Influence of Walker Sex and Familiarity on Scent-Marking Behavior of Juvenile and Mature Shelter Dogs.

ABSTRACT: Many mammals living on farms, in zoos, and in research settings behave differently with familiar people versus strangers, and the sex of the person can also influence interactions. We conducted two studies to examine the influence of a dog's sex and maturity and a walker's sex and familiarity on the behavior of shelter dogs during leash walks. In Study 1 with unfamiliar walkers (n = 113 dogs), we found that mature males urinated at higher rates when walked by a woman than by a man, whereas mature females urinated at similar rates. Mature males and mature females were less likely to defecate when walked by a man than by a woman. Juvenile dogs were generally less affected than mature dogs by a walker's sex, suggesting a role for experience in mature dogs' responses. In Study 2, when dogs wer

SUBMITTER: McGuire B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC10705330 | biostudies-literature | 2023 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature