Owner-assessed behaviours and relationships to gut microbiota composition in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Pellowe, Sarita (2024) Owner-assessed behaviours and relationships to gut microbiota composition in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris). Masters thesis, Memorial University of Newfoundland.

[English] PDF - Accepted Version Available under License - The author retains copyright ownership and moral rights in this thesis. Neither the thesis nor substantial extracts from it may be printed or otherwise reproduced without the author's permission. Download (2MB)

Abstract

Behavioural issues in dogs, such as anxiety and aggression, are a prominent reason for both the relinquishment and euthanasia of pet dogs. These issues can cause a break-down of the dog-owner bond, and negatively impact quality of life for both dog and human. One potential area of research, the gut microbiome, provides the opportunity for better understanding the physiological process underlying the occurrence of aggression and anxiety, and recent studies have shown promise that changes in canine gut microbiota composition are associated with behaviour in dogs. However, a precise link between gut microbiota and behaviour has not yet been established in pet dogs, and previous studies have used clinical or shelter populations, rather than a community sample. I first highlight the demographic and lifestyle factors that may be related to the behaviour of dogs in this study, including the presence of conspecifics and the dog’s daily activities. In addition, I report on validity concerns for a subscale (familiar dog aggression) of a widely used, owner-reported dog behaviour survey, and present considerations for survey interpretation and improvement. Dogs cohabiting with other dogs in the same home, as well as singleton dogs whose owners unexpectedly completed questions about rivalry towards familiar (co-habiting) dogs, had different behavioural profiles compared to dogs living alone, whose owners did not respond to questions about dog rivalry. Finally, I investigate the links between the anxiety and aggression profiles and gut microbiota composition in dogs from the local area. Gut microbiota composition differed somewhat between dogs with higher and lower aggression scores, but most notably differed between those with differing anxiety scores, with the genus Blautia consistently associated with anxiety across multiple analyses. This thesis contributes to our growing understanding of gut microbiota composition in dogs with aggression or anxiety issues.

Actions (login required)

View Item