Owners' husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs' be... more Owners' husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs' behavior. In this study, the relationship management-behavior was explored in 181 Argentine Dogos owned by 94 dog owners who answered 35 Yes/No questions on their dogs' behavior (eg, obedience, ...
T he Argentine Dogo breed is identified frequently as potentially dangerous in worldwide legislat... more T he Argentine Dogo breed is identified frequently as potentially dangerous in worldwide legislation. T o investigate the prevalence of problem behaviors in this breed, 94 Argentine Dogo owners provided information on aggressive and fearful behaviors shown by their dogs (83 males, 98 females) in a questionnaire. T he results were consistent with the origin of the Argentine Dogo (i.e., descending from fighting dogs) and subsequent selection exerted to improve hunting qualities. Common aggressive behaviors included predation on small animals (92.0%), intra-specific conflicts (69.5%), and territoriality (i.e., vigilance of territory perimeter, 61.3%; aggression toward people visiting the dog's house, 45.3%; vigilance while inside the owners' car, 33.1%).
The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declin... more The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declined nuclear magnetic imaging, so we decided to start a behavioral treatment for OCD. After two months of treatment the behavioral aberrations and neurological and analytical alterations had all disappeared. In the present case report an important acute stress seemed to have contributed to the development of behavioral, neurological and physiologic changes. In humans there is a pathology named hysterical conversion in which neurological and sensory dysfunction are preceded by a stressful event. In such cases treatment is based on behavioral modification.
Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors... more Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors. This may be because of dog breed genetic variability, differences in expectations, management choices, and attitude toward their dogs by owners of dogs of different breeds. A study of a single breed may help provide a better insight into this issue. A convenience sample of 94 participants, owners of 181 Argentine Dogos, was recruited to provide information on their dogs' behaviors through a questionnaire. Participants were classified according to their previous general experience or inexperience with dogs and whether they had previously owned an Argentine Dogo (expert vs. naive owners). Reasons for getting a dog (companionship, guarding, hunting, breeding) and attendance at dog-training classes were also explored. Pearson chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Previous inexperience with dogs was associated with a higher prevalence of dogs that were fearful of children and unknown dogs. Naive Dogo owners perceived that their dogs were more obedient and friendly toward strangers but aggressive toward children, than those belonging to Argentine Dogo experts. It also appeared that living environment and the dog's age are critical predictors of many outcome variables. Kennel living was found to be predictive of car and food protection, owner-directed aggression and aggression toward children, whereas house living was associated with fear of loud noises. Changes related to the dogs' age were probably related to behavioral development in the dogs. Destructiveness, excessive body licking, and protective aggression were more common in younger dogs, whereas aggression to unknown dogs was more common in older ones. Protective aggression was more common in males, and fear of startling noises was more common in females. Intact dogs showed a higher probability of having attention-getting behavior, and neutered dogs were more fearful of traffic. Our findings are correlative. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation.
Aim of the study was to assess how physical exercise influenced Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) acti... more Aim of the study was to assess how physical exercise influenced Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activity in trotter athletic horses. The experiment was carried out on October-November 2004, on a group of 7 trotters, aged 2-3 years, after the beginning of their training period. Each trotter was subject to a standard training (ST) (20 minutes): after a warm up of 3 laps horses went at a steady trot for two laps. Blood samples were taken just before beginning the ST (T1), soon after (T2), and after 60 (T3), 120 (T4), 180 (T5) and 240 minutes (T6) the end of the ST. Blood β-endorphin, cortisol, PCV and GPx were determined. Data were statistically analysed using GLM and correlation analysis. Training induced significant increases (P<0,001) of cortisol, PCV and HR at T2 (P<0,05), with values returning to baseline within 1 hour after ST (T3). Plasma β-endorphin concentrations showed a similar trend but differences were not significant. GPx activity also significantly (P<0,001) increa...
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2010
The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declin... more The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declined nuclear magnetic imaging, so we decided to start a behavioral treatment for OCD. After two months of treatment the behavioral aberrations and neurological and analytical alterations had all disappeared. In the present case report an important acute stress seemed to have contributed to the development of behavioral, neurological and physiologic changes. In humans there is a pathology named hysterical conversion in which neurological and sensory dysfunction are preceded by a stressful event. In such cases treatment is based on behavioral modification.
