Diane Frank, Michela Minero, Simona Cannas,
Clara Palestrini
Université de
Montréal, Faculté de
Médecine Vétérinaire,
Canada
Istituto di Zootecnica,
Facoltà di Medicina Veterinaria, Milano,
Italy
Abstract : The aim of this
exploratory pilot study was to investigate which
behaviours puppies exhibited when left home
alone within the initial weeks (0&endash;11
weeks) following adoption, as well as describing
variability and temporal distribution of these
behaviours. Eighteen puppies (9 aged less and 9
aged more than 90 days) were filmed home alone
for 90 min after the owner left.
Owners were asked to complete a brief
questionnaire including information on the
puppy's characteristics and history as well as
on the physical and social environment of the
dog. Analysis of behaviours on tape showed that
puppies did not behave homogeneously but rather
separated into three distinct groups. Puppies
were clustered based on behaviours such as (1)
playing and exploring or (2) exhibiting passive
behaviours or (3) presenting lip licking,
yawning, scratching, orienting to the
environment and vocalising.
Passive behaviour increased significantly
over time (p < 0.001) and was
significantly lower during the first 15 min
with respect to the other observation periods
(p < 0.05). Orientation to the
environment tended to decrease
(p = 0.08). Vocalisation
(p < 0.05) and play behaviour
(p < 0.01) both decreased
significantly over time.
1. Introduction
Anxiety-related disorders and separation
anxiety are among the most common behavioural
problems in domestic dogs (Overall et al.,
2001). Separation anxiety is diagnosed in
20&endash;40% of dogs referred to animal
behaviour practices in North America (Voith and
Borchelt, 1996; Simpson, 2000). Problems that
occur when the owner is absent represent one of
the principal causes for the breakdown of the
human&endash;companion animal bond and lead to
surrender of numerous dogs to shelters (Van der
Borg et al., 1991; Miller et al., 1996).
In the broadest definition of separation
anxiety, the condition is described as
problematic behaviour motivated by anxiety that
occurs exclusively in the owner's absence or
virtual absence (Borchelt and Voith, 1982;
Overall, 1997; Flanningan and Dodman, 2001). The
most common complaints are destructive behaviour
directed at the home, self inflicted-trauma,
inappropriate elimination, and excessive
vocalisation (whining, barking, or howling) only
in the owner's absence (King et al., 2000;
Simpson, 2000). Most studies to date on early
behavioural development in dogs have been based
on various laboratory tests (see Scott and
Fuller, 1965) and unfortunately very little
information is currently available on puppies
observed in the human social environment (Lund
and Vestergaard, 1998).
This information could be quite helpful to
gain a more comprehensive understanding of
developmental aspects of social behaviour as
well as social influences on behavioural
phenotype (Lund and Vestergaard, 1998). To our
knowledge, no detailed study has been published
that included filmed observations of the
behaviour of puppies home alone. The aim of this
exploratory pilot study was to investigate which
behaviours puppies exhibited when left home
alone within the initial weeks (0&endash;11
weeks) following adoption, as well as describing
variability and temporal distribution of these
behaviours.
(....)
4. Discussion
The aim of this study was to document
puppies' behaviours when left home alone because
separation-related problems are commonly
reported as a reason for consultation in
referral behaviour practices. No data are
currently available to describe normal
behaviours of puppies leftalone and little data
are available on actual age of onset of
separation-related problems.
Diagnosisis generally based on indirect
evidence such as elimination or destruction
during owner absence rather than on tapes of
actual behaviours and body language.This
exploratory study documents that puppies do not
all behave similarly when left alone.Puppies
were clustered based on behaviours such as (1)
playing and exploring or (2) exhibitingpassive
behaviours or (3) presenting lip licking,
yawning, scratching, orienting to the
environment and vocalising.
