42 posts · 12,088 views
This blog takes a scientific approach to understanding the behaviour of companion animals, especially dogs and cats. Topics include dog training, animal cognition, environmental enrichment for indoor cats, the development of kittens and puppies, the effects of the recession on pets, and how dogs can motivate people to exercise. Follow this blog to keep up-to-date on the research on companion animals and their relationship with people.
CAPB
42 posts
Sort by: Latest Post, Most Popular
View by: Condensed, Full
- November 14, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 866 views
Attitudes to Rescue Dogs in Australia
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Last week, we looked at a study which found that attitudes to cats predicted public preferences for Trap, Neuter and Release programmes, but knowledge about cats and experience with feral cats did not. But does knowledge and experience predict attitudes to rescue dogs?A recent study by Kate Mornement and colleagues in Australia answers this question. In Australia, 36% of households have at least one pet dog, but as in other countries, a lot of dogs are in rescue and in need of homes. Understandi........ Read more »
Mornement, K., Coleman, G., Toukhsati, S., & Bennett, P. (2012) What Do Current and Potential Australian Dog Owners Believe about Shelter Practices and Shelter Dogs?. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 25(4), 457-473. DOI: 10.2752/175303712X13479798785850
Pettigrew, T., & Tropp, L. (2008) How does intergroup contact reduce prejudice? Meta-analytic tests of three mediators. European Journal of Social Psychology, 38(6), 922-934. DOI: 10.1002/ejsp.504
- October 17, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 571 views
Behavioural problems in rabbits, rodents and ferrets
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Many people keep rabbits, rodents and ferrets as pets. A study published last year by Normando and Galli (Padua University) is the first to investigate the kind of behavioural problems they have and how it affects owners’ feelings of satisfaction with their animals.Participants were recruited via an Italian rabbit forum, the University of Padua, and local veterinary clinics. The survey was completed by 193 people about a total of 371 pets. The pets included 184 rabbits, 59 mustelids (mainly fe........ Read more »
Normando, S., & Gelli, D. (2011) Behavioral complaints and owners' satisfaction in rabbits, mustelids and rodents kept as pets. Journal of Veterinary Behavior,, 6(6), 337-342. DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2011.01.005
- July 18, 2012
- 03:25 PM
- 472 views
Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training III
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
This is the third part in a series about positive reinforcement and dog training. This week I’m looking at another questionnaire study of ordinary dog owners and the way they train their dogs. The study was conducted by Emily Blackwell and colleagues, and involved 192 dog owners that were recruited from three counties in the UK. They seem to be typical owners of typical dogs, as the sample included a wide range of breeds, a mix of genders (neutered/spayed/or not), and a range of diffe........ Read more »
Blackwell, E.J., Twells, C., Seawright, A., & Casey, R.A. (2008) The relationship between training methods and the occurrence of behavior problems, as reported by owners, in a population of domestic dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior,, 207-217. DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2007.10.008
- July 25, 2012
- 11:39 AM
- 455 views
Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training IV: Little Dogs vs Big Dogs
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
In this week’s edition of the series, we investigate whether small dogs are treated differently than large dogs. The answer comes from a large-scale study by Christine Arhant and colleagues in Vienna. Since Viennese dogs must be registered with the city, they posted a questionnaire to a random sample of registered dog-owners. They received 1276 responses from owners of pet dogs that lived in the home with them. For the purposes of this study, 20kg was the cut-off for small dogs; any d........ Read more »
Arhant, C., Bubbna-Lititz, H., Bartels, A., Futschik, A., & Troxler, J. (2010) Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: Effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 131-142. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2010.01.003
- June 20, 2012
- 11:22 AM
- 445 views
Cats and Dogs
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Can cats and dogs ever get along? Isn’t there always a risk that the cat will become a furry snack, or the dog will get a scratch to the nose? Although we often talk about ‘cat people’ and ‘dog people’, in reality many of us are both, and want both as pets.There’s some good news from a study by N. Feuerstein and Joseph Turkel, who looked at cats and dogs that live in the same home. They distributed a questionnaire to pet owners who had both cats and dogs, and ........ Read more »
Feuerstein, N., & Turkel, J. (2007) Interrelationships of dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus L.) living under the same roof. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 150-165. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2007.10.010
- September 19, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 423 views
Now where’s my treat?
