Black Dogs Research Articles

Black Dog Bias in the Courtroom: A Potential Disadvantage?

ABSTRACT Because facility dogs can provide comfort to vulnerable testifying witnesses, they are beginning to become commonplace in some courtrooms. However, certain dogs (and by extension the witness they testify with) might be discriminated against because of their coat color. Known as “Black Dog Bias” (BDB), black dogs are often reported to be discriminated against in animal adoption centers, resulting in higher rates of euthanasia. Black dogs are often viewed as less friendly, less emotionally stable, and more aggressive than their other-colored counterparts. Other research, however, argues that BDB does not exist; rather, bias against certain dogs is associated with phenotypic traits or breed. With the proliferation of facility dog employment in courtrooms, there is a possibility that BDB also could manifest in this setting. This study investigated whether BDB occurs in the courtroom and affects perceptions of the witness through the social psychological process of transference. A child witness, as they were testifying about a sexual assault, was either comforted by a black dog, a white dog, or no dog. Counterintuitively, community-member participants (n = 133) believed that the witnesses appeared less sad, less emotional, and happier when comforted by a black dog compared with a white dog. Furthermore, perceptions of the witness were not affected by the facility dog, suggesting that transference did not occur. A potential explanation for the findings posits that a stereotype violation occurs when a black dog serves as a facility dog, allowing the animal to be perceived positively. This finding adds a new caveat to BDB – that when a black dog fulfills a positive role, this might cause a stereotype violation that leads to positive evaluations of that dog. These findings also contribute to existing literature that the presence of facility dogs is more beneficial than harmful to courtroom settings, suggesting that they do not seem to unfairly sway juries.

Vrednosni pluralizam u romanima Crni psi i Subota Ijana Makjuana

Ian McEwan, an influential and provocative British novelist and short-story writer, has addressed a variety of issues, distinguishing himself as a socially and politically engaged author. This paper explores contemporary liberalism as depicted in two of McEwan's novels, Black Dogs and Saturday, both charged with moral complexity. The analysis is approached from the perspective of value pluralism, which recognises the plurality of morally correct yet incompatible and incommensu-rable principles or values. These values may conflict with each other, but since all are correct, the conflicts remain unresolved. It is the author's belief that the novels highlight value pluralism through characters who, while navigating a pluralist environment, disclose the challenges and limitations of liberal democracies. The theoretical context this paper relies on is based on ideas of Isaiah Berlin and his notion of value pluralism.

Yearning for the Plot Enclosure in Ian McEwan’s Black Dogs

ABSTRACT The British Empire’s disintegration drove its many residents into an enclosure of illusions of sovereignty. As McEwan’s works emerged amid such developments, his characters respond to the rising disintegration either by imposing control patterns on others or by taking the needy into protection. The novel Black Dogs focuses on the protagonist-narrator Jeremy, who is determined to redeem his adoptive parents’ ruined familial intimacy. However, his considerate attitude to them is gradually disclosed by the author as an attempt to solidify his unbelonging self. His generous opening to them by means of a mobile plot that meanders through European history gradually turns into a self-protective consolidation. Indicatively, his plot’s sleepwalking through historical perils recalls the ancient Greek love romances, whose readers were equally frightened by the whims of an unchained history. Yet unlike them, who used to attach themselves to the ups and downs of the imperiled lovers, Jeremy’s addressees are attracted by his wandering plot that occupies the individual and collective territories of others. In a final twist, the author even surpasses this self-consolidating expansion into foreign territories by his clandestine plotting of an intertextual space and thus reveals the appropriative, conspirational character of his pact with the readers. A complicit alliance with them comes into being, which he keeps controlling and steering.

Effects of Platycladus orientalis Leaf Extract on the Growth Performance, Fur-Production, Serum Parameters, and Intestinal Microbiota of Raccoon Dogs.

