Quick, accurate, smart: 3D computer vision technology helps assessing confined animals' behaviour

Mankind directly controls the environment and lifestyles of several domestic species for purposes ranging from production and research to conservation and companionship. These environments and lifestyles may not offer these animals the best quality of life. Behaviour is a direct reflection of how the animal is coping with its environment. Behavioural indicators are thus among the preferred parameters to assess welfare. However, behavioural recording (usually from video) can be very time consuming and the accuracy and reliability of the output rely on the experience and background of the observers. The outburst of new video technology and computer image processing gives the basis for promising solutions. In this pilot study, we present a new prototype software able to automatically infer the behaviour of dogs housed in kennels from 3D visual data and through structured machine learning frameworks. Depth information acquired through 3D features, body part detection and training are the key elements that allow the machine to recognise postures, trajectories inside the kennel and patterns of movement that can be later labelled at convenience. The main innovation of the software is its ability to automatically cluster frequently observed temporal patterns of movement without any pre-set ethogram. Conversely, when common patterns are defined through training, a deviation from normal behaviour in time or between individuals could be assessed. The software accuracy in correctly detecting the dogs' behaviour was checked through a validation process. An automatic behaviour recognition system, independent from human subjectivity, could add scientific knowledge on animals' quality of life in confinement as well as saving time and resources. This 3D framework was designed to be invariant to the dog's shape and size and could be extended to farm, laboratory and zoo quadrupeds in artificial housing. The computer vision technique applied to this software is innovative in non-human animal behaviour science. Further improvements and validation are needed, and future applications and limitations are discussed.</p

Parent perceptions of the quality of life of pet dogs living with neuro-typically developing and neuro-atypically developing children: an exploratory study

There is growing scientific and societal recognition of the role that pet dogs can play in healthy development of children; both those who are neuro-typically developing and those who live with a neuro-developmental disorder, such as autism or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. However, little attention has been paid to how living with children positively and negatively affects quality of life of a pet dog. In this exploratory study we conducted semi-structured interviews with parents of neuro-typically developing children (n = 18) and those with a neuro-developmental disorder (n = 18) who owned a pet dog, until no new factors were identified. Living with children brought potentially positive benefits to the dog’s life including: imposition of a routine, participation in recreational activities and the development of a strong bond between the child and the dog. The importance of maintaining a routine was particularly prevalent in families with children with neuro-developmental disorders. Potential negative factors included having to cope with child meltdowns and tantrums, over stimulation from child visitors, harsh contact and rough and tumble play with the child. The regularity and intensity of meltdowns and tantrums was particularly evident in responses from parents with children with a neuro-developmental disorder. However, child visitors and rough play and contact were mentioned similarly across the groups. Protective factors included having a safe haven for the dog to escape to, parent’s awareness of stress signs and child education in dog-interaction. Parents were also asked to complete a stress response scale to provide an initial quantitative comparison of stress responses between dogs living with the two family-types. Parents with neuro-typically developing children more frequently observed their dog rapidly running away from a situation and less frequently observed their dog widening their eyes, than parents with children with a neuro-developmental disorder. We propose the development of a stress audit based on the findings reported here, to prevent potential dangerous situations, which may lead to dog bites and dog relinquishment and allow owners to maximise the benefits of dog ownership

Comparison of stress level indicators in blood of free-roaming dogs after transportation and housing in the new environment

Animal welfare is of increasing importance and minimizing the stress is one of its prerequisites. Transport and new uncontrollable or unpredictable social environment are stressful for dogs and can affect their welfare. Particular unpleasant situations for free-roaming dogs include their capture in public areas and caging during the transport, vehicle vibrations, traffic noise, unknown environment, unloading and restricted housing condition. The new environment for free-roaming dogs presents potentially stressful novel experiences, such as new surroundings, unfamiliar sights, sounds, smells and unfamiliar people and other dogs. The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of transport and housing in the new environment on blood parameters (cortisol, glucose, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, and leukocyte count and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio) of 40 free-roaming dogs. Glucose concentration, leukocyte and neutrophil counts, and neutrophil/lymphocyte ratio were significantly higher (P (lt) 0.001; P (lt) 0.01) after transport in comparison with the level of the same parameters detected in dogs after housing in the new environment. Cortisol, cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations and lymphocyte count were also increased immediately after the transport compared to the levels 24 h after when the dogs were housed in the new environment; yet, these differences were not statistically significant. Accordingly, study results indicate that the transport itself was more stressful for free-roaming dogs than their housing in the new environment.Free full text: [https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2015.1091338