Understanding and preventing fear and aggression in companion cats and dogs

与恐惧相关的问题在伴侣猫和狗身上很常见，并且会直接损害受影响动物的福利。此外，恐惧往往会导致侵略，这是对人类和动物安全的严重威胁，并且由于忽视，放弃和安乐死会对受影响个体的福利产生负面影响。我的研究计划的长期目标是确定哪些行为和生理特征以及环境因素使猫和狗容易产生恐惧和攻击性，并制定有效的预防和治疗策略。对于目前的提案，我有四个短期目标，这些目标遵循最近的研究进展，并解决基础和应用问题。第一个目标是确定主人报告的猫和狗的恐惧是否准确。在进行预防、诊断和治疗时，准确识别动物的恐惧是很重要的，但它对于确保在研究过程中正确识别也是至关重要的。我们将对猫和狗的主人进行研究，以检查他们是否能够看到恐惧和攻击的特定行为指标，以及他们是否可以使用这些行为来评估他们的动物所表现出的恐惧或攻击的严重程度。第二个目的是评估早期幼犬管理对犬资源保护和陌生人定向攻击发展的影响。研究人员将对幼犬进行从出生到两岁的跟踪，以评估早期围绕食物碗的竞争和训练是否能预测资源保护，以及早期的恐惧、不良的社会化实践和厌恶训练方法的使用是否能预测陌生人定向攻击的发展。第三个目标是识别和评估成年猫的恐惧和攻击的各种风险因素，再次关注早期发展和管理。通过收容所寄养的小猫将被跟踪整个发展过程，以确定早期的管理因素，如瓶养和与窝友分离，是否会使它们在成年后更有可能变得害怕和好斗。最后，第四个目标侧重于评估猫和狗在处理和兽医程序中的恐惧/压力是否可以通过改变方法和动物训练来改善。总的来说，这项研究将为研究主人更好地识别猫和狗的恐惧提供信息，改善对小狗和小猫的早期管理，以防止恐惧和攻击性的发展，并改善在兽医护理和程序中对猫和狗的处理。

Fear-related issues are common in companion cats and dogs, and can directly impair the welfare of affected animals. Furthermore, fear often leads to aggression, which is a serious threat to human and animal safety, and can negatively impact the welfare of affected individuals due to neglect, relinquishment and euthanasia. The long-term goal of my research program is to determine which behavioural and physiological characteristics, and environmental factors, predispose cats and dogs to the development of fear and aggression, and to develop effective strategies for prevention and treatment. For the current proposal, I have four short-term objectives that follow from recent research progress and address both basic and applied questions. The first objective is to determine whether owner reports of fear in cats and dogs are accurate. Accurate identification of fear in animals is important when addressing prevention, diagnosis and treatment, but it is also critical for ensuring proper identification during research studies. We will conduct studies with cat and dog owners to examine whether they are able to see particular behavioural indicators of fear and aggression, and whether they can use these behaviours to rate the severity of fear or aggression that their animal is displaying. The second objective is to assess the effect of early puppy management on development of resource guarding and stranger-directed aggression in dogs. Puppies will be followed from birth to 2 years to assess whether early competition and training around the food bowl predict resource guarding, and whether early fear, poor socialization practices and use of aversive training methods predict development of stranger-directed aggression. The third objective is to identify and assess various risk factors for fear and aggression in adult cats, again with a focus on early development and management. Kittens that are in foster care through shelters will be followed through development to determine whether early management factors such as bottle rearing and separation from littermates, make them more likely to be fearful and aggressive as adults. Finally, the fourth objective is focused on assessing whether fear/stress in cats and dogs during handling and veterinary procedures can be improved through alterations in approach and animal training. Overall, this research will inform improved identification of fear in cats and dogs by owners for research, improved early management of puppies and kittens to prevent the development of fear and aggression, and improved handling cats and dogs during veterinary care and procedures.