Managing Behavioural Problems in Human-Dog Interactions

378 ANN IST SUPER SANITÀ 2011 | VOL. 47, NO. 4: 378-383 DOI: 10.4415/ANN_11_04_09 LTH Managing behavioural problems A HE in human-dog interactions L A Giulia Bompadre(a) and Stefano Cinotti(b) MENT (a) Centro Studi sulle Terapie Assistite da Animali – DCV, N I Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Italy (b)Istituto Zooprofilattico Sperimentale della Lombardia e dell’Emilia Romagna, Brescia, Italy ONS I ENT V Summary. The management of dog behavioural problems requires the expertise of professionals such as the veterinary behaviourist. Clinical assessment of behavioural disorders allows the vet- NTER I erinary behaviourist to formulate a diagnosis and prescribe a behavioural and/or pharmacological D therapy. The objective of such therapy is to produce a stable change in the perception of a stimulus STE I and the resulting emotion, leading to the correction of the behavioural problem. It may be crucial SS A to evaluate the subject’s pathological state in response to the observed symptoms in order to identify - L the functional impairment of the pivotal neurotransmitter systems involved in the disorder. This al- A M lows selecting a suitable pharmacological treatment. In order to implement behavioural therapy, the I N veterinary behaviourist collaborates, where necessary, with a team of qualified canine trainers. A Key words: dog, animal behaviour, veterinary behaviourist, behavioural therapy, pharmacological therapy. Riassunto (Gestione dei problemi comportamentali nell’interazione uomo-cane). La gestione dei di- sturbi comportamentali nel cane richiede competenze professionali e specialistiche. Attualmente la figura professionale di riferimento è quella del medico veterinario comportamentalista. L’approccio di tipo clinico al disturbo comportamentale riportato dal proprietario del cane permette al medico veterinario comportamentalista di formulare una diagnosi e di prescriverne la terapia comportamentale e/o farmacologica. L’obiettivo della terapia comportamentale è di generare un cambiamen- to di tipo stabile nella percezione, e perciò nella emozione ad essa correlata, di uno stimolo, e nel comportamento abitualmente conseguente. Di fondamentale importanza è stabilire, sulla base dei sintomi, lo stato patologico del soggetto, utile a individuare l’alterazione funzionale dei principali sistemi di neurotrasmettitori coinvolti, a cui far fronte mediante un adeguato trattamento farma- cologico. Nell’attuazione della terapia comportamentale il medico veterinario comportamentalista collabora, ove necessario, con un’equipe di figure qualificate in ambito cinofilo. Parole chiave: cane, comportamento animale, medico veterinario comportamentalista, terapia comportamentale, terapia farmacologica. INTRODUCTION psychopathological setting lead to an alteration of The high recurrence of inappropriate behaviours in regulatory factors underlying the development of be- our pets within a domestic setting has driven some re- haviour, with consequent modification of the behav- searchers to refer to animal psychopathology. However, ioural response. to be sure that we are dealing with pathological behav- Three different phases can be recognized in each iours, we must develop a full knowledge of the species behaviour: the appetitive phase, characterized by behavioural repertoire in their natural environment, as tension increase; the consummatory phase, marked well as a clear definition of what we mean by animal by action; and the stabilization phase, leading to the psychopathology. tension decrease observed in the appetitive phase. A All the processes involved in adaptation strategies normal individual adapts to the environment to reach are defined pathological when they contribute to lose and to maintain a state of dynamic equilibrium – i.e. adaptation rather than achieving it. In fact, the pri- homeostasis – which makes possible to explain some mary function of each behaviour is to allow an indi- phenomena as the ability to react in a suitable man- vidual to adapt to environmental changes through a ner to sensory stimulations coming from the external series of physiological and behavioural modifications environment (sensory homeostasis). Physiological inducing a balanced exchange between the organism and behavioural modifications allow the organism to and the environment, which involves behavioural reach the condition of homeostasis through an adap- plasticity. Changes of cognition and emotions in a tation process. Address for correspondence: Giulia Bompadre, Centro Studi sulle Terapie Assistite da Animali – DCV, Alma Mater Studiorum, Università di Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40126 Ozzano dell’Emilia (Bologna), Italiy. E-mail: [email protected]. MANAGING AGGRESSivENESS 379 Therefore, we are able to