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Trainers often advise owners to use treats to train their dogs, but some owners want to phase them out as fast as they can. Shouldn’t a dog be prepared to work for just verbal praise and affection? That’s the question asked in a recent study by Erica Feuerbacher and Clive Wynne – and they didn’t just test dogs, but wolves too! ... Read more »
Feuerbacher EN, & Wynne CD. (2012) Relative efficacy of human social interaction and food as reinforcers for domestic dogs and hand-reared wolves. Journal of the experimental analysis of behavior, 98(1), 105-29. PMID: 22851794
- August 22, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 405 views
An Ancient Egyptian Mummified Cat
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
In Ancient Egypt, cats were revered. It is thought that cats were first domesticated in Egypt about 10,000 years ago. The first mummified cats were buried with their owners. Over time customs changed, and mummified cats were made as offerings to the feline goddess, Bastet. From 332BC to 30BC, cats were bred specifically to be used as offerings, and cat mummies were available at different price points, ranging from ones containing a few bones, to more elaborate mummies containing the entire cat.E........ Read more »
Gnudi, G., Volta, A., Manfredi, S., Ferri, F., & Conversi, R. (2012) Radiological investigation of an over 2,000-year-old Egyptian mummy of a cat. Journal of Feline Medicine and Surgery, 14(4), 292-294. DOI: 10.1177/1098612X11432237
- September 26, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 402 views
Getting a puppy? Ask to see both parents
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
When people get a puppy, a standard piece of advice from many dog welfare organizations is that you should always ask to see the mother. This week, I’m reporting on a new piece of research that investigates whether or not this is good advice.The study, by Carri Westgarth of the University of Liverpool, UK, was designed to find out if there is a link between behavioural problems, the age of acquisition of a puppy, and whether or not the owner had viewed the mother and father of the puppy before........ Read more »
Westgarth C, Reevell K, & Barclay R. (2012) Association between prospective owner viewing of the parents of a puppy and later referral for behavioural problems. The Veterinary record, 170(20), 517. PMID: 22562104
- October 3, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 388 views
Canine Neuroscience
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
The main problem with the neuroscience of dogs is that they would have to be sedated to be in the scanner, and then their brain wouldn’t be doing its normal stuff. Until now.A team of scientists led by Gregory Berns at Emory University has successfully trained two dogs to go into the fMRI scanner and keep still long enough for a brain scan. Prof Berns says he got the idea from realizing what military dogs are trained to do – if a dog can parachute out of a plane with its handler, he thought,........ Read more »
Berns GS, Brooks AM, & Spivak M. (2012) Functional MRI in awake unrestrained dogs. PloS one, 7(5). PMID: 22606363
- October 24, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 387 views
Homeless Pets: A UK Survey
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
The problem of pet overpopulation and homelessness is well known. Getting accurate figures for the number of homeless pets is a more difficult undertaking, since many organizations are responsible for stray and homeless animals. The results of a survey in the UK were recently published, and provide useful information about the scale of the problem, the wait times for animals to be accepted into rescue, and the likely outcome of their stay.The survey was conducted by Jenny Stavisky and colleagues........ Read more »
Stavisky, J., Brennan, M., Downes, M., & Dean, R. (2012) Demographics and economic burden of un-owned cats and dogs in the UK: results of a 2010 census. BMC Veterinary Research, 8(1), 163. DOI: 10.1186/1746-6148-8-163
- August 8, 2012
- 10:00 AM
- 386 views
Part VI of Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training: Learning New Behaviours
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
So far in the series, we have found an association between the use of punishment in dog training and unwanted behavioural issues such as aggression. The use of positive methods only is also more effective than using a combination of rewards and punishment, or punishment alone. However, all of the studies have relied on owner’s reports of their own dog’s behaviour. What if the behaviour is assessed by someone else? Does the training technique used in the past affect a dog’s performance at l........ Read more »
Rooney, N.J., & Cowan, S. (2011) Training methods and owner-dog interactions: Links with dog behaviour and learning ability. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 169-177. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.03.007
- June 6, 2012
- 05:04 PM
- 382 views
Another Reason Not to Buy Puppies From Puppy Mills
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
A puppy mill, or puppy farm, is a commercial breeding establishment that raises puppies for sale. Often the dogs are kept in very small enclosures and have limited interaction with people. Puppies from these sources often have health problems (because the parents haven’t been properly health-checked), and behavioural issues (because they haven’t been socialized to people, other dogs, or a home environment from an early age). In some cases, the conditions are squalid.A recent survey b........ Read more »
McMillan, F., Duffy, D.L., & Serpell, J.A. (2011) Mental health of dogs formerly used as ‘breeding stock’ in commercial breeding establishments. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 86-94. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2011.09.006
- November 21, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 349 views
Music for Kenneled Dogs
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
There are many studies on the effects of music, from what kind of music will make us spend more time and money in shops to the effects that learning to play an instrument has on our brains. Now, scientists at Colorado State University have turned their attention to what kind of music dogs might prefer to listen to in kennels.The study, by Lori Kogan and colleagues, took place at a kennel that housed rescue dachshunds (generally long-term) and also boarded dogs while their owners were away. Being........ Read more »
Kogan, L., Schoenfeld-Tacher, R., & Simon, A. (2012) Behavioral effects of auditory stimulation on kenneled dogs. Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 7(5), 268-275. DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2011.11.002
- November 28, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 349 views
How Many People Use Electronic Shock Collars?