The aim of this paper was to develop a protocol to study the anticipatory response in cats as a m... more The aim of this paper was to develop a protocol to study the anticipatory response in cats as a measure of welfare. Seven experimental cats were trained in a classical conditioning paradigm to associate a sound with food arrival, while sound and food were presented without contingency in four control cats. Increasing the interval between sound and food up to 60 s allowed a detailed description of cats’ anticipatory response. Compared to control animals, experimental cats showed significantly shorter latencies to orient towards (average 2.96 s) and approach the source of the sound (12.98 s) as well as longer durations of exploring and standing by the source of the sound (namely 69.97 and 52.32%, respectively of the interval sound-food). Experimental cats also exhibited behaviours that may derive from predation patterns, eg short pauses and predatory crouch while approaching the source of the sound (namely in 28.93 and 29.64% of trials), rapid head movements while watching it (55.36% ...
Owners' husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs' behavior. In this study, the relatio... more Owners' husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs' behavior. In this study, the relationship management-behavior was explored in 181 Argentine Dogos owned by 94 dog owners who answered 35 Yes/No questions on their dogs' behavior (e.g., obedience, aggression, and fear) and 10 single-choice questions on dogs' husbandry. The association management-behavior was explored with c 2 . Kennel-living dogs were more aggressive than house-living ones (food protection, P 5 0.017; owner-directed aggression, P 5 0.050; stranger-directed aggression, P 5 0.031; samesex dog aggression, P 5 0.028), whereas the latter were more obedient (P , 0.001), destructive (P 5 0.048) and friendly with people (P 5 0.002) and dogs (P , 0.001). Physical punishment was associated with food protection (P 5 0.023) and owner-directed aggression (P 5 0.026). Dog-showing was inversely associated with pulling on the leash (P 5 0.007), and fears of environmental stimuli (i.e., traffic, P 5 0.001; startling stimuli, P 5 0.031; loud noises, P 5 0.018). Frequent play sessions were negatively related to fear of startling stimuli (P 5 0.039) and positively to obedience (P , 0.001) and friendliness toward strangers (P 5 0.004). Short daily walks were associated with fears of environmental stimuli (startling stimuli, P , 0.001; loud noises, P 5 0.033), destructiveness (P 5 0.054), low concentration (P 5 0.025) and poor results in training sessions (P , 0.001). Obedience training was positively associated with obedience (P , 0.001), mounting people (P 5 0.003), aggression to handling (P 5 0.002) and food removal (P 5 0.041). Without establishing cause-effect relationships between management and behavior, this survey highlights husbandry aspects that need careful evaluation because there are associated with undesirable behaviors (e.g., kennel living) and aspects that may reduce problem behaviors (e.g., daily walks, play sessions, dog shows).
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2014
Keywords: owner experience with dogs dog behavior Argentine Dogo Italy a b s t r a c t Previous r... more Keywords: owner experience with dogs dog behavior Argentine Dogo Italy a b s t r a c t Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors. This may be because of dog breed genetic variability, differences in expectations, management choices, and attitude toward their dogs by owners of dogs of different breeds. A study of a single breed may help provide a better insight into this issue. A convenience sample of 94 participants, owners of 181 Argentine Dogos, was recruited to provide information on their dogs' behaviors through a questionnaire. Participants were classified according to their previous general experience or inexperience with dogs and whether they had previously owned an Argentine Dogo (expert vs. naive owners). Reasons for getting a dog (companionship, guarding, hunting, breeding) and attendance at dog-training classes were also explored. Pearson chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Previous inexperience with dogs was associated with a higher prevalence of dogs that were fearful of children and unknown dogs. Naive Dogo owners perceived that their dogs were more obedient and friendly toward strangers but aggressive toward children, than those belonging to Argentine Dogo experts. It also appeared that living environment and the dog's age are critical predictors of many outcome variables. Kennel living was found to be predictive of car and food protection, owner-directed aggression and aggression toward children, whereas house living was associated with fear of loud noises. Changes related to the dogs' age were probably related to behavioral development in the dogs. Destructiveness, excessive body licking, and protective aggression were more common in younger dogs, whereas aggression to unknown dogs was more common in older ones. Protective aggression was more common in males, and fear of startling noises was more common in females. Intact dogs showed a higher probability of having attention-getting behavior, and neutered dogs were more fearful of traffic. Our findings are correlative. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation.
Owners&amp;amp;#x27; husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs&amp;amp;#x27; be... more Owners&amp;amp;#x27; husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs&amp;amp;#x27; behavior. In this study, the relationship management-behavior was explored in 181 Argentine Dogos owned by 94 dog owners who answered 35 Yes/No questions on their dogs&amp;amp;#x27; behavior (eg, obedience, ...