Platycladus orientalis leaves are rich in flavonoids and polysaccharides, which offer high medicinal and nutritional benefits. This study aimed to investigate the impact of P. orientalis leaf extract (PLE) on the growth performance, fur quality, serum parameters, and intestinal microbiota of raccoon dogs. Sixty healthy male black raccoon dogs, aged 85 (±5) days, were randomly assigned to four groups and fed a basal diet supplemented with 0, 0.25, 0.50, and 1.00 g/kg PLE for 125 days (designated as groups P0, P1, P2, and P3, respectively). The results revealed that the raccoon dogs in group P1 exhibited increased average daily gain and underfur length while showing a decreased feed/gain ratio compared to group P0 (p < 0.05). However, the heart index in group P2 was significantly lower than in group P0 (p < 0.05), and the kidney index and serum alanine aminotransferase activities in group P3 were higher than in groups P2 and P0 (p < 0.05), suggesting potential adverse effects at higher PLE dosages. Notably, dietary PLE supplementation led to a reduction in serum glucose concentrations (p < 0.05), which may have implications for glucose regulation. Furthermore, the study explored the impact of dietary supplementation with 0.25 g/kg PLE on the raccoon dogs' intestinal microbiota using high-throughput sequencing. The results showed significant alterations in the microbial community structure, with a notable decrease in the abundance of Prevotella copri in response to 0.25 g/kg PLE supplementation (p < 0.05). In conclusion, supplementing raccoon dogs' diet with 0.25 g/kg PLE can lead to improved growth performance and a positive influence on the intestinal microbiota. However, caution should be exercised regarding higher dosages, as they may have adverse effects on certain parameters. As a result, PLE holds promise as a potential feed additive for fur animal production.

The Ethics of Animal Excess: Violence and Bataillean Vigilance in Ian McEwan's Black Dogs

ABSTRACT: This essay offers a different reading of the ethical imagination in Ian McEwan's fiction from that of human responsibility towards otherness propounded by Emmanuel Levinas. Long regarded as a natural philosophical interlocutor to McEwan, Levinas's concepts of alterity and the transcendence of the other seem to crystallize intersubjective encounters in McEwan's fiction and promote an ethical attitude of peaceable relations between human beings who do not negate the primordiality of the other's presence. I suggest certain difficulties with an unqualified adoption of a Levinasian ethical approach, centered around contradictions inherent in Levinas's qualifications of otherness which negate its radical impact on a coherent account of subjectivity. These objections will allow me to turn to an ethics of transgression and loss as set out by Georges Bataille. Bataille's ideas about excess sets up a dialectical thinking about limits and their fracture which enables an alternative reading of ethics and narrative structure in Ian McEwan's Black Dogs . I demonstrate how Bataille offers a more compelling reading of otherness and the eccentric nature of the ethical self than Levinas, and how this reading is enacted in McEwan's handling of narrative structure and metafictional technique in the novel, stringing together a powerful reimagining of responsibility and political vision in the aftermath of excessive violence.

Black sheep, dark horses, and colorful dogs: a review on the current state of the Gene Ontology with respect to iron homeostasis in Arabidopsis thaliana.

