Journal article
The relationship of adult morphology and early social signalling of the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)
KJ Kerswell, P Bennett, KL Butler, PH Hemsworth
Behavioural Processes | ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV | Published : 2009
Abstract
Most research on dog communication has focused on either the use of lupine signals during intra-specific interactions or has studied single-breed groups, with little regard to the effects of morphological change in the dog on their communication. This oversight ignores the fact that most modern dog breeds do not resemble the wolf and thus they have lost the ability to send some signals and may encounter communication problems. Using puppies in 40 litters from 32 breeds, we investigated the relationship between the frequencies of behaviours (social signals), and the adult morphology of these dogs. Despite a high level of precision, no statistically significant relationships were found between..
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Funding Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank Petcare Information and Advisory Service for their help in funding this research. The assistance of Guide Dogs of Victoria, Australian Customs Service and the Victorian Police Dog Squad and other breeders was gratefully appreciated. We would also like to thank the staff of the Animal Welfare Science Centre for all their assistance. Keven Kerswell would like to thank AX, S.K. and YX for their support.