10/group) were exposed to 3 stressors and we measured food intake and thermogenesis (recorded with dataloggers implanted into muscle). Stressors were hypoglycaemia (0.125 units/kg insulin, IV), a barking dog and immune challenge (200 ng/kg lipopolysaccharide--LPS, IV). LR animals showed a greater catabolic state in response to both immune and psychosocial stressors. LPS reduced (P<0.01) food intake in both groups but LR showed a greater (P<0.05) reduction in food intake and a more substantial (P<0.05) rise in muscle temperature. Introduction of the barking dog reduced (P<0.05) food intake in LR only. These metabolic differences coincided with differences in cortisol responsiveness, where HR animals had increased (P<0.05) cortisol in response to both immune and psychosocial stressors. We also assessed behavior in the following paradigms: 1, isolation in the open field test; 2, response to a human intruder; and 3, food competition. LR had greater (P<0.05) activity, reduced fearfulness and displayed a proactive coping style of behavior. Thus we demonstrate that high cortisol responsiveness identifies animals with stress-induced metabolic and behavioral traits that may contribute to susceptibility to obesity.

High fat diet feeding produces transient, not sustained, ghrelin resistance in reward processing

The underlying cause of predisposition to obesity is complex but has measurable physiological and psychological traits. One marker is cortisol responsiveness. Thus, humans with high cortisol response to stress consume more calories than low responders [1]. In sheep with either high (HR) or low (LR) cortisol responses to Synacthen (ACTH), HR are more likely to become obese. This is associated with reduced thermogenesis in HR [2]. Here, we aimed to quantify physiological (n = 5/group) and psychological (n = 10/group) responses to various stressors in HR and LR sheep. Three stressors were applied to LR and HR animals and energy homeostasis (food intake and thermogenesis) was measured. Thermogenesis was recorded with dataloggers implanted into muscle. Stressors were hypoglycaemia (0.125 units/kg insulin, i.v.), a barking dog and immune challenge (200 ng/kg Lipopolysaccharide-LPS, i.v.). LPS induced the greatest overall disturbance in energy homeostasis with reduction (p < 0.01) in food intake in both groups (47± 7% in LR vs 26± 5% in HR); LR showed a greater (p < 0.05) reduction in food intake and greater (p < 0.05) rise in temperature measured by area under the curve (AUC) of temperature× time (LR, 20.4± 2 vs HR, 14.7± 2). Metabolic responses were minimal with the other 2 stressors. The change in energy homestasis was paralleled by cortisol responsiveness to stressors with the greatest effect and difference between HR and LR seen in LPS treatment (AUC 1543± 273 ng/mL, 6 h in HR and 1051± 138 ng/mL, 6 h, p < 0.05). Behavioural responses to (1) isolation in an enclosure (5× 3m), (2) a human intruder and (3) competition for food were analysed. LR had greater (p < 0.05) activity in Test(1) (Activity Score: LR, 6.5± 1.4 vs HR, 2.9± 1.5), spent more (p < 0.05) time (109± 25 s) facing the human (63± 25 s) in Test(2) and competed for food more successfully than HR in Test(3). Greater activity and increased thermogenesis in LR may reduce their propensity to become obese on a high energy diet.

Innate differences in weight gain and associated behaviour can be marked by cortisol responsivity

