Aggression, behaviour, and animal care among pit bulls and other dogs adopted from an animal shelter
Pit bull dogs are a focus of concern because of their reputation for aggression toward people and because they may be mistreated by owners who try to promote aggressive behaviour. This study followed 40 pit bulls and 42 similar-sized dogs of other breeds at an animal shelter. Three pit bulls and two dogs of other […]
A review of scientific literature on inherited disorders in domestic horse breeds
The full extent to which inherited disorders occur in different breeds of domestic horse (Equus caballus) has not been previously been investigated. A systematic search was carried out to review scientific literature on inherited disorders in domestic horse breeds and examine patterns in potentially inherited disorders. A two-part search was conducted: (i) electronic bibliographic databases […]
Young Blond d’Aquitaine, Angus and Limousin bulls differ in emotional reactivity: Relationships with animal traits, stress reactions at slaughter and post-mortem muscle metabolism
The present study investigated relationships between reactivity during tests, stress reactions at slaughter and animal traits in young Blond d’Aquitaine (BA), Limousin (LI) and Angus (AN) bulls. Behavioural and physiological reactivity of animals was evaluated during rearing using a “Human test” (exposure to human presence and handling) and an “Umbrella test (exposure to a sudden […]
Effect of genotype, housing system and hay supplementation on performance and ear lesions of growing rabbits
There is growing demand by consumers for meat produced in alternative systems. Since its market share is quite small, but is growing, it could be important to deal with this issue. The aim of the experiment was to examine the effects of genotype (terminal line or traditional giant breed), housing system (cage or pen) and […]
Canine aggression toward family members in Spain: Clinical presentations and related factors
Canine aggression toward family members represents a potential hazard for the owner’s health and can severely compromise the welfare of the affected dogs. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the main features of canine aggression toward family members using cases from a referral practice. The cases were examined with respect to behavioral […]
The influence of breed and environmental factors on social and solitary play in dogs (Canis lupus familiaris)
The domestic dog is an ideal model species in which to study the genetic and environmental factors that influence play behavior. Dogs exist in a wide variety of breeds and frequently engage in multiple forms of play. In the present study, we investigated whether the levels of solitary and social play differed between dogs of […]