Understanding and preventing fear and aggression in companion cats and dogs

与恐惧有关的问题在伴侣猫和狗中很常见，并且会直接损害受影响动物的福利。此外，恐惧往往导致攻击，这是对人类和动物安全的严重威胁，并可能因忽视、放弃和安乐死而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易于发展恐惧和攻击，并制定有效的预防和治疗策略。对于目前的建议，我有四个短期目标，这些目标来自最近的研究进展，并解决基本和应用问题。第一个目标是确定主人对猫和狗的恐惧报告是否准确。在预防、诊断和治疗时，准确识别动物的恐惧是很重要的，但在研究过程中确保正确识别也至关重要。我们将与猫狗主人进行研究，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。第二个目标是评估早期幼犬管理对犬资源保护和陌生人攻击性发展的影响。幼犬将从出生到2岁进行跟踪，以评估早期围绕食物碗的竞争和训练是否预测资源守卫，以及早期恐惧，不良的社会化实践和使用厌恶训练方法是否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通过发育进行跟踪，以确定早期管理因素（如奶瓶饲养和与同窝仔分离）是否使它们更有可能在成年后变得恐惧和具有攻击性。最后，第四个目标的重点是评估是否可以通过改变方法和动物训练来改善猫和狗在处理和兽医程序中的恐惧/压力。总的来说，这项研究将为研究提供信息，改善主人对猫和狗的恐惧识别，改善小狗和小猫的早期管理，以防止恐惧和侵略的发展，并改善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.