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Finnish researchers are interested in the different types of fears experienced by the dog. Variations linked to race, sex and age were thus discovered.
A team of scientists from the University of Helsinki , Finland, studied behaviors associated with fear and anxiety in dogs . The authors of this study , whose conclusions were published on March 5 in the journal Scientific Reports , identified several types of fears in dogs: general fear, fear of large spaces and height, sensitivity to noise, aggressiveness, separation anxiety or even impulsiveness.
They found, in a large part of the cases, a correlation between the nature of the fear and factors such as race , sex and age . To do this, they handed out online questionnaires to the owners of 13,715 dogs of 264 breeds.
The study first found that the most common fear in dogs of all breeds, ages and genders was that associated with noise . It has been observed mainly in the Romagna Water Dog , the Soft-haired Irish Terrier and crossbreed dogs. For their part, the Miniature Schnauzer and the Staffordshire Bull Terrier are said to be the least sensitive to noise .
As for impulsiveness , it would be found more in the German Shepherd , the Spanish Water Dog, the Staffordshire Bull Terrier and crossbreed dogs. The breeds in which it is less present are the Collies and the Miniature Schnauzer.
The researchers also realized that the Finnish Lapland Shepherd and crossbreeds were the most prone to inattention , unlike the Border Collie and the Spanish Water Dog.
The sex of the dog was also taken into account, since the females would be more fearful and the males more aggressive and hyperactive / impulsive .
As for age, the study reveals that as they get older , dogs are increasingly afraid of heights and loud noises .
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Information that could allow us to better understand the fear and anxiety in our 4-legged friends, when we know that they considerably affect their quality of life and their behavior .