Cellular homeostasis of the micronutrient iron is highly regulated in plants and responsive to nutrition, stress, and developmental signals. Genes for iron management encode metal and other transporters, enzymes synthesizing chelators and reducing substances, transcription factors, and several types of regulators. In transcriptome or proteome datasets, such iron homeostasis-related genes are frequently found to be differentially regulated. A common method to detect whether a specific cellular pathway is affected in the transcriptome data set is to perform Gene Ontology (GO) enrichment analysis. Hence, the GO database is a widely used resource for annotating genes and identifying enriched biological pathways in Arabidopsis thaliana. However, iron homeostasis-related GO terms do not consistently reflect gene associations and levels of evidence in iron homeostasis. Some genes in the existing iron homeostasis GO terms lack direct evidence of involvement in iron homeostasis. In other aspects, the existing GO terms for iron homeostasis are incomplete and do not reflect the known biological functions associated with iron homeostasis. This can lead to potential errors in the automatic annotation and interpretation of GO term enrichment analyses. We suggest that applicable evidence codes be used to add missing genes and their respective ortholog/paralog groups to make the iron homeostasis-related GO terms more complete and reliable. There is a high likelihood of finding new iron homeostasis-relevant members in gene groups and families like the ZIP, ZIF, ZIFL, MTP, OPT, MATE, ABCG, PDR, HMA, and HMP. Hence, we compiled comprehensive lists of genes involved in iron homeostasis that can be used for custom enrichment analysis in transcriptomic or proteomic studies, including genes with direct experimental evidence, those regulated by central transcription factors, and missing members of small gene families or ortholog/paralog groups. As we provide gene annotation and literature alongside, the gene lists can serve multiple computational approaches. In summary, these gene lists provide a valuable resource for researchers studying iron homeostasis in A. thaliana, while they also emphasize the importance of improving the accuracy and comprehensiveness of the Gene Ontology.

"The same way as there are black and white dogs": an analysis of the intersections between race and health.

This paper reflects on the Family Health Strategy (ESF) workers' understanding of racial relationships and health intersections. We conducted semi-structured interviews with ESF teams' professionals in the State of Pernambuco, Brazil, whose data were analyzed in light of the discussions that focused on the racial theme. The results point to discrepancies between different health models in the daily routine, race/skin color invisibility in training and professional work, and whiteness as a structuring element of race relationships. The study reaffirms the need for Public Health to focus on the intersection between the issue of race/skin color and healthcare relationships and invest in the training of professionals regarding race discussions.

A Cross-Species Examination of Pro-White Color Bias Using a Novel Implicit Association Test

ABSTRACT There is abundant evidence for pro-White color bias across the social psychology literature. In human–animal interaction work, black dog syndrome (BDS) refers to preference toward lighter-colored dogs over black dogs, leading to differences in rates of euthanasia and adoption. BDS has received mixed support in prior studies. Results from studies examining explicit color preference toward animals are also inconsistent. Numerous studies report strong support for implicit pro-White bias toward humans, but no studies have examined implicit pro-White bias toward animals. Thus, the primary aim of the current research was to test for implicit pro-White bias across various stimuli and species, using both novel and well-established Implicit Association Tests (IATs). In study 1 (n = 127) and study 2 (n = 141), IATs assessed pro-White bias across five different stimuli: objects, rabbits, dogs, skin tone, and race, using data collected from college students. Participants were categorized into three groups based on race and ethnicity (non-Hispanic White, non-Hispanic Black, and all other racial/ethnic participants). In both studies, there was evidence of pro-White bias across all five IATs. However, both studies also revealed significant racial differences. In both studies, pro-White bias was significant among White and other racial/ethnic participants but not among Black participants. Racial/ethnic differences were also found in prevalence of pet ownership and attitudes toward pets, but neither ownership nor attitudes were significantly associated with pro-White bias. Results from this study provide indirect support for BDS, in that individuals showed an implicit bias toward White dogs, although this bias is not present among Black individuals.

HADITH SUTRAH: STUDY OF MA'ANIL HADITH

Abstract: This study talks about the understanding of the hadith about the sutras. I think this theme is important to discuss. To obtain a comprehensive meaning and understanding of the substance of the meaning of a hadith, in this study the author does this by considering several aspects in understanding the hadith of the Prophet SAW. such as asbabul wurud, observing variants of hadith texts, collecting meaningful traditions and looking for meanings that are relevant to the current context. In the hadith about the sutras narrated by Abu Dharr r.a, there is an order from the Prophet SAW. to make a sutrah / barrier that aims to maintain solemnity in performing prayers. If someone who prays does not make a sutrah in front of him, then his prayer will be invalid if passed by donkeys, women and black dogs. However, in the hadith narrated by Aisyah r.a, she said that she was lying in front of the Prophet SAW who was praying. Hadith regarding this sutra has a very varied meaning. According to the opinion of the majority of scholars, the hadith narrated by Abu Dharr r.a and Aisyah r.a do not contradict each other, in the hadith of A'Isyah r.a it is said that Aisyah r.a just lay in front of the Prophet SAW. who are praying, not passing.

