Some say dogs are man’s best friend. Who doesn’t love a sweet fur baby? But there are some dogs that display some traits that make them difficult to home and deal with. People have often wondered what is the driving force for aggression in dogs. Is it nature? Is it the owner who raises them? A group of scientists got together to try to answer that very question.
Two experiments were conducted. The first was done on known aggressive dogs and a control group to compare their behavior and neuropeptide levels to see if there was a notable trend. The second was conducted on assistance dogs and a control group to do similar comparisons. Assistance dogs have been specially bred to lack aggression. The neuropeptides in question were endogenous plasma oxytocin (OT) and vasopressin (AVP), both involved in specifics aspects of behavior in many mammal species and aggression in domestic dogs. Dogs in experiment one were treated for leash aggression, so as to control the distance aggressive dogs could get towards another dog and keep everyone safe. They were paired up, matched with breed or breed mix, sex, and age, with one aggressive dog and one control group dog. Each dog was put in a room and shown different stimuli and their behavior was videoed and monitored. Blood samples were taken and analyzed. The dogs in experiment two were shown the same videos. They also experienced two social circumstances, one involving a threatening stranger and the second was of an unfamiliar dog. Blood samples were taken of these dogs as well.
For experiment one, the known aggressive dogs had higher total AVP levels than the control dogs, but lower free AVP, while there was no difference in the OT levels. For experiment two, the assistance dogs had higher levels of OT compared to the control dogs, but there was no difference in AVP levels. These results have shown that there is a positive relationship between aggression and total AVP and a negative relationship with aggression and free AVP. The results regarding OT levels suggest that it may be partially responsible for affiliative behaviors. Aggressive dogs seem to be more likely to have overactive AVP centers despite lacking free AVP. Understanding the neurobiological actors involved in dog aggression can better help breeders select the best dogs to breed to reduce these tendencies. Breeding more docile generation can help reduce the number of attacks on humans by dogs. Running these tests on future dogs can also help predict if a person’s dog will ever be a potential risk for aggression, thus needing specialized training to prevent any incidences. Breeds with bad reputations could be famously loved again without fear. A better future for our furry friends will be a better future for all of us.
Source:
MacLean, E. L., Gesquiere, L. R., Gruen, M. E., Sherman, B. L., Martin, W. L., & Carter, C. S. (2017, September 01). Endogenous Oxytocin, Vasopressin, and Aggression in Domestic Dogs. Retrieved October 05, 2017, from https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2017.01613/full
Alina Ibrahim
October 12, 2017 — 5:22 pm
This is really interesting! One of my dogs had an issue with aggression that we couldn’t resolve and his vet always thought it was just genetic, as we had raised the other dogs the same but none had aggression issues.
Sarah Dickinson
October 24, 2017 — 1:33 pm
I’d never thought about the issue of aggression in dogs from the neurological perspective before, I’d always assumed it was due to the environment the dog was brought up in. So interesting!