define as pathological it is also useful for an immediate feedback of the those behaviours that have lost their own adaptive treatment success. The circumstances in which the LTH function and, consequently, we classify the behav- event occurs (e.g. where and when it takes place, A HE ioural alterations according to the following scale of the presence of specific people, which events pre- L gravity: undesirable behaviour, behavioural disorder, ceded and followed it) are pieces of information A and behavioural pathology. An undesirable behav- sometimes leading to the identification of the cause MENT iour is a normal behaviour that is not welcome in a and the consequent strategy to solve the problem. N I certain context. While there is no functional altera- For example, when dejections and urinations oc- tion in a behavioural disorder, such as communica- cur in inappropriate places (for example, inside the ONS tion difficulties, functional alterations are always house), the behavioural and case history is enough I present in behavioural pathologies [1-3]. to prescribe the most appropriate protocol. ENT In case of more complex disorders that involve so- V cial and interactive dynamics (such as aggressions NTER THE VETERINARY BEHAVIOURIST I towards family members, other people or other pets), The management of behavioural problems related testing the behavioural response (yet in a controlled D STE to human-dog interactions is in charge of the veteri- environment to guarantee the safety of people and I nary behaviourist (VB). Among the different veteri- pets) leads to a more detailed source of information SS A - nary specialties, behavioural medicine is the branch than the owners’ reports. In fact, owners give sub- L dealing with diagnosis and appropriate therapeutic jective interpretations about complex behaviour dy- A M I protocols. namics, and they are not always able to describe the N The importance of the VB as the specialist address- behaviour of their pets, as well as the onset and the A ing pets’ behavioural disorders, like the ones afflicting real motivation. Moreover, it is often necessary to the dog, is proven by the close relationship among speak to different members of the family to compare physical health, emotional/cognitive competence and and verify the various versions. It is also of para- pet behaviour. We can fully understand the scope of mount importance that the VB is made aware of any behavioural medicine by considering the effect on pet’s past attempt to correct the problem. Unfortunately, behaviour of different phenomena such as: organic if the owner relies on canine trainers who are not pathologies of the nervous and endocrine system, met- ethically prepared and properly qualified, the pet’s abolic alterations or localized pain phenomena. disorder can be exacerbated. A common symptom A behavioural change is acquired through behav- resulting from an incorrect intervention is the onset ioural therapy, which is supported, in many cases, of fear when interacting with people, which in turn by a specific pharmacological therapy. Behavioural may lead to aggressive behaviour. When the obedi- therapy is able to change dog behaviour using sci- ence practise is part of the therapeutic protocol, it is entific methods, beneficial to both pets and owners. important for the veterinarian to check the adopted If necessary, the VB can turn to a team of different method. people with respective technical skills, such as canine educators, canine instructors, T-touch practi- tioners. BEHAVIOURAL EXAMINATION In order to choose the most appropriate behav- The anamnesis is followed by the direct assess- ioural and pharmacological therapy, it is first neces- ment of the dog at the veterinary clinic or, even sary to formulate a diagnosis, obtained after an ac- better, at home. This, appropriately allows the vet- curate and detailed anamnesis of dog’s behaviour. erinarian to observe the signals transmitted from the dog to the family members and the veterinarian himself, as well as any other behaviour. As ex- ANAMNESIS plained above, in case of aggression the dog must The anamnesis includes a history of behavioural be in a position of doing no harm, using innocu- problem/s reported by the owner, the present envi- ous means of containment, either the leash or the ronment and the dog lifestyle, his previous condi- muzzle. Before testing the behavioural response to tions (e.g. breeding, kennel, other family, straying), certain critical stimuli, it is necessary to evaluate if as well as the assessment of his current physical such a test is harmless and useful or, on the con- status. It is necessary to know the onset of the first trary, if it can lead to a reinforcement of the be- symptoms, the frequency of such disturbances, and haviour

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