A comparison of black vs. yellow coat color on rectal and gastrointestinal temperature in Labrador retrievers

Although dark coat color in dogs has been theorized as a risk factor for heat injury, there is little evidence in the scientific literature to support that position. We utilized 16 non-conditioned Labradors (8 black and 8 yellow) in a three-phase test to examine effects of coat color on thermal status of the dog. Rectal, gastrointestinal (GI), and surface temperature using infrared thermography measured at the eye and abdomen, were measured along with respiration rate measured in breaths per minute (bpm), collected at three time points. Phase 1 (Baseline) – 30 minutes of crate rest in a climate-controlled room; Phase 2 (Walking in Sunlight) - 30-minute walk in an outdoor environment on a sunny day; and Phase 3 (Cooling) – 15 minutes of crate rest in climate-controlled room to determine post-exposure recovery temperatures. No effect of coat color was measured for rectal, gastrointestinal, surface temperature, or respiration rate (P > 0.05) in dogs following their 30-minute walk in sunlight. All temperatures measured increased similarly (rectal 1.86°C and 1.80°C; GI 1.92°C and 1.95°C; eye 2.8°C and 1.92°C; abdomen 2.91°C and 2.39°C) in black and yellow dogs respectively, following 30 in Sunlight (P > 0.05). Additionally, temperatures decreased in a similar fashion for both coat colors (rectal 0.84°C and 0.88°C; GI 1.48°C and 1.32°C; eye 1.49°C and 1.70°C; abdominal 1.75°C and 1.5°C) in black and yellow dogs respectively (P > 0.05) during Cooling. Respiration rate increased similarly for both coat colors, (147.2 bpm and 143.7 bpm for black and yellow respectively) when Baseline values were compared to Sunlight values and decreased similarly (28.8 bpm black; 60.2 bpm yellow after Cooling phase (P > 0.05). These novel data reveal a surprising lack of effect for black vs. yellow coat color on body temperature as measured by standard rectal thermometer, gastrointestinal thermistor, or infrared thermography in a population of Labrador retrievers.

Canine ocular onchocerciasis in New Mexico: Risk factors for disease.

To determine whether dogs are at variable risk of developing canine ocular onchocerciasis based on coat color or size, factors that may influence feeding behavior of the putative vectors of Onchocerca lupi¸ the filarial nematode parasite causing this disease. One hundred twenty-five client-owned dogs diagnosed with confirmed or suspected onchocerciasis. 1255 dogs without signs of this disease were utilized for comparison. Dogs lacking signs of canine onchocerciasis were assessed for coat color and weight. Proportions of dogs with these characteristics were used to predict signalment in a group of dogs with this disease, if the investigated characteristics were unrelated to disease risk. Predicted values were compared statistically with observed values in the diseased dog population. Black fly color preference was assessed utilizing black, brown, and white traps and statistically assessing any differences in trapping based on trap color. Results suggest that large, black dogs are more likely to develop canine ocular onchocerciasis than was predicted by chance alone (p=0.012). Results for smaller dogs with other coat colors were not significant. An increased risk for black dogs was supported by trapping data, as black flies were trapped significantly more often in black traps (p<0.001). While factors other than size and color probably also influence the likelihood of O. lupi infection and disease development, our results may assist clinicians in their diagnosis of canine ocular onchocerciasis and provide them with a tool to help educate their clients as to their dogs' risk of developing this disease.

