Fear-related behaviour of dogs in veterinary practice

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• 作者：Dorothea D&#xf6 ; ring ; Anita Roscher ; Fabian Scheipl ; Helmut Kü ; chenhoff ; Michael H. Erhard
• 关键词：Fear ; Dogs ; Veterinary practice ; Observation of behaviour ; Body language
• 刊名：The Veterinary Journal
• 出版年：2009
• 出版时间：October 2009
• 年：2009
• 卷：182
• 期：1
• 页码：38-43
• 全文大小：127 K

文摘

To investigate further the occurrence of fear-related behaviour in dogs in veterinary practice and to evaluate associated factors, 135 dogs were observed under practice conditions within the framework of a standardised test examination and the owners interviewed using a questionnaire. Most dogs exhibited fear reactions, particularly on the examination table, with 78.5 % (106/135) categorised as ‘fearful’ based on their behaviour. Unlike weight and castration, age, gender and previous experience were significantly (P < 0.05) associated with fearful behaviour. Male dogs were significantly less ‘fearful’ than females and animals under <2 years were significantly less ‘fearful’ compared with older dogs. Those with only positive previous experiences in veterinary surgeries were significantly less ‘fearful’ than dogs that had a previous negative experience. Fear-related behaviour in veterinary practice is an issue of importance.