The Social Behaviour of Neutered Male Dogs Compared to Intact Dogs (Canis Lupus Familiaris): Video Analyses, Questionnaires and Case Studies

Kaufmann, Carina A.; Forndran, Sarah; Stauber, Chantal; Woerner, Kathrin; Gansloßer, Udo

doi:10.17140/vmoj-2-113

Cited by 18 publications

(23 citation statements)

References 21 publications

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“…We recommend prospective causal study set-ups, rather than the predominantly cross-sectional set-ups that have been adopted so far [9,10,11,12,13,14,21,22] to upgrade the present knowledge on the behavioural effects of castration in dogs from associative to causal. For veterinarian practitioners particularly, attention to behavioural aspects of castration is recommended.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Moreover, confounders were considered important to better understand desexing effects on dog behaviour and these confounders regarded for example breed and desexing age, but also environment, such as dog care practices [5]. The complexity increases by findings of desexing associating with unwanted behaviours like fear and types of aggression other than inter-male aggression [9,10,11,12,13,14]. The mechanism behind the found associations is that sex hormones are known to have a muting effect on the stress system [15].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Since fear is a common motivational factor for aggression in dogs [18,19,20], an increase in fear following castration could increase a dog's aggression. Indeed, in a cross-sectional study castrated male dogs (N = 16) acted more fearfully and aggressively than intact males (N = 18) when interacting with each other during behavioural tests [12]. Indefinite study outcomes that also include female dogs even further complicate the already complex relation between desexing and behaviour.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self-reports of Dutch dog owners on received professional advice, their opinions on castration and behavioural reasons for castrating male dogs

2020

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Male dogs are often castrated based on the thought that it facilitates well-behavedness. However, the causal evidence for this from prospective studies lacks and the existing associative studies present mixed results depending on the studied behaviours. We aimed to gain insight into possible factors driving an owner's decision to castrate their male dog, through a quantitative survey based on a convenience sample. We determined the advice owners received from three types of dog professionals (veterinarian practitioners, behavioural trainers, behavioural therapists) and the owners' assessments of castration's behavioural effects. Data on 491 Dutch owners of castrated and intact male dogs were analysed with Chi-square tests. Results indicate that owners of both castrated and intact dogs received castration advice most often from veterinarian practitioners, with pro-castration at higher frequencies for owners of castrated dogs (Chi-square, P<0.001). Overall, most owners disagreed with or were neutral about statements on castration positively affecting male dog behaviour at a population level. Nevertheless, 58% (N = 145) of the owners of castrated dogs (N = 249) reported that correcting unwanted behaviour was a reason to castrate their own male dog. Unwanted behaviour involved aggression in 50% (N = 70) of the owner-dog dyads. Castrated dog's aggression changes were reported on most as 'no change'. The second most common answer indicated an aggression decrease in dogs castrated to correct unwanted behaviour and an increase in dogs castrated for other reasons (Chi-square, P<0.001). The increase in aggression in a subset of castrated dogs is concerning, as aggression can pose risks to the dog's welfare. We acknowledge the limitations of our study which identifies associations rather than provides causal evidence. Still, we recommend professionals' awareness of possible negative behavioural changes following castration, like increased aggression. Future research on behavioural consequences of castrating dogs needs to build a more solid knowledge base for balanced advice regarding castration.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Self-reports of Dutch dog owners on received professional advice, their opinions on castration and behavioural reasons for castrating male dogs

2020

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“…However, in other studies, observations that castration reduced intraspecific [ 71 , 76 , 77 , 78 , 79 , 80 , 81 ] or interspecific aggression in male dogs [ 82 ] could not be confirmed. Rather, increased aggression in castrated dogs was also identified in some cases [ 76 , 83 , 84 , 85 ]. Studies on female dogs appear to be more coherent, as a majority of outcomes report a higher level of aggressive behaviors in spayed females [ 59 , 66 , 75 , 86 , 87 , 88 ].…”