Comprehensive genetic testing combined with citizen science reveals a recently characterized ancient MC1R mutation associated with partial recessive red phenotypes in dog

BackgroundThe Melanocortin 1 Receptor (MC1R) plays a central role in regulation of coat color determination in various species and is commonly referred to as the “E (extension) Locus”. Allelic variation of the MC1R gene is associated with coat color phenotypes EM (melanistic mask), EG (grizzle/domino) and e1–3 (recessive red) in dogs. In addition, a previous study of archeological dog specimens over 10,000 years of age identified a variant p.R301C in the MC1R gene that may have influenced coat color of early dogs.ResultsCommercial genotyping of 11,750 dog samples showed the R301C variant of the MC1R gene was present in 35 breeds or breed varieties, at an allele frequency of 1.5% in the tested population. We detected no linkage disequilibrium between R301C and other tested alleles of the E locus. Based on current convention we propose that R301C should be considered a novel allele of the E locus, which we have termed eA for “e ancient red”. Phenotype analysis of owner-provided dog pictures reveals that the eA allele has an impact on coat color and is recessive to wild type E and dominant to the e alleles. In dominant black (KB/*) dogs it can prevent the phenotypic expression of the K locus, and the expressed coat color is solely determined by the A locus. In the absence of dominant black, eA/eA and eA/e genotypes result in the coat color patterns referred to in their respective breed communities as domino in Alaskan Malamute and other Spitz breeds, grizzle in Chihuahua, and pied in Beagle.ConclusionsThis study demonstrates a large genotype screening effort to identify the frequency and distribution of the MC1R R301C variant, one of the earliest mutations captured by canine domestication, and citizen science empowered characterization of its impact on coat color.

Urban Landscape in McEwan's Narrative Representation of Berlin

In her article "Urban Landscape in McEwan's Narrative Representation of Berlin," Barbara J. Puschmann-Nalenz discusses the image of Berlin created in Ian McEwanﹸs novel The Innocent (1990) and the chapter titled "Berlin" in Black Dogs (1992). It starts from the hypothetical statement that while British literary fiction set in Berlin is rare after 1970 the genres of spy and detective novel, where crime and violence take center stage, shape the image of the city in highbrow narratives as well. The perspectivization of the cityscape, including its monuments, through the protagonists fundamentally influences its image. In The Innocent the limited view and interest of the central character transmits estrangement, indifference and personal preoccupations by a third-person narrator and figural narrative, whereas in Black Dogs a politically alert first-person narrator follows the event of the Fall of the Wall on the site as a detached observer. The ambiguity which results from the representations of the urban landscape reflects the display of ambiguous human characteristics in crucial situations. The essay argues that in the spatial narratives of these novels especially themes of disintegration, division and insecurity find their intricate symbolic expression.

Coat Color of Shelter Dogs and Its Role in Dog Adoption

AbstractCoat color influenced the likelihood of a dog being reclaimed from a shelter as well as the length of stay (LOS) of abandoned dogs at the shelter. The shortestLOSwas found in brindle and multicolor dogs (median time until adoption: 17 and 18 days, respectively) followed by white, fawn, red, brown, black and tan, and grey dogs. Black dogs had the greatestLOS(median 32 days). In lost dogs, coat color had no significant effect on the time spent at a shelter, the median time until a dog was reclaimed by his/her caretaker being one day, irrespective of the coat color. However, the results of our study suggest that black, brown, and brindle dogs are more likely to be abandoned by their caretakers, and that fawn, black and tan, grey, and red dogs, if lost, have a better chance of being reclaimed by their caretakers.

