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| Influences of early experiences on the development of competitive behaviour in puppies |
| Quinn Rausch1, Jacquelyn Jacobs2, Jason Coe3, Tina Widowski4, Lee Niel3. 1Department of Clinical Studies, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; 2Department of Animal Science, Michigan State University, East Lansing, Michigan , United States; 3Department of Population Medicine, Ontario Veterinary College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada; 4Department of Animal Biosciences, Ontario Agricultural College, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada |
Resource guarding is common in companion dogs and undesirable for caretakers, yet no research has investigated the development of competitive behaviour in puppies. Developing effective strategies for resource competition begins early during littermate interaction. Success likely depends on human, puppy, dam and litter characteristics. The objective of this prospective cohort study was to examine factors that influence the development of competitive behaviour in litters of puppies (N= 26 litters, 177 puppies) from birth to 8 weeks. Information on breeder management and puppy behaviour during nursing, feeding and play was gathered through video recordings and breeder surveys. Results showed large within litter variation indicating that puppies develop independent strategies. Various individual (success, latency to nurse and play), dam (age, behaviour history) and human management (intervention, toy management) factors were associated with increased odds of competitive behaviour. Little consistency across context was observed indicating learning might be situation specific. These results suggest that dog breeders play a key role in the development of puppy competitive strategies. |