The relationship of fearfulness to, and the effects of, sex, age and experience on exploration and activity in dogs

M.E. Goddard, R.G. Beilharz

The relationship of fearfulness to, and the effects of, sex, age and experience on exploration and activity in dogs

Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 12, Issue 3, April 1984, Pages 267–278

Abstract

The correlations between measures of activity in different situations, including inhibitory training, were positive but low. Activity in non-stressful situations was independent of fearfulness. There appears to be individual variation between dogs which determines whether a dog responds to fear by increasing or decreasing activity. Fearfulness was correlated with high visual and auditory exploration. General fearfulness was uncorrelated with olfactory exploration, but lack of experience in crowded, noisy places increased both olfactory exploration and fear of certain objects likely to be encountered in such places, and so caused a correlation between these two traits. Dogs which were reared in a home with another dog were less distracted by other dogs. Between 6 and 12 months, the dogs declined in activity and unwanted exploration. Females showed a higher level of activity during inhibitory training and a higher level of olfactory exploration than males.