Effect of age and severity of cognitive dysfunction on spontaneous activity in pet dogs – Part 1: Locomotor and exploratory behaviour

Cognitive Aging in Dogs

“…Dogs with cognitive dysfunction show a substantial cognitive decline in tests measuring spatial learning and memory [28] . Moreover, CDS dogs are also reported to display erratic locomotion patterns, an increased frequency of aimless behaviors, and changes in social responsiveness such as a decreased response to both social isolation and human interaction [15,22] . Overall, changes associated with CDS may affect the dog-human bond as dogs may become less capable to communicate and interact with their owner.…”

“…Rosado et al [15,22] assessed the influence of age and severity of CDS on locomotion and exploratory behavior, and social responsiveness in pet dogs. They reported that the severity of CDS influenced locomotion and exploratory behavior.…”

Learning, memory and exploratory similarities in genetically identical cloned dogs

“…Exploratory behavior partially depends on motor and spatial capabilities and on the motivation to explore [5]. In this study, an open field test was used to assess exploration in dogs [12428]. Each test was 3 min in duration, whereas previous open field tests in dogs used sessions lasting 10 min [128].…”

Cognitive dysfunction in dogs: Pathologic neurodegeneration or just growing older?

“…The authors of the two original research articles published in this issue of The Veterinary Journal (Rosado et al, 2012a, b) have recognized this need and have taken steps to enhance the clinical application of objective behavioral tests that were originally developed for research. They investigated the response of companion dogs to shortened versions of the tests for spontaneous activity, curiosity, and social interactions and compared the results to the opinions of their owners obtained by questionnaire.…”