Behavioral, cardiac and cortisol responses to brief peer separation and reunion in cattle

Behavioral, cardiac, and adrenal responses of heifers to short-term isolation and to subsequent reunion with familiar or nonfamiliar conspecifics were measured. Two groups of heifers were studied according to their different social reactivity: Aubrac heifers (n=12) reared under suckler conditions and Friesian heifers (n=12) reared under dairy management. Because these two groups could also react […]

Female influences on pair formation, reproduction and male stress responses in a monogamous cavy (Galea monasteriensis)

We examined the possible existence of, and female contributions to, pair bonds, as well as the relation of social preference to mating selectivity, in a recently identified wild guinea pig, the Muenster yellow-toothed cavy (Galea monasteriensis). In Experiment 1, females housed for ~ 20 days in an apparatus in which they could choose to approach and interact […]

Measuring dog-owner relationships: Crossing boundaries between animal behaviour and human psychology

Previous research suggests that dogs (Canis familiaris) form attachment bonds to their owners and that the strengths of the attachment can vary. However, it does not seem reasonable to believe that all dogs share the same attachment style, considering their differences in genetic background, their previous experiences and the many different caregiving strategies that are […]