T he Argentine Dogo breed is identified frequently as potentially dangerous in worldwide legislat... more T he Argentine Dogo breed is identified frequently as potentially dangerous in worldwide legislation. T o investigate the prevalence of problem behaviors in this breed, 94 Argentine Dogo owners provided information on aggressive and fearful behaviors shown by their dogs (83 males, 98 females) in a questionnaire. T he results were consistent with the origin of the Argentine Dogo (i.e., descending from fighting dogs) and subsequent selection exerted to improve hunting qualities. Common aggressive behaviors included predation on small animals (92.0%), intra-specific conflicts (69.5%), and territoriality (i.e., vigilance of territory perimeter, 61.3%; aggression toward people visiting the dog's house, 45.3%; vigilance while inside the owners' car, 33.1%).
The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declin... more The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declined nuclear magnetic imaging, so we decided to start a behavioral treatment for OCD. After two months of treatment the behavioral aberrations and neurological and analytical alterations had all disappeared. In the present case report an important acute stress seemed to have contributed to the development of behavioral, neurological and physiologic changes. In humans there is a pathology named hysterical conversion in which neurological and sensory dysfunction are preceded by a stressful event. In such cases treatment is based on behavioral modification.
Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors... more Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors. This may be because of dog breed genetic variability, differences in expectations, management choices, and attitude toward their dogs by owners of dogs of different breeds. A study of a single breed may help provide a better insight into this issue. A convenience sample of 94 participants, owners of 181 Argentine Dogos, was recruited to provide information on their dogs' behaviors through a questionnaire. Participants were classified according to their previous general experience or inexperience with dogs and whether they had previously owned an Argentine Dogo (expert vs. naive owners). Reasons for getting a dog (companionship, guarding, hunting, breeding) and attendance at dog-training classes were also explored. Pearson chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Previous inexperience with dogs was associated with a higher prevalence of dogs that were fearful of children and unknown dogs. Naive Dogo owners perceived that their dogs were more obedient and friendly toward strangers but aggressive toward children, than those belonging to Argentine Dogo experts. It also appeared that living environment and the dog's age are critical predictors of many outcome variables. Kennel living was found to be predictive of car and food protection, owner-directed aggression and aggression toward children, whereas house living was associated with fear of loud noises. Changes related to the dogs' age were probably related to behavioral development in the dogs. Destructiveness, excessive body licking, and protective aggression were more common in younger dogs, whereas aggression to unknown dogs was more common in older ones. Protective aggression was more common in males, and fear of startling noises was more common in females. Intact dogs showed a higher probability of having attention-getting behavior, and neutered dogs were more fearful of traffic. Our findings are correlative. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation.
Aim of the study was to assess how physical exercise influenced Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) acti... more Aim of the study was to assess how physical exercise influenced Glutathione Peroxidase (GPx) activity in trotter athletic horses. The experiment was carried out on October-November 2004, on a group of 7 trotters, aged 2-3 years, after the beginning of their training period. Each trotter was subject to a standard training (ST) (20 minutes): after a warm up of 3 laps horses went at a steady trot for two laps. Blood samples were taken just before beginning the ST (T1), soon after (T2), and after 60 (T3), 120 (T4), 180 (T5) and 240 minutes (T6) the end of the ST. Blood β-endorphin, cortisol, PCV and GPx were determined. Data were statistically analysed using GLM and correlation analysis. Training induced significant increases (P<0,001) of cortisol, PCV and HR at T2 (P<0,05), with values returning to baseline within 1 hour after ST (T3). Plasma β-endorphin concentrations showed a similar trend but differences were not significant. GPx activity also significantly (P<0,001) increa...
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2010
The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declin... more The cat was treated for hyperthyroidism and idiopathic epilepsy without effect. The owners declined nuclear magnetic imaging, so we decided to start a behavioral treatment for OCD. After two months of treatment the behavioral aberrations and neurological and analytical alterations had all disappeared. In the present case report an important acute stress seemed to have contributed to the development of behavioral, neurological and physiologic changes. In humans there is a pathology named hysterical conversion in which neurological and sensory dysfunction are preceded by a stressful event. In such cases treatment is based on behavioral modification.