The underlying cause of predisposition to obesity is complex but has measurable physiological and psychological traits. One marker is cortisol responsiveness. Thus, humans with high cortisol response to stress consume more calories than low responders [1]. In sheep with either high (HR) or low (LR) cortisol responses to Synacthen (ACTH), HR are more likely to become obese. This is associated with reduced thermogenesis in HR [2]. Here, we aimed to quantify physiological (n = 5/group) and psychological (n = 10/group) responses to various stressors in HR and LR sheep. Three stressors were applied to LR and HR animals and energy homeostasis (food intake and thermogenesis) was measured. Thermogenesis was recorded with dataloggers implanted into muscle. Stressors were hypoglycaemia (0.125 units/kg insulin, i.v.), a barking dog and immune challenge (200 ng/kg Lipopolysaccharide-LPS, i.v.). LPS induced the greatest overall disturbance in energy homeostasis with reduction (p < 0.01) in food intake in both groups (47± 7% in LR vs 26± 5% in HR); LR showed a greater (p < 0.05) reduction in food intake and greater (p < 0.05) rise in temperature measured by area under the curve (AUC) of temperature× time (LR, 20.4± 2 vs HR, 14.7± 2). Metabolic responses were minimal with the other 2 stressors. The change in energy homestasis was paralleled by cortisol responsiveness to stressors with the greatest effect and difference between HR and LR seen in LPS treatment (AUC 1543± 273 ng/mL, 6 h in HR and 1051± 138 ng/mL, 6 h, p < 0.05). Behavioural responses to (1) isolation in an enclosure (5× 3m), (2) a human intruder and (3) competition for food were analysed. LR had greater (p < 0.05) activity in Test(1) (Activity Score: LR, 6.5± 1.4 vs HR, 2.9± 1.5), spent more (p < 0.05) time (109± 25 s) facing the human (63± 25 s) in Test(2) and competed for food more successfully than HR in Test(3). Greater activity and increased thermogenesis in LR may reduce their propensity to become obese on a high energy diet.

Time in the Sierras Subbéticas

Time in the Sierras Subbéticas Floyd Skloot (bio) Time in the Sierras Subbéticas All week a caretaker started hacking the hillside with his weed whacker at dawn. Its fierce buzz drove us, bleary with olive pollen and summer heat, out to walk through groves and whitewashed village homes as the sun rose. On the foothills road we stepped aside for a baker’s pickup, its load of fresh loaves stacked upright in the bed. Each morning he slowed to offer one and shook his head when we declined. Where the road turned south we saw a Moorish lookout tower from medieval days crumbled at the crest of a slope but set aglow with morning light. Haze rippled across the distance, leveling the fields. Just below us a barking dog streaked through underbrush and leaped into a stream. [End Page 28] Floyd Skloot Floyd Skloot recently completed Revertigo: An Off-Kilter Memoir, his fifth book of creative nonfiction. His seventh collection of poems, Close Reading (Tupelo P), is forthcoming. Copyright © 2013 University of Nebraska Press

Sound Localization in Unilateral Deafness With the Baha or TransEar Device

To evaluate the sound localization capabilities of patients with unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss who had been treated with either a bone-anchored hearing device (Baha BP100) or a TransEar 380-HF bone-conduction hearing device. Nonrandomized, prospective study. SETTING Tertiary referral private practice. Patients with unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss treated with a BP100 (n = 10) or a TransEar (n = 10) device. Patients wore the hearing device for at least 1 month and had normal hearing in the contralateral ear. Ten patients with normal, bilateral hearing were used for control. Sound localization of a 3-second recorded sound with and without a TransEar or Baha device was assessed using an array of 7 speakers at head level separated by approximately 45 degrees. The recorded sounds were that of a barking dog or a police siren. Randomized trials of 4 presentations per speaker were given for each hearing condition. Sound localization was assessed by the accuracy in response and the generalized laterality of response. The mean accuracy of speaker localization was 24% and 26% for the aided condition using the BP100 and TransEar devices, respectively. The mean accuracy of laterality judgment was 59% and 69% for the aided condition using the BP100 and TransEar devices, respectively. These results were only slightly better than chance. There was no statistical difference in localization accuracy or laterality judgment between the BP100 and TransEar groups. Neither the BP100 nor the TransEar device improved sound localization accuracy or laterality judgment ability in patients with unilateral, profound sensorineural hearing loss compared with performance in the unaided condition.

Memory, ecological validity and a barking dog

The study of memory, like our journal Memory Studies, crosses many discipline boundaries, aiming broadly to examine the ‘social, cultural, cognitive, political and technological shifts affecting how, what and why individuals, groups and societies remember’ (http://mss.sagepub.com/). In editing this journal, my co-editors and I have considered contributions from memory researchers and scholars across a range of fields. For instance, in our first issue in January 2008, we published articles by Campbell (philosophy), Connerton (sociology), Fivush (developmental psychology), Olick (sociology and history), Radstone (cultural studies), Rigney (comparative literature), Roediger and Wertsch (cognitive and developmental psychology), Sturken (media and communication), Till (geography), Yeo (history) and Zelizer (communication and journalism). Looking back over nearly 5 years and 17 issues of the journal so far, the successes of different disciplines and approaches, my own and others, are obvious as we share the task of understanding human memory. But my period as co-editor of Memory Studies has helped me to realise that no one has sovereignty over memory. Each of us approach memory from our own perspective, perspectives that bring with them great value as well as, at times, significant challenges.

