Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Balzer, Hans-Ullrich
• Pietzko, Andreas
• Bigalke, Klaus Dieter

Titel

Characterization of the vegetative-nervous response of dogs and the vegetative-nervous interaction between dogs and dog trainers by noninvasive measurement of skin potentials

Ist Teil von

• Berliner und Münchener tierärztliche Wochenschrift, 2002-07, Vol.115 (7-8), p.241

Ort / Verlag

Germany

Erscheinungsjahr

2002

Quelle

MEDLINE

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The study involved a total of 5 pairs consisting of dog and dog trainer who were examined by continuous noninvasive recording of skin potentials within the scope of a defined exercise program. The exercise program consisted of the following phases: preparatory free run exercise (16 min in duration), exercise in submission (4 min in duration), follow-up phase with free run (16 min in duration). The objective of the study was to demonstrate the possibility to register, by means of skin potential recordings, the vegetative-nervous behavior of dogs and the vegetative-nervous interaction between dog and dog trainer. The tests carried out with dogs and humans showed that it was possible to verify behavior-specific traits of dogs by means of time-series analysis of the data registered. It was demonstrated that especially the frequency distribution of a regulatory function, such as the parameter skin potential, permits the detection of characteristic behavioral traits. By means of a newly developed method for determining a dynamic cross-correlation, the vegetative-emotional interaction could be demonstrated during the submission exercise. By using typical exercise patterns (shot, walking, "down", etc.), it was demonstrated that "shot" lead to deterioration of the vegetative-nervous relationship in all pairs. Having the dog "sit" and praising it lead to a positive correlation in all pairs. The command "down" lead to deterioration of the correlation in three pairs.