The aim of this paper was to develop a protocol to study the anticipatory response in cats as a m... more The aim of this paper was to develop a protocol to study the anticipatory response in cats as a measure of welfare. Seven experimental cats were trained in a classical conditioning paradigm to associate a sound with food arrival, while sound and food were presented without contingency in four control cats. Increasing the interval between sound and food up to 60 s allowed a detailed description of cats’ anticipatory response. Compared to control animals, experimental cats showed significantly shorter latencies to orient towards (average 2.96 s) and approach the source of the sound (12.98 s) as well as longer durations of exploring and standing by the source of the sound (namely 69.97 and 52.32%, respectively of the interval sound-food). Experimental cats also exhibited behaviours that may derive from predation patterns, eg short pauses and predatory crouch while approaching the source of the sound (namely in 28.93 and 29.64% of trials), rapid head movements while watching it (55.36% ...
Owners' husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs' behavior. In this study, the relatio... more Owners' husbandry choices may affect the expression of dogs' behavior. In this study, the relationship management-behavior was explored in 181 Argentine Dogos owned by 94 dog owners who answered 35 Yes/No questions on their dogs' behavior (e.g., obedience, aggression, and fear) and 10 single-choice questions on dogs' husbandry. The association management-behavior was explored with c 2 . Kennel-living dogs were more aggressive than house-living ones (food protection, P 5 0.017; owner-directed aggression, P 5 0.050; stranger-directed aggression, P 5 0.031; samesex dog aggression, P 5 0.028), whereas the latter were more obedient (P , 0.001), destructive (P 5 0.048) and friendly with people (P 5 0.002) and dogs (P , 0.001). Physical punishment was associated with food protection (P 5 0.023) and owner-directed aggression (P 5 0.026). Dog-showing was inversely associated with pulling on the leash (P 5 0.007), and fears of environmental stimuli (i.e., traffic, P 5 0.001; startling stimuli, P 5 0.031; loud noises, P 5 0.018). Frequent play sessions were negatively related to fear of startling stimuli (P 5 0.039) and positively to obedience (P , 0.001) and friendliness toward strangers (P 5 0.004). Short daily walks were associated with fears of environmental stimuli (startling stimuli, P , 0.001; loud noises, P 5 0.033), destructiveness (P 5 0.054), low concentration (P 5 0.025) and poor results in training sessions (P , 0.001). Obedience training was positively associated with obedience (P , 0.001), mounting people (P 5 0.003), aggression to handling (P 5 0.002) and food removal (P 5 0.041). Without establishing cause-effect relationships between management and behavior, this survey highlights husbandry aspects that need careful evaluation because there are associated with undesirable behaviors (e.g., kennel living) and aspects that may reduce problem behaviors (e.g., daily walks, play sessions, dog shows).
Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 2014
Keywords: owner experience with dogs dog behavior Argentine Dogo Italy a b s t r a c t Previous r... more Keywords: owner experience with dogs dog behavior Argentine Dogo Italy a b s t r a c t Previous research reported contrasting results on the effect of owner experience on dog behaviors. This may be because of dog breed genetic variability, differences in expectations, management choices, and attitude toward their dogs by owners of dogs of different breeds. A study of a single breed may help provide a better insight into this issue. A convenience sample of 94 participants, owners of 181 Argentine Dogos, was recruited to provide information on their dogs' behaviors through a questionnaire. Participants were classified according to their previous general experience or inexperience with dogs and whether they had previously owned an Argentine Dogo (expert vs. naive owners). Reasons for getting a dog (companionship, guarding, hunting, breeding) and attendance at dog-training classes were also explored. Pearson chi-square tests and binary logistic regressions were used to analyze the data. Previous inexperience with dogs was associated with a higher prevalence of dogs that were fearful of children and unknown dogs. Naive Dogo owners perceived that their dogs were more obedient and friendly toward strangers but aggressive toward children, than those belonging to Argentine Dogo experts. It also appeared that living environment and the dog's age are critical predictors of many outcome variables. Kennel living was found to be predictive of car and food protection, owner-directed aggression and aggression toward children, whereas house living was associated with fear of loud noises. Changes related to the dogs' age were probably related to behavioral development in the dogs. Destructiveness, excessive body licking, and protective aggression were more common in younger dogs, whereas aggression to unknown dogs was more common in older ones. Protective aggression was more common in males, and fear of startling noises was more common in females. Intact dogs showed a higher probability of having attention-getting behavior, and neutered dogs were more fearful of traffic. Our findings are correlative. Even if causative links cannot be made, our findings certainly provide direction for further investigation.
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Papers by Gabriella Tami