Dog–Owner Relationship, Owner Interpretations and Dog Personality Are Connected with the Emotional Reactivity of Dogs
2022
Sanni Somppi | Heini Törnqvist | Aija Koskela | Antti Vehkaoja | Katriina Tiira | Heli Väätäjä | Veikko Surakka | Outi Vainio | Miiamaaria V. Kujala
We evaluated the effect of the dog&ndash:owner relationship on dogs&rsquo: emotional reactivity, quantified with heart rate variability (HRV), behavioral changes, physical activity and dog owner interpretations. Twenty nine adult dogs encountered five different emotional situations (i.e., stroking, a feeding toy, separation from the owner, reunion with the owner, a sudden appearance of a novel object). The results showed that both negative and positive situations provoked signs of heightened arousal in dogs. During negative situations, owners&rsquo: ratings about the heightened emotional arousal correlated with lower HRV, higher physical activity and more behaviors that typically index arousal and fear. The three factors of The Monash Dog&ndash:Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) were reflected in the dogs&rsquo: heart rate variability and behaviors: the Emotional Closeness factor was related to increased HRV (p = 0.009), suggesting this aspect is associated with the secure base effect, and the Shared Activities factor showed a trend toward lower HRV (p = 0.067) along with more owner-directed behaviors reflecting attachment related arousal. In contrast, the Perceived Costs factor was related to higher HRV (p = 0.009) along with less fear and less owner-directed behaviors, which may reflect the dog&rsquo:s more independent personality. In conclusion, dogs&rsquo: emotional reactivity and the dog&ndash:owner relationship modulate each other, depending on the aspect of the relationship and dogs&rsquo: individual responsivity.
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