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Regular readers of this blog will know that we take a special interest in research on dog training. We were excited to read a new paper by Emily Blackwell that investigates how many owners use electronic collars on their dogs, and whether or not they think they work. Electronic collars deliver a small electric shock as an aversive stimulus, with or without a preceding warning signal. It is useful to know how many people use them, since a recent British report on shock collars found they have the........ Read more »
Blackwell EJ, Bolster C, Richards G, Loftus BA, & Casey RA. (2012) The use of electronic collars for training domestic dogs: estimated prevalence, reasons and risk factors for use, and owner perceived success as compared to other training methods. BMC veterinary research, 93. PMID: 22748195
- November 7, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 348 views
Public Opinions on Feral Cat Management
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
What should be done about feral cats? A recent survey in Athens, Georgia, investigated people’s preferences for three different methods: catch and euthanize, trap neuter and release (TNR), and the establishment of a feral cat sanctuary. Opponents of catch and euthanize schemes argue that it is inhumane to kill cats, and simply creates a cat-free area into which new feral cats will move. Trap, neuter and release programmes involve catching the cats and neutering or spaying them before releasing........ Read more »
Loyd, K., & Hernandez, S. (2012) Public Perceptions of Domestic Cats and Preferences for Feral Cat Management in the Southeastern United States. Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People , 25(3), 337-351. DOI: 10.2752/175303712X13403555186299
- October 31, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 342 views
Social Referencing in Dogs
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
When human infants see something they are unsure of, they look to their caregiver to see what their reaction is. This is called social referencing. It has two components: first of all, a look from the object to the caregiver; and second, a reaction to the object (approach or avoidance) that is influenced by the caregiver’s response. This is well established in infants at twelve months of age. Do dogs do the same thing?Two recent papers by Merola and colleagues set out to investi........ Read more »
Merola, I., Prato-Previde, E., & Marshall-Pescini, S. (2011) Social referencing in dog-owner dyads?. Animal Cognition, 15(2), 175-185. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-011-0443-0
Merola I, Prato-Previde E, & Marshall-Pescini S. (2012) Dogs' Social Referencing towards Owners and Strangers. PloS one, 7(10). PMID: 23071828
- December 5, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 338 views
Can Dogs Use Human Emotional Expressions to Identify Which Box Contains Food?
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Dogs are very aware of human emotional states. An earlier blog post looked at how dogs respond to a crying stranger. This week’s post is about whether or not dogs can use human emotional cues to tell them which of two boxes contains a tasty treat.The research was conducted by David Buttelmann and Michael Tomasello in Germany. They compared two sets of human emotional expressions: Happy vs Neutral; and Happy vs Disgust. They tested 58 domestic dogs (Siberian Huskies, Labrador Retrievers, G........ Read more »
Buttelmann, D., & Tomasello, M. (2012) Can domestic dogs (Canis familiaris) use referential emotional expressions to locate hidden food?. Animal Cognition. DOI: 10.1007/s10071-012-0560-4
- July 11, 2012
- 11:48 AM
- 322 views
Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training II
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
This is the second part in a series about positive reinforcement and dog training. You can read the first part here.This week, we’re looking at study by EF Hiby et al that asked dog owners about their training methods and how effective they were. The researchers approached people walking their dogs at seven popular dog-walking locations in Southampton and Cambridge, such as Southampton Common and Gog Magog Down. They asked them to complete a questionnaire about how they had trained th........ Read more »
Hiby, E.F., Rooney, N.J., & Bradshaw, J.W.S. (2004) Dog training methods: their use, effectiveness and interaction with behaviour and welfare. Animal Welfare, 63-69. info:/
- August 1, 2012
- 12:51 PM
- 316 views
Part V of Positive Reinforcement and Dog Training: Dogs with Behaviour Problems
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
In this week’s edition of the series, we take another look at the use of punishment. However, while previous posts have looked at ordinary dog owners, this week the focus is on people who are having problems with their dogs. This is from a study by Meghan Herron and colleagues in the USPeople who had a referral to an animal behaviourist were asked to complete a questionnaire. It asked about dog training techniques, whether the technique had worked, who had suggested it, and whether any aggress........ Read more »
Herron, M.E., Shofer, F.S., & Reisner, I.R. (2009) Survey of the use and outcome of confrontational and non-confrontational training methods in client-owned dogs showing undesirable behaviors. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 47-54. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2008.12.011
- December 12, 2012
- 08:30 AM
- 311 views
How to Help a Fat Cat Lose Weight
by CAPB in Companion Animal Psychology Blog
Many cats are overweight or obese. A recent review by Kathryn Michel and Margie Scherk summarizes the problem and the steps that should be taken to help cats lose weight. Their paper begins by discussing the serious health concerns caused by overweight and obesity: an obese cat is almost four times as likely to get diabetes as a normal-weight cat, and more likely to suffer from other problems such as urinary tract disease and lameness. They point out that just ten extra pieces of kibble a day, o........ Read more »
Kienzle E, & Bergler R. (2006) Human-animal relationship of owners of normal and overweight cats. The Journal of nutrition, 136(7 Suppl). PMID: 16772465
Michel K, & Scherk M. (2012) From problem to success: feline weight loss programs that work. Journal of feline medicine and surgery, 14(5), 327-36. PMID: 22511475
topics
join us!
Do you write about peer-reviewed research in your blog? Use ResearchBlogging.org to make it easy for your readers — and others from around the world — to find your serious posts about academic research.
If you don't have a blog, you can still use our site to learn about fascinating developments in cutting-edge research from around the world.
