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中很常见，并可能直接损害受影响动物的福利。此外，恐惧往往导致攻击性，这是对人类和动物安全的严重威胁，并可能由于忽视、放弃和安乐死而对受影响个人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。对于目前的提议，我根据最近的研究进展提出了四个短期目标，并解决了基本和应用问题。第一个目标是确定主人报告的猫和狗的恐惧是否准确。准确地识别动物的恐惧在解决预防、诊断和治疗问题时很重要，但对于确保在研究研究期间正确识别也是至关重要的。我们将与猫和狗的主人一起进行研究，检查他们是否能够看到恐惧和攻击性的特定行为指标，以及他们是否可以利用这些行为来评估他们的动物表现出的恐惧或攻击性的严重程度。第二个目标是评估早期幼犬管理对犬的资源保护和陌生人定向攻击的发展的影响。对幼犬从出生到2岁进行跟踪，以评估早期的竞争和围绕食物碗的训练是否预示着资源保护，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预示着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性的各种风险因素，同样侧重于早期发育和管理。通过收容所寄养的小猫将通过发育过程进行跟踪，以确定早期管理因素，如奶瓶饲养和与窝点分离，是否使它们成年后更有可能变得恐惧和好斗。最后，第四个目标是评估猫和狗在处理和兽医过程中的恐惧/压力是否可以通过改变方法和动物训练来改善。总体而言，这项研究将为主人改进对猫狗恐惧的识别以进行研究，改进对小狗和小猫的早期管理以防止恐惧和攻击性的发展，并改进在兽医护理和程序中处理猫狗。

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.