The effect of adopter’s gender on shelter dog selection preferences

A retrospective analysis of dog adoption records was performed with the aim to determine the differences in preferences of male and female adopters in the Czech Republic. From January 1, 2010 to December 31, 2016, 955 dogs were adopted out of a selected shelter. Significantly (P= 0.03) more dogs were adopted by women than by men (52.6% vs 47.4%, respectively). No preference (P= 0.06) for adopting a dog of the same or opposite sex as the adopter’s was found. Women adopted more (P= 0.02) small dogs and men more (P= 0.004) large dogs, while the adoption rate of medium dogs did not differ (P= 0.16) between men and women. Significantly more (P= 0.05) older dogs were adopted by women than by men. With the exception of brown dogs (adopted more often by women) and black dogs with dark markings (adopted more often by men), dogs with different coat colors were adopted equally by men and women. No difference was found between the ratio of crossbred and purebred dogs adopted by men and women. This study fills gaps in scientific knowledge on adopters’ preferences. Women are more willing to adopt dogs including those that may require special care (older dogs). However, women are less likely to adopt large dogs. The lower number of male adopters may be the reason why large dogs are often reported to be difficult to rehome. To remedy this, shelter operators should explore ways how to address men if they have large dogs available for adoption.

Ian McEwan’s Parable of Reading in Black Dogs

Abstract This paper aims to explore Ian McEwan’s vision of Europe in his 1992 novel Black Dogs. Published some three years after the fall of the Berlin Wall, Black Dogs plunges its readers into a fictional experience that enhances their sense of an irrational fear and their apprehensions of evil forces haunting Europe’s past and present and bursting out in the shape of a pair of menacing creatures in London, France, Poland and Germany. Taking the reader back and forth in time and space in a narrative of mobility, McEwan projects a complex vision of Europe, where memory plays tricks and sheds light upon an essential, albeit inscrutable truth at the same time. Feeling that he belongs nowhere, in particular, Jeremy, the narrator-protagonist, probes into the past to find the key to the present, which overarches the future of the continent. In order to do so, his mind sweeps over moments and places, projecting pieces of a jigsaw puzzle which only the reading process can fit together. Looking into McEwan’s memory-oriented narrative strategies, the paper will focus on the emblematic role of the reader in a novel which is a parable of cultural, epistemological and literary reading.

Labrador retrievers under primary veterinary care in the UK: demography, mortality and disorders

BackgroundLabrador retrievers are reportedly predisposed to many disorders but accurate prevalence information relating to the general population are lacking. This study aimed to describe demography, mortality and commonly recorded diseases in Labrador retrievers under UK veterinary care.MethodsThe VetCompass™ programme collects electronic patient record data on dogs attending UK primary-care veterinary practices. Demographic analysis covered all33,320 Labrador retrievers in the VetCompass™ database under veterinary care during 2013 while disorder and mortality data were extracted from a random sample of 2074 (6.2%) of these dogs.ResultsOf the Labrador retrievers with information available, 15,427 (46.4%) were female and 15,252 (53.6%) were male. Females were more likely to be neutered than males (59.7% versus 54.8%, P < 0.001). The overall mean adult bodyweight was 33.0 kg (SD 6.1). Adult males were heavier (35.2 kg, SD 5.9 kg) than adult females (30.4 kg, SD 5.2 kg) (P < 0.001). The median longevity of Labrador retrievers overall was 12.0 years (IQR 9.9–13.8, range 0.0–16.0). The most common recorded colours were black (44.6%), yellow (27.8%) and liver/chocolate (reported from hereon as chocolate) (23.8%). The median longevity of non-chocolate coloured dogs (n = 139, 12.1 years, IQR 10.2–13.9, range 0.0–16.0) was longer than for chocolate coloured animals (n = 34, 10.7 years, IQR 9.0–12.4, range 3.8–15.5) (P = 0.028).Of a random sample of 2074 (6.2%) Labrador retrievers under care in 2013 that had full disorder data extracted, 1277 (61.6%) had at least one disorder recorded. The total number of dogs who died at any date during the study was 176. The most prevalent disorders recorded were otitis externa (n = 215, prevalence 10.4%, 95% CI: 9.1–11.8), overweight/obesity (183, 8.8%, 95% CI: 7.6–10.1) and degenerative joint disease (115, 5.5%, 95% CI: 4.6–6.6). Overweight/obesity was not statistically significantly associated with neutering in females (8.3% of entire versus 12.5% of neutered, P = 0.065) but was associated with neutering in males (4.1% of entire versus 11.4% of neutered, P < 0.001). The prevalence of otitis externa in black dogs was 12.8%, in yellow dogs it was 17.0% but, in chocolate dogs, it rose to 23.4% (P < 0.001). Similarly, the prevalence of pyo-traumatic dermatitis in black dogs was 1.1%, in yellow dogs it was 1.6% but in chocolate dogs it rose to 4.0% (P = 0.011).ConclusionsThe current study assists prioritisation of health issues within Labrador retrievers. The most common disorders were overweight/obesity, otitis externa and degenerative joint disease. Males were significantly heavier females. These results can alert prospective owners to potential health issues and inform breed-specific wellness checks.

