Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Neuroendocrine and Cardiovascular Activation During Aggressive Reactivity in Dogs.
- Journal:
- Frontiers in veterinary science
- Year:
- 2021
- Authors:
- Gobbo, Elena & Zupan Šemrov, Manja
- Affiliation:
- Department of Animal Science
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
This study looked at how dogs' bodies react when they show aggressive behavior. Researchers measured changes in temperature on the dogs' faces and bodies, and also checked levels of stress hormones in their saliva. They found that aggressive dogs had higher facial temperatures and lower levels of serotonin, a chemical linked to mood, compared to non-aggressive dogs. Interestingly, they also noted that tail wagging, especially to the left, was connected to higher aggression levels. Overall, the study suggests that both the heart and hormone systems are active when dogs are being aggressive.
Abstract
Our aim was to investigate cardiovascular activation by measuring changes in facial and body surface temperature using infrared thermography, and neuroendocrine activation using salivary cortisol (CORT) and serotonin concentration (SER) in dogs exhibiting aggressive reactivity in real time. Based on two factors, owner-reported past aggressive behaviors, and detailed behavioral observations collected during a Socially Acceptable Behavior test consisting of 16 subtests and, each individual was categorized as aggressive or non-aggressive. CORT and SER showed no difference in neuroendocrine activity between dogs, but aggressive dogs with higher levels of aggression were found to have lower SER. Aggressive dogs also had an increase in facial temperature from pre-test values. The discovery of a correlation between tail wagging and left tail wagging with aggression level and aggression-related behaviors in aggressive dogs is further evidence of the right hemisphere specialization for aggression previously reported in the literature. This study provides the first evidence that both cardiovascular and neuroendocrine systems are activated during an active act of aggression in dogs.
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Search related cases →Original publication: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34434983/