'A Barking Dog that Never Bites - Not Really!' - Competition Commission of India and Its Recent Orders

Competition Commission of India (CCI) was established on 14th October, 2003 as the primary enforcement agency of the Competition Act, 2002. The functions of CCI can be broadly categorized into legislative, adjudicatory and advocacy. As far as the adjudicatory functions are concerned, CCI forms part of a three tier hierarchical structure. From 2009, when the adjudicatory functions of the CCI were notified, it has passed a large number of final orders under the Act. An analysis of these orders shows that a vast majority of them were issued under section 26 (2), which empowers the CCI to reject an information at the preliminary stage itself on the finding that no prima facie case was made out. But two recent orders imposing huge penalty on industrial houses stand out and have generated a renewed interest in competition law in India. In the backdrop of these two orders, this article attempts to analyze the new competition jurisprudence emerging in India. Though two years is a short period of time to infer any definite trends, the analysis shows that certain features stand out. These are: development of ‘desi’ competition jurisprudence; carving out an impartial adjudicatory role; and the existence of space for dissent.

James Bond and the Barking Dog: Evolution and Extended Cognition

Prominent defenders of the extended cognition thesis have looked to evolutionary theory for support. Roughly, the idea is that natural selection leads one to expect that cognitive strategies should exploit the environment, and exploitation of the right sort results in a cognitive system that extends beyond the head of the organism. I argue that proper appreciation of evolutionary theory should create no such expectation. This leaves open whether cognitive systems might in fact bear a relationship to the environment that leads to their extension.

Interest Groups in the 2008 Presidential Election: The Barking Dog That Didn't Bite

Where were interest groups in the 2008 presidential election? In previous elections interest groups have played a crucial, often attacking, role in presidential campaigns. This essay compares the influence of interest groups in the 2004 and 2008 presidential campaigns in terms of financing election activities, shaping the campaign agenda, influencing candidate images and mobilizing voters. Interest groups represented the barking dog that didn't bite in the 2008 presidential election. I offer some explanations involving lessons learned from previous campaigns, strategic calculations by groups, and the challenging issue environment for many interest groups. Despite the muted impact of interest groups in the 2008 presidential campaign, the long-term prognosis is that interest groups will continue to be important in American elections.

Kicking the (Barking) Dog Effect: The Moderating Role of Target Attributes on Triggered Displaced Aggression

Sometimes aggression is displaced onto a target who is not totally innocent but emits a mildly irritating behavior called a triggering event. In three experiments, the authors examine stable personal attributes of targets that can impact such triggered displaced aggression (TDA). Lower levels of TDA were directed to targets whose attitudes were similar as compared to dissimilar to those of the actor (Experiment 1) and to targets who were ingroup as compared to out-group members (Experiment 2). Conceptually replicating the findings of Experiments 1 and 2, the manipulated valence of the target (viz., liked, neutral, and disliked) functioned in a similar manner, with positive valence serving a buffering function against a triggering action that followed an initial provocation (Experiment 3). The results from all three experiments are consistent with cognitive neoassociationist theory.

Psychosocial stress suppresses attractivity, proceptivity and pulsatile LH secretion in the ewe

