Poster 19

Although a number of recent studies has investigated the dog-human relationship, to our knowledge no one has focused on the greeting behavior. The aim of the present research was to develop tools to study this specific behavior in respect to the type of relationship with humans. We performed an observational study of dog interaction with humans, in order to verify if greeting behavior presented repeatable patterns within and between dogs. To elicit greeting responses, dog owner dyads (N=20) underwent Ainsworth's Strange Situation Test (SST) as previously described (Marinelli et al., 2007). Examination of the videotaped greeting sequences allowed us to identify three clearly distinguishable patterns between dogs: proximity seeking, toy showing, jumping on. Behavior performed by a given dog was characterized by the same pattern towards the owner and an unfamiliar person, but it differed in duration and intensity. Since greeting behavior is strictly dependent on the type of relationship with human, we elaborated and validated a questionnaire aimed at assessing the level and quality of inter-specific stimulation received by the dog. Items in the questionnaire investigated the daily amount of time spent by the dog with each person in his living group and the type of activity (play, exercise, petting, company, no activity) in which the dyad was engaged. Statistical analysis of questionnaires (N=75) showed highly significant correlation among items (Spearman's rho; P < 0.0001) and high internal consistency (Cronbach's Alpha = 0.92). Factor analysis of the questionnaire scores revealed two main factors (factor 1: play, exercise, petting, company; factor 2: no activity) which account for the 64,1% and 25,1% of total variance, respectively. Findings suggest that this tools could be successfully applied to study the effect of inter-specific stimulation on dog behavior towards humans.

MARINELLI L., S. ADAMELLI, S. NORMANDO, G. BONO. (2007). Quality of life of the pet dog: Influence of owner and dog's characteristics. APPLIED ANIMAL BEHAVIOUR SCIENCE. vol. 108, pp. 143-156