INFLUENCE OF GENTLE TOUCHING BEFORE SEPARATION FROM THE OWNER ON DOG BEHAVIOUR AND PHYSIOLOGY

Adult domestic dogs, during separation from the owner in an unfamiliar environment, usually show behaviours indicative of discomfort and attempt to regain proximity [1]. Traditionally, for the treatment of dogs showing separation-related problems, owners were advised to reduce affiliative behaviours towards their dog and to desensitize dogs to the rituals related to departure. However, previous literature indicate a positive effect of human physical contact and interaction in decreasing dogs’ level of stress in many situations, assessed through endocrinological, physiological, and behavioural parameters [2, 3]. The aim of the current study was to assess if dog behaviour and physiology during a brief separation from the owner is affected by being gentle touched before owner’s departure. The sample was formed by 10 dogs (6 females and 4 males, 1-11 years old, of different breeds and sizes), not displaying separation anxiety nor used to be stroked before being left alone. Each dog was tested twice, one week apart, in an unfamiliar outdoor environment using two slightly modified versions of the same behavioural test (NGT, no gentle touch, and WGT, with gentle touch) which differed only for the first episode. Episode 1: the owner held the dog on the leash. In the NGT test , the owner spent one minute talking with the experimenter, without touching or interacting with the dog, and maintaining a relaxed, neutral attitude. In the WGT test, the owner spent one minute gentling stroking the dog, 30 seconds per body side, and in the meanwhile chatting with the experimenter. Episode 2 (separation): the owner left the dog with the experimenter and reached a hidden location, where he/she stayed for three minutes. Episode 3 (reunion): the owner came back and spent one minute holding the dog on the leash and talking with the experimenter. Saliva cortisol was measured 20 minutes after the start of separation and heart rate was measured immediately before and after both tests using a phonendoscope. Dog behaviour during episode 2 was analysed through continuous sampling measuring the duration of 16 behaviours grouped in: stress signals, calmness, vocalisations, social behaviours towards the stranger, and seeking for the owner. All data were analysed by Wilcoxon test (p<0.05). Saliva cortisol after the two tests did not differ, while heart rate showed a marked decrease after WGT test (p=0.093) and did not change after NGT. Dogs showed calm behaviours for a longer duration in WGT than in NGT (lying down + exloration, p=0.049); no statistically significant difference was observed for seeking for the owner (p=0.610), stress signals (p=0.959), and vocalisations (p=0.499). Due to the limited number of subjects and the lack of statistical differences in the measured physiological parameters, these results have to be considered cautiously. However, the longer display of behaviours indicative of calm together with the decrease of the heart rate seem to suggest that gently stroking the dog before leaving may make dogs calmer during a brief separation from the owner