Various stressors suppress pulsatile secretion of luteinizing hormone (LH) in ewes and cortisol has been shown to be a mediator of this effect under various conditions. In contrast, little is known about the impact of stress and cortisol on sexual behavior in the ewe. Therefore, we tested the hypothesis that both psychosocial stress and stress-like levels of cortisol will reduce the level of attractivity, proceptivity and receptivity in addition to suppressing LH secretion in the ewe. In Experiment 1, a layered stress paradigm of psychosocial stress was used, consisting of isolation for 4 h with the addition of restraint, blindfold and noise of a barking dog (predator stress) at hourly intervals. This stress paradigm reduced LH pulse amplitude in ovariectomized ewes. In Experiment 2, ovariectomized ewes were artificially induced into estrus with progesterone and estradiol benzoate treatment and the layered stress paradigm was applied. LH was measured and sexual behavior was assessed using T-mazes and mating tests. Stress reduced pulsatile LH secretion, and also reduced attractivity and proceptivity of ewes but had no effect on receptivity. In Experiment 3, ewes artificially induced into estrus were infused with cortisol for 30 h. Cortisol elevated circulating plasma concentrations of cortisol, delayed the onset of estrus and resulted in increased circling behavior of ewes (i.e. moderate avoidance) during estrus and increased investigation and courtship from rams. There was no effect of cortisol on attractivity, proceptivity or receptivity during estrus. We conclude that psychosocial stress inhibits LH secretion, the ability of ewes to attract rams (attractivity) and the motivation of ewes to seek rams and initiate mating (proceptivity), but cortisol is unlikely to be the principal mediator of these effects.

A Gigantic Bioluminescent Starworm (Coleoptera: Rhagophthalmidae) From Northwest Yunnan, China

“Starworm” is the common name for larvae and larviform females of the rhagophthalmid genus Diplocladon (Haneda, 1950; 1985). Such a name results from their three longitudinal rows of lights, one dorso-central and two laterals, produced by three spot-like light organs located on contiguous body segments (Harvey, 1952; Braham and Wenzel, 2001; Ohba, 2004). Although Diplocladon was erected by Gorham in 1883, only two species (D. hasseltii Gorham, 1883, and D. haplocladon indicum Gorham, 1903) have been reported from India and Indonesia (Wittmer, 1944). Diplocladon hasseltii is known from both sexes (Haneda, 1950), but D. haplocladon indicum Gorham known only from the male. In addition, Harvey (1952) thought that luminous larvae or larviform females of a few unidentified species of Diplocladon (some up to 5 cm long) lived in Hangzhou (Zhejiang Province, China, Waterhouse, 1889) and Malaya (Gahan, 1924). Ridley (1934) also dealt with some Diplocladon larva from Singapore and pointed out the large (also circa 5 cm long) luminous insects of Clark (1865) from India belonged in this genus. Because Diplocladon males are nonluminous, they are less commonly collected and correctly associated with the conspecific females. Females and larvae are usually edaphic and relatively cryptic, making them also difficult to collect. Perhaps, the scarcity of specimens has made the systematics of Diplocladon problematic. For instance, Diplocadon has been placed in the Drilidae (Gorham, 1883; Olivier, 1910; Wittmer, 1944; Harvey, 1952), Phengodidae (Crowson, 1972), or Rhagophthalmidae (Lawrence et al., 2000; Branham, 2000). Herein, we follow Lawrence et al. (2000). Having been woken up by his barking dog at midnight, Mr. Guojian Liao, a coal worker at the Tongda Coal Company, found a luminous object on a slope about 50 meters from his home [Baiguhe Village, Tongda Township, Huaping County, Lijiang Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China (N26.75541o, E101.10284o; 2234 m)] on June 6, 2006. The object turned out to be a gigantic (circa 9 cm long) luminous worm. At first sight, its body shape and coloration are very similar to those of larvae and larviform females of the luminous beetle genus Rhagophthalmus (Rhagophthalmidae). Rhagophthalmus larvae are predatory but larviform females rarely feed (Ohba, 1997). The luminous worm was kept in a bottle

1015 優れた音響透過損失を持つ自然換気用消音器に関する研究 : 犬の鳴き声の騒音スペクトルへの適用(GS5 音響・消音,一般セッション:5 音響・消音)

1015 優れた音響透過損失を持つ自然換気用消音器に関する研究 : 犬の鳴き声の騒音スペクトルへの適用(GS5 音響・消音,一般セッション:5 音響・消音)

Barking Dog Rapids 2

Summer 2007 - Volume 11 Number 3 "Barking Dog Rapids 2" pastel on pastel paper, 24"x36" By Terrance Chang, MD This piece was inspired by Dr Chang's favorite getaway and adrenaline kick --whitewater kayaking on the South Fork of the American River in Coloma, C

