کد مقاله | کد نشریه | سال انتشار | مقاله انگلیسی | نسخه تمام متن |
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2399834 | 1102058 | 2008 | 9 صفحه PDF | دانلود رایگان |
The management of puppies is considered of great importance in raising well-behaved adult dogs. This research aimed to assess the effectiveness of advice provided by a veterinary behaviorist regarding puppy-raising practices.Forty-six puppy owners received advice by a veterinary behaviorist concerning puppy raising during the puppy's first visit to a veterinarian. A control group was composed of 43 different dogs whose owners were not counseled by a veterinary behaviorist during the puppy's first veterinary visit. Owners were interviewed about their dog's behaviors at the time of their 1-year booster vaccination visit. The 89 dogs were clinically healthy, between 11 and 18 months old, 53% females and 47% males, of various or mixed breeds.Dogs whose owners received advice displayed less undesirable behaviors than the control group, such as: house soiling (2% vs 23%; χ2 = 19.50; P < .01), mounting (26% vs 49%; χ2 = 12.11; P < .05), nonstop playing (0% vs 12%; Fisher's exact test P < .05), mouthing of people (11% vs 37%; χ2 = 7.15; P < .01), begging for food (17% vs 42%; χ2 = 5.31; P < .05), or demanding food from the table (0% vs 12%; Fisher's exact test P < .05). Moreover, the experimental group showed less aggressive behaviors toward unknown people (26% vs 2%; Fisher's exact test P < .01) and dogs (16% vs 2%; Fisher's exact test P < .05).The advice provided was effective in diminishing the incidence of undesirable behaviors in the dogs studied. The positive effect of a behaviorist's advice is remarkable given that the puppies in the experimental group had remained with their mother and littermates for less than 2 months, which is believed to be a high-risk condition for development of behavioral disorders.
Journal: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Volume 3, Issue 3, May–June 2008, Pages 125–133