`
The puppies that tended to vocalise, yawn,
scratch, lick their lips and orient to the
environment were younger than 90 days and
recently adopted (<6 days). Many of these
behaviours are compatible with signs of anxiety
or fear. There is a common stress
responseresulting from either fear or anxiety
(Casey, 2002). The specific appearance of a
fearful oranxious animal will vary but body
posture tends to lower with fear, anxiety or
submission. The animal may yawn or lick its lips
repeatedly, may tremble or may exhibit
piloerection (Neilson,2002). Vocalisation can
occur as a consequence of fear or anxiety
(Landsberg et al., 2003;Overall, 1997). Beerda
et al. (1998) found that dogs that were
subjected to different types ofstressful stimuli
performed more body shaking, crouching, oral
behaviours (tongue out, tip of tongue briefly
extended, snout licking, swallowing, smacking),
yawning, restlessness and presented a low
posture.
Mouth licking, front paw lifting, ears
pulled back and lowered standing or sitting
postures have also been reported as indications
of stress in dogs subjected to harsh training
methods (Schwizgebel, 1982). Another study
(Hetts et al., 1992) found that dogs housed in
the greatest degree of social isolation spent
the most time moving, exhibited the greatest
number of abnormal movements and vocalised the
most. The behaviour of these young recently
adopted puppies could be explained by the fact
that they were in a new social and physical
environment but the tendency to show
anxiety-related behaviours applies to all
puppies aged less than 90 days, and not just to
the recently adopted ones. Age of puppies
affected orientation to the environment,
vocalisation, playing behaviour and
yawning.
Puppies younger than 90 days had the
tendency ( p = 0.08) to orient more to the
environment, to vocalise more ( p = 0.1), and to
yawn significantly more (p < 0.05) but played
significantly less ( p < 0.01) than puppies
older than 90 days. Younger puppies are thus
possibly more stressed than older
puppies.Passive behaviour was the main behaviour
exhibited by all puppies, although no
distinction between sleeping or resting
behaviours could be made based solely on the
tapes. Puppies left home alone tended to be
passive most of their time. As illustrated in
Fig. 4, passive behaviours increased over time
for both puppies older and younger than 90
days.
However, older puppies were less passive
initially because they were playing whereas
younger puppies were less passive initially
because they were oriented to the environment
and vocalised more. The increase in passive
behaviour for the older group of puppies could
be a result of resting behaviour following play
whereas the increase in passive behaviour of the
younger puppies could be the consequence of
exhaustion.
Older puppies played and explored more.
Passive behaviours and locomotion were not
influenced by the fact that puppies were caged.
Some of the puppies in our study vocalised. The
three puppies that vocalised throughout the
entire duration of the tapewere 61, 56, 55 days
old and had been adopted 5, 4, and 2 days prior
to the videotaping. When young puppies are
distressed they usually begin to emit a series
of sounds. This kind of behaviour can be
classified as et-epimeletic or care soliciting
behaviour.
Unable to adapt to a situation, the young
animal calls for help and attention. In the
puppy, the number of vocalisations in a
particular period of time provides an objective
measure of the emotional state of the animal.
For a young animal, being lost from its mother
in an unfamiliar environment is one of themost
dangerous situations,which can threaten its
existence (Elliot and Scott, 1961). Flanningan
and Dodman (2001) found that separation anxiety
was not more common in dogs separated from their
dam and littermates at an early age.
Our study however certainly raises
additional questions. First, do all puppies show
signs of distress when initially adopted and
first separated from owners? If not, are signs
of distress in some puppies simply a consequence
of young age, recent change in environment or
both? Or are the vocal puppies more anxious? If
so, could this vocalising behaviour be one of
the first signs of future separation-related
disorders?
5. Conclusion
These results can serve as preliminary
information documenting what behaviours puppies
perform when home alone. Ultimately, with
additional studies the hope is to gain insight
on how these behaviours change over the first
few months following adoption. As follow-up, we
plan to conduct a longitudinal study to collect
data on how behaviours compatible with anxiety
evolve over time in puppies left home alone.
This information may prove useful for the early
diagnosis, treatment or prevention of
separation-related disorders.
Le
bâillement chez le chien - Yawning in
dogs. Nathalie Tomczyk 2009