On the influence of audio-visual interactions on working memory performance: a study with non-semantic stimuli

Several studies examined the impact of bimodal stimulation on working memory. Typically, an enhancement of participants’ performance is found when bimodal formats (a barking dog) are compared to single formats of presentation (either the picture of a dog or the sound of barking). This enhancement can be attributed to early —as automatic alerting effect—or late—as postulated by the dual coding theory—stages of processing. Since only semantic stimuli have been used until now, the nature of this phenomenon is still not clear. In this experiment, we used a n-back procedure, wherein participants were required to detect an item seen n-position before in a stream of stimuli, using unimodal (either visual or auditory) or bimodal (both visual and auditory) non-semantic stimuli. We found a significant improvement of performance for bimodal stimuli, which indicates a likely involvement of very early pre-semantic stages of memory processes.

Taming the Barking Dog

This demonstration brings Liebig's famous 19th-century demonstration headlong into the 21st century, using digital video footage and other novel media. We describe how to effectively carry out the reaction in a classroom situation and show how the Barking Dog reaction can be used to illustrate various principles of physical chemistry.

Responses of Redfronted Lemurs to Experimentally Modified Alarm Calls: Evidence for Urgency‐Based Changes in Call Structure

Abstract The aim of this study was to investigate how information about the affective state is expressed in vocalizations. Alarm calls can serve as model systems with which to study this general question. Therefore, we examined the information content of terrestrial predator alarm calls of redfronted lemurs (Eulemur fulvus rufus), group‐living Malagasy primates. Redfronted lemurs give specific alarm calls only towards raptors, whereas calls given in response to terrestrial predators (woofs) are also used in other situations characterized by high arousal. Woofs may therefore have the potential to express the perceived risk of a given threat. In order to examine whether different levels of arousal are expressed in call structure, we analysed woofs given during inter‐group encounters or in response to playbacks of a barking dog, assuming that animals engaged in inter‐group encounters experience higher arousal than during the playbacks of dog barks. A multivariate acoustic analysis revealed that calls given during group encounters were characterized by higher frequencies than calls given in response to playbacks of dog barks. In order to examine whether this change in call structure is salient to conspecifics, we conducted playback experiments with woofs, modified in either amplitude or frequencies. Playbacks of calls with increased frequency or amplitude elicited a longer orienting response, suggesting that different levels of arousal are expressed in call structure and provide meaningful information for listeners. In conclusion, the results of our study indicate that the information about the sender's affective state is expressed in the structure of vocalizations.

Magnetic oscillatory responses to lateralization changes of natural and artificial sounds in humans

Oscillatory signals in human magnetoencephalogram were investigated as correlates of cortical network activity in response to sound lateralization changes. Previously, we found lateralized presentations of a monosyllabic word to elicit posterior temporo-parietal gamma-band activity, possibly reflecting synchronization of neuronal assemblies in putative auditory dorsal stream areas. In addition, beta activity was decreased over sensorimotor regions, suggesting the activation of motor networks involved in orientating. The present study investigated responses to lateralization changes of both a barking dog sound and a distorted noise to test whether beta desynchronization would depend on the sound's relevance for orientating. Eighteen adults listened passively to 900 samples of each sound in separate location mismatch paradigms with midline standards and both right- and left-lateralized deviants. Lateralized distorted noises were accompanied by enhanced spectral amplitude at 58-73 Hz over right temporo-parietal cortex. Left-lateralized barking dog sounds elicited right and right-lateralized sounds elicited bilateral temporo-parietal spectral amplitude increases at approximately 77 Hz. This replicated the involvement of posterior temporo-parietal areas in auditory spatial processing. Only barking dog sounds, but not distorted noises, gave rise to 30 Hz desynchronization over contralateral sensorimotor areas, parieto-frontal gamma coherence increases and beta coherence reductions between sensorimotor and prefrontal sensors. Apparently passive listening to lateralized natural sounds with a potential biological relevance led to an activation of motor networks involved in the automatic preparation for orientating. Parieto-frontal coherence increases may reflect enhanced coupling of networks involved in the integration of auditory spatial and motor processes.