Stress and Happiness in Dogs: You Should Know It When You See It Dr. James C. Ha Research Professor, UW

Transcription

1 Stress and Happiness in Dogs: You Should Know It When You See It Dr. James C. Ha Research Professor, UW

2 James C. Ha, PhD, CAAB PhD, Colorado State Univ., Zoology 1989 Research Faculty, U of Washington 1990 Research Professor 2013 Research on social behavior of highly cognitive animals: primates, orca, crows, dogs, cats In-home companion animal behavior practice since 1999 Certified Applied Animal Behaviorist, Animal Behavior Society, since 2005

3 Western Pet-centricity The popularity of dogs and cats as companions Why companion animals? Contact with nature? Replacement for large families? Why dogs? Appropriate evolutionary, genetic characteristics Diurnal activity, highly social, useful: removing pests & finding food Appropriate learning & cognitive ability Control of hunting and aggression, obedience, housetraining Coevolution of humans and dogs, >20M years

4 Western Pet-centricity The popularity of dogs and cats as companions What is it about cats, then? Useful, and easily domesticated also, easier

5 Why Do We Care About Stress in Our Companions? Stress frequently leads to anxiety. Stress and anxiety is frequently over-looked in dogs. Chronic anxiety is connected to health issues and psychological wellbeing. A common consequence of anxiety is aggression.

6 What is Stress? A physiological condition in response to environmental or psychological pressures ( stressors ). Accompanied by, but not limited to, elevations in cortisol hormone, changes in heart rate, and concurrent behavioral changes. Effects may be significantly more profound if occurring during critical periods: e.g weeks of age ( Kennel-dog syndrome ), 7-9 months, and months. Major contributing factor: lack of socialization

7 Detecting Anxiety, and Aggression Frequently, aggression is simply rough-and-tumble play How to tell Play from Anxiety from True Aggression? Body Language!

8 Reading Body Language Posture How is the dog standing? Is he leaning forward or backward?

9 Reading Body Language Posture Eyes Are his pupils dilated? Is he looking away from you?

10 Reading Body Language Posture Eyes Ears Are his ears relaxed or stiff? Are they flat against his head?

11 Reading Body Language Posture Eyes Ears Tail How is he holding his tail? Is it high? Low? Moving?

12 Reading Body Language Posture Eyes Ears Tail Mouth What does his mouth look like? Can you see his teeth?

13 Reading Body Language Posture Eyes Ears Tail Mouth Hackles Is the hair on his back sticking up (the hackles)?

14 Reading Body Language Posture Eyes Ears Tail Mouth Hackles Vocalizations What noises is he making? Barking? Whining? Growling?

15 What is the Dog Saying? Playful Anxious Aggressive Posture Bowing Crouching Weight forward Eyes Direct Averted Direct Ears Relaxed Back Forward Tail Moving Down Up Mouth Open Retracted horizontal Retracted vertically Hackles Relaxed Flat Raised VocalizationsBarking Whining Growling

16 Playful 16

17 Anxious 17 from Charles Darwin s The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals (1859)

18 Aggressive 18

19 Signs of stress (esp when >1 exhibited): Dilated pupils Shaking, yawning and scratching. Refusing food and treats or refusal to open mouth. Hiding and disobeying orders. Licking lips, drooling and sneezing. Sweaty paws Avoiding eye contact, keeping tail between legs or acting shy. Exhibiting over activeness or under activity. Biting, growling or snarling.

20 Signs of stress

21 Signs of stress

22 How to quantify stress Cortisol Historically, the classic measure Blood, salivary, urinary, fecal: time frame for sample But few repeatable conclusions Issues include: Sampling stress Dramatic time of day differences Sensitivity of assays Lack of correlation with other data, like behavior New approaches use more sophisticated assays of cortisol precursors: less sensitive to variability

23 How to quantify stress Heart rate (and respiration) Also a classic measure Technical issues in recording without disturbance: telemetry (inexpensive Polar watches ) And again: few repeatable conclusions Issues include: Sampling stress Dramatic time of day differences Lack of correlation with other data, like behavior New approaches use measures of variability in HR: better, more consistent results

24 How to quantify stress The Flip Side: How happy is the dog? Positive hormones Oxytocin, lots of press lately Beta-endorphins Prolactin Dopamine Many studies of dog effect on human physiology; Almost none on human effects on dog: Odendaal and Meintjes, 2003 Positive interactions produced increases in positive hormones, but no decrease in cortisol in dogs (only humans)

25 How to Minimize Stress and Anxiety Minimizing stress in short-term: Handler body language No interactions on leash Understanding (stress) body language Minimizing stress over long-term: Choosing the right dog SOCIALIZATION! (Prior to 2 years old) History: previous interactions and training

26 Contributing Factors: Short-term Lack of Escape Routes Trigger-stacking Stress plays a role at all levels

27 Lack of Escape Routes Bite or Flight What has worked in the past? What are the genes saying? Risk increases as opportunities for other reactions decrease Importance of Escape Routes Risk

28 Trigger-stacking A Primary Principle! Every dog has multiple factors that increase anxiety or decrease the threshold to a behavior Arousal level: emotional excitement Fears and phobias: loud noises, children, men, fast-moving objects Lack of escape route, crowding These stack until behavior is released!

29 Trigger-stacking Cautions: Late in day Crowding (people or dogs) Common triggers: children, small dogs, loud noises Reactive breeds

30 Importance of Environmental Control Or, How Your Dog Controls You! All animals need a certain amount of control over their environment, including social environment. Social control is exerted through manipulation of learning contingencies. By use of positive and negative responses, another person (or dog!) can alter your behavior.

31 Importance of Environmental Control The Four Fundamental Quadrants of Learning/Training Type of Stimulus Stimulus Is: Reward(+) Aversive(-) Presented Positive Positive Reinforcement Punishment Removed Extinction, Negative Negative Punishment Reinforcement

32 Importance of Environmental Control Or, How Your Dog Controls You! Just as you train your dog (or spouse) using these four types of learning, animals manipulate their social environment in the same way. Using learning mechanisms do not require conscious thought. Understand these methods: your dog will attempt to control its environment by using them.

33 Importance of Environmental Control The handler-dog feedback loop The handler sends signals (communication) and consequences (rewards, aversives) to the dog, and the dog responds with signals and consequences itself. I call this a Training Loop, or Co-Training (after the concept of co-evolution). Importance is allowing dogs to have some control of their (social) environment.

34 Summary Take-home Messages Stress is an important, and subtle, issue Stress can be recognized by physical cues Stress can be minimized: triggerstacking, escape routes, social control Good handlers are involved in a feedback loop with their dogs, constantly providing and receiving information.

35 Understanding Anxiety Behavior in Dogs James C. Ha, PhD, CAAB Animal Behavior Associates of Washington, LLC Check out my new 1-year, online UW Certificate in Applied Animal Behavior