30/04/2014. Why people keep pets and why we need to change how we breed them. Who I am. What are pets? What I plan to talk about

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1 Why people keep pets and why we need to change how we breed them Pauleen Bennett Anthrozoology Research Group School of Psychological Science La Trobe University, Bendigo Who I am Animal enthusiast rather than animal scientist Behavioural scientist/neuropsychologist/behavioural neuroscientist/anthrozoologist Anthrozoology Research Group Study the benefits and challenges presented by modern human companion animal relationships What I plan to talk about The psychology of pet keeping why people keep animals as companions Why pet dogs are currently the number one cause of community disputes What scientists can do about this What are pets? Any animal that is domesticated or tamed and kept as a favourite, or treated with indulgence and fondness. In 1500 s referred mostly to children! Species kept varies widely across cultures! Doesn t adequately distinguish between animals kept as ornaments and those kept as companions. Companion animal describes a specific type of pet, where the emphasis is on the relationship between owner (guardian) and animal this makes behaviour critical Origins of pet-keeping Primitive humans and early hunter gatherer societies were the first to keep pets Many argue pet keeping was the prelude to animal domestication BUT WHY? The purpose of pets for hunter-gatherer societies One theory Hunter/gatherers collected animals for children as a means of educating them about animal behaviour this gave them valuable animal handling experience and knowledge so made better hunters But wouldn t children become attached to animals and less likely to kill them? 1

2 Alternative theories Disease control Rubbish disposal Early warning system Animals just stayed and eventually domesticated us So why do humans continue to keep pets? Pets as social parasites' the cute response Companion animal ownership in Aust. Companion animals are good for humans Social parasitism explains why some people keep pets, but surely we can t all be that stupid million pets in % of Australian households 3.7 million dogs 2.2 million cats 53% of Australian households Numbers have declined a little in recent years but: 83% of people have owned a pet at some point 53% of people who don t own a pet wish they did But not always Dogs bite but balloons and slippers are more dangerous (Janis Bradley) Fatal dog bites are fantastically rare (16 annually in USA) We are more likely to be killed: In a motor vehicle accident x By falling off a ladder X1000 By drowning X200 After being shot X50 Falling off a bike X50 By a bolt of lightening X5 In a forklift accident X4 We are also more likely to win a lottery X2 2

3 Dogs bite but balloons and slippers are more dangerous (Janis Bradley) Children under 10 years are more likely to: Be killed by playground equipment or balloons X1.5 Be killed in an accident involving a bucket X2 Be killed by family or friends X80 90 Closer to home In Victoria, dogs cause about one fatality annually Rate of hospitalisation for dog bite injury may be increasing 8.3/100,000 in /100,000 in 2007 Dogs are less dangerous than most items of furniture or footwear Kids are far more likely to be injured playing almost any kind of sport Most dog owners are very satisfied with the behaviour of their dog and don t report any behavioural problems Many companion dogs fail! Why are dogs relinquished to shelters? Reason % Reason not recorded Owner factors (moving house, dog is too much effort, owner health) Dog aggression 3.20 Dog behaviour Escapes Too boisterous/hyperactive Barking Predatory behaviour 8.58 Destructive behaviour 7.40 Uncontrollable behaviour 6.80 Marston, Bennett & Coleman, 2004 Why are dogs killed in shelters? What about other small animals? Reason % Health issues Aggression Temperament Behaviour 9.57 Hyperactive Escapes Won t walk on lead easily Barking Mouthy 5.17 Uncontrollable 2.80 Cats can scratch, bite, spray, wander, treat with disdain Rabbits, guinea pigs, rats, ferrets, snakes etc can all scratch and/or bite Fear and anxiety result in poor welfare for many companion animals Small animal behaviour is a (THE) critical feature in determining how well humans bond with the animal and, hence, how they treat it Marston, Bennett & Coleman,

4 What can scientists do? Determine why some dogs succeed and some dogs fail Develop, implement and evaluate strategies to increase success rates and decrease failure rates So why do some dogs fail? Community expectations are totally unrealistic! Total lack of respect for canine evolutionary biology Group living versus solitary confinement Activity and reactivity versus inactivity and silence Territoriality versus acceptance of everyone and everything Most modern owners don t have a clue! Lack childhood experience with other species Estranged from natural world Lack time and not sufficiently motivated to gain expertise Some dogs are less well equipped to cope with modern demands than are others Breed histories are very diverse Individuals within breeds are very diverse We need to pay attention to all 3 segments Dogs were traditionally selected for behaviour, but modern breeders got sidetracked by appearance Environment Owners Dogs In animal breeding what you select for is what you get Selecting for behaviour/personality is much more difficult than selecting for appearance Need to know if we can identify personality dimensions in dogs Need to know which of these dimensions are most important to companion dog owners Need to know if we can reliably measure these dimensions 4

5 Can we identify canine personality dimensions? Canine personality dimensions do exist and can be measured Extraversion Five factor model Good inter rater Neuroticism and test retest CFFMP reliability Amicability Training Focus Motivation Five factors appear Extraversion: active, energetic, excitable, hyperactive, lively, restless Self Assuredness (openness): assertive, determined, independent, persevering, tenacious Training Focus (Conscientiousness): attentive, biddable, intelligent, obedient, reliable, trainable Amicability (agreeableness): easy going, friendly, non aggressive, relaxed, sociable Neuroticism: fearful, nervous, submissive, timid Now what? The perfect companion dog This information is only useful if we know what companion dog owners want and if we can measure this in our puppies and/or breeding dogs Maybe there is no such thing as the perfect companion dog because everyone wants something different Is there such a thing as an ideal companion dog? Safe with children (95%) Physically healthy (95%) Comes when called (95%) Does not escape the property (94%) Fully housetrained (93%) Shows affection towards me (93%) AMICABILITY Can we measure amicability without relying on owner reports? AMICABILITY easy going friendly non aggressive relaxed sociable Neuroticism Extraversion CFFMP Motivation Breeders motivated by profit may show social desirability bias Many owners and breeders have limited experience beyond their own breed so lack a reference point against which their dogs can be compared Amicability Training Focus 5

6 Can we objectively measure amicability? Good news is that experts (and most novices) who watch these videos show strong agreement about which dogs are more or less amicable Currently trying to find objective measures that correlate with expert ratings If we can convince breeders to test their breeding dogs and use this information to promote their dogs, we might end up with a population of companion dogs more suited to modern demands With luck and hard work, we will eventually be able to take a bunch of identical looking puppies and make an educated prediction about their potential to fit into a range of environments Summary Small animal behaviour, especially when interacting with humans, is THE most important determinant of: The relationship that forms between animal and owner The benefits, if any, that the owner obtains from their pet The quality of life (or death) experienced by the animal Although most small animals are very successful in their role as human companion, some exhibit behaviours that are not acceptable We need to find out what these behaviours are, where they come from and what we can do about them Silver fox experiments suggest a strong genetic basis 6