Section: Personality Traitsmentioning

confidence: 99%

Behavioral and Perceptual Differences between Sexes in Dogs: An Overview

Scandurra

Alterisio

Cosmo

et al. 2018

Animals

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Simple SummaryWe explore the differences in male and female dogs regarding personality traits as well as cognitive and perceptual processes. Our aim was to explore whether the differences in male and female dogs were affected by the domestication process. The results show that dogs are largely in line with the life-history theories, reflecting the sex differences described in wild animals.AbstractIn this paper, we review the scientific reports of sex-related differences in dogs as compared to the outcomes described for wild animals. Our aim was to explore whether the differences in male and female dogs were affected by the domestication process, in which artificial selection is the main driver. For this purpose, we used information regarding personality traits, cognitive processes, and perception, for which there is a wide theoretical framework in behavioral ecology. Aggressiveness and boldness, described as a behavioral syndrome, were reported as being higher in males than females. Females also seemed more inclined to interspecific social interactions with humans in tasks that require cooperative skills, whereas males appeared more inclined to social play, thus implying different levels of social engagement between the sexes, depending on the context. Studies on cognitive processes underlined a greater flexibility in resorting to a particular navigation strategy in males. Most lateralization studies seem to support the view that males are preferentially left-handed and females are preferentially right-handed. Reports on visual focusing coherently rank females as superior in focusing on single social and physical stimuli. Only male dogs are able to discriminate kin; however, the timing of the olfactory recording in sexes is related to the stimulus relevance. Dogs are largely in line with life-history theories, which indicate that sex differences in dogs are mainly rooted in their biological and evolutionary heritage, remaining unchanged despite artificial selection. In contrast, the higher intraspecific sociability in wild male animals was not replicated in dogs.

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“…The behavioural impacts of sterilisation reported in the literature differ depending on whether dogs are considered on an individual or a population basis. Sterilisation of individual dogs, both male and female, has been associated with increased fear and aggression, both towards familiar people, unfamiliar people and other dogs [26][27][28]. However, entire dogs are more often implicated in dog bites on humans than sterilised dogs [29,30].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Evaluation of a Dog Population Management Intervention: Measuring Indicators of Impact

Gemma

Withers²,

Spencer³

et al. 2020

Animals

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Dogs are important companions to people but can also present challenges to health and safety of communities if their populations are not effectively managed. Dog population management (DPM) is often undertaken by individual dog owners; however, some communities require additional DPM interventions, especially when veterinary services are unavailable or underutilised. This study evaluated the effectiveness of a DPM intervention conducted in 13 communities between September 2016 and November 2019 and assessed the utility of routinely collected data—program metrics and secondary data collected by local governments—to measure indicators of impacts. The intervention resulted in significant increases in the proportion of dogs presenting that were microchipped and surgically sterilised in participating communities. The intervention also resulted in significant reductions in dog attack incidents and euthanasia of dogs in council pounds in communities that participated for three or more years. Ongoing monitoring and evaluation of DPM interventions is critical to determine if impacts are being achieved. This study demonstrates the potential benefits of a DPM intervention for community safety and dog welfare and highlights the utility of routinely collected data. We also suggest benchmarks for indicators of community engagement to guide planning and monitoring of similar interventions.

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The Social Behaviour of Neutered Male Dogs Compared to Intact Dogs (Canis Lupus Familiaris): Video Analyses, Questionnaires and Case Studies

Cited by 18 publications

References 21 publications

Self-reports of Dutch dog owners on received professional advice, their opinions on castration and behavioural reasons for castrating male dogs

Self-reports of Dutch dog owners on received professional advice, their opinions on castration and behavioural reasons for castrating male dogs

Behavioral and Perceptual Differences between Sexes in Dogs: An Overview

Evaluation of a Dog Population Management Intervention: Measuring Indicators of Impact

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