Trichographic features of hair from normal black Dobermann pinscher dogs

Dobermann dogs are predisposed to colour dilution alopecia and follicular dysplasia. Limited information is available regarding the trichographic features of normal canine hair shafts, including those from Dobermanns, with no studies of inter-observer agreement for canine trichographic features. To characterize the trichographic features of normal black Dobermann hair shafts evaluating the following variables; gross appearance, primary versus secondary hairs, colour change, tip structure, curling, twisting, bending, cuticle changes (breaks, compression, loss or abnormal overlapping), fractures and variations in hair diameter. Twenty client-owned, normal, black Dobermanns of different ages and genders. A systemized trichographic evaluation of hair samples from five body locations, which were evaluated independently by two observers, and inter-observer agreement evaluation. Kappa statistics, positive and negative agreement were determined. Agreement between investigators ranged from 87% to 99% for each examined variable. Kappa statistics showed excellent (0.81-1.00) to substantial agreement (0.61-0.80) for all variables with the exception of moderate agreement (0.41-0.60) for cuticle compressions and variations in hair diameter. A novel finding of a "round hair tip" was made, which was more commonly found on the dorsal head. Colour change to the proximal hair shaft was more common on the thighs and flanks. Trichographic features of 500 hairs collected from 20 normal black Dobermann dogs are described. A previously unreported finding of round hair tips was seen. We describe a systematic approach for evaluating hair shafts that can be applied in future studies for both normal and abnormal Dobermanns, and potentially other dog breeds.

Sanism, Black Dogs Barking, and Mental Illness

Sanism, Black Dogs Barking, and Mental Illness

Longevity of Cane Corso Italiano dog breed and its relationship with hair colour.

The Cane Corso Italiano belongs among the new dog breeds that were fully recognised by Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) in 2007. For the first time, this study describes a median lifespan using the data of 232 dogs of the Cane Corso Italiano breed collected from kennels and individual owners from 25 countries. The median lifespan of the whole examined group is 9.29 years (IQR 6.98-11.12, IQR = Interquartile Range). This paper is the first to describe the possible relationship between median lifespan and hair colour within one breed. The longest living group is formed by black brindle coloured dogs, with a median of 10.30 years (IQR 8.33-13.00), and brindle coloured dogs, with a median of 10.13 years (IQR 7.12-11.25). The median lifespan of black brindle dogs exceeded the overall median lifespan of all dogs by 1.01 year and the median lifespan of other colour dogs by 2.21 years. Our results suggest a possible way for a prolongation of age at death of the Cane Corso Italiano breed using appropriate breeding. The median lifespan of male Cane Corso Italiano dogs is 9.25 years (IQR 6.97-11.00) and female Cane Corso Italiano dogs 9.33 years (IQR 7.00-11.31). The statistical analysis using the Independent Samples Student’s t test confirmed that the lifespan of female dogs did not exceed the median lifespan of male dogs (P>0.01).