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Variations in Canine Behavioural Characteristics across Conventional Breed Clusters and Most Common Breed-Based Public Stereotypes

Authors :
Barbara Peťková
Lenka Skurková
Martin Florian
Monika Slivková
Zuzana Dudra Kasičová
Jana Kottferová
Source :
Animals, Vol 14, Iss 18, p 2695 (2024)
Publication Year :
2024
Publisher :
MDPI AG, 2024.

Abstract

Dog breeds are grouped based on scientific agreement, whether for traditional reasons or specific tasks during their domestication. Discrepancies may occur between public views of breed behaviour and actual evidence. This research aims to investigate differences in five behavioural traits (aggression towards people, aggression towards animals, fearfulness, responsiveness to training, and activity/excitability) by using the Dog Personality Questionnaire (DPQ) across six conventional groups/clusters of dog breeds (herding, hunting, guarding, companion dogs, potentially aggressive breeds, and mixed-breed dogs) and to assess hypotheses derived from common public presumptions. A cohort of 1309 dog owners sourced through diverse online platforms took part in the study. Contrary to stereotypes, the findings indicate that breeds labelled as “potentially aggressive” display lower levels of aggression compared to guarding breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.657, p = 0.041) and mixed-breeds (χ2 (5) = 3.870, p = 0.002). Additionally, mixed-breed dogs exhibited the highest levels of fearfulness among the six conventional clusters. In terms of aggression and gender, males demonstrated higher aggression levels towards both humans and animals compared to females (p = 0.001). These results challenge established assumptions and emphasise the necessity of evidence-based methodologies in the assessment of canine behaviour.

Details

Language :
English
ISSN :
20762615
Volume :
14
Issue :
18
Database :
Directory of Open Access Journals
Journal :
Animals
Publication Type :
Academic Journal
Accession number :
edsdoj.4f22c8cff15a4c9784a508b967cebab0
Document Type :
article
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14182695