Long-term stress in dogs is related to the human–dog relationship and personality traits

Abstract

Previously, we found that dogs belonging to the herding breed group, selected for human cooperation, synchronise their long-term stress levels with their owners. The aim of the current study was to investigate features that could influence long-term stress levels in ancient dog breeds, genetically closer to wolves, and dogs specifically selected to work independently of their owner. Twenty-four ancient breed dogs and 18 solitary hunting dogs were recruited and hair samples were obtained from both dogs and owners from which hair cortisol concentration (HCC) was analysed. Additionally, the owners completed lifestyle surveys, the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) on human–dog relationship, and both dog and owner personality questionnaires (Dog Personality questionnaire and Big Five Inventory survey). The results from the MDORS indicate that the subscale Perceived cost correlated to the dog HCC of tested breed groups: solitary hunting breeds (χ2 = 4.95, P = 0.026, β = 0.055), ancient breeds (χ2 = 2.74, P = 0.098, β = 0.027), and herding dogs included from a previous study (χ2 = 6.82, P = 0.009, β = − 0.061). The HCC of the solitary hunting dogs was also related to the owner personality traits Agreeableness (χ2 = 12.30, P < 0.001, β = − 0.060) and Openness (χ2 = 9.56, P = 0.002, β = 0.048) suggesting a more substantial influence of the owner on the solitary hunting dog’s HCC compared to the ancient breeds. No effect of owner HCC on dog HCC was found in either ancient or in solitary hunting breeds. Hence, the long-term stress synchronisation is likely to be a trait in breeds selected for human cooperation. In conclusion, dog HCC is often related to the owners’ personality, but is primarily influenced by the owner-dog relationship.

Breed group differences in the unsolvable problem task: herding dogs prefer their owner, while solitary hunting dogs seek stranger proximity

“…Another possible reason for the experimenter preference in the solitary hunting dogs could be differences in the human–animal relationship as suggested by Cavalli et al ( 2018 ) and Mendes et al ( 2021 ). Indeed, as reported earlier in Höglin et al ( 2021 ), the owner-reported relationship scores (assessed by MDORS) for both the subscale Dog – Owner Interaction and Perceived Emotional Closeness were lower for the solitary hunting dogs compared to both ancient dog breeds and herding dogs. In addition, the score for the subscale Perceived Cost was high for solitary hunting dogs compared to the other breed groups.…”

“…Still, the results might indicate that solitary hunting dogs are curious towards strangers which could be a result from experience, hunting in large teams, or it could be related to personality or breed traits. Since this study is part of a larger study, the personality of these dogs has been investigated previously (Höglin et al 2021 ). However, the only personality trait, where the solitary hunting dogs differed significantly from the other groups was Activity/Excitability , where herding dogs revealed the highest scores.…”

“…The dog’s behaviour during 3 min was video recorded (Canon Legria), and later continuously recorded using the software Observer XT (Noldus) with a predetermined ethogram (Table 1 ). Note that the hair samples used to assess long-term stress levels in Sundman et al ( 2019 ) and Höglin et al ( 2021 ) were obtained after the behavioural part of the study (and could, therefore, not have affected the behavioural test).

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“…Recently, we have shown that herding dogs synchronize with their owners in long-term stress levels (Sundman et al 2019 ), while solitary hunting dogs and ancient dog breeds do not (Höglin et al 2021 ). The aim of this paper was to investigate the behavioural differences between these three breed groups, using the same dogs, focusing on the contact-seeking behaviour towards both the owner and a stranger using an unsolvable problem task (UPT).…”

The Dog–Owner Relationship: Refinement and Validation of the Italian C/DORS for Dog Owners and Correlation with the LAPS

“…More recently, in response to the need of having a scale that specifically assessed the dog-owner relationship, Dwyer et al [11] developed the Monash Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS). Since its creation, the MDORS has been used in several studies [12][13][14][15][16][17]. Contrary to the majority of the previously used scales that mainly focused on the emotional facet of the pet-owner bond, the MDORS is a more heterogeneous tool that covers both affective and pragmatic aspects of the relationship.…”