Teenage dogs? Evidence for adolescent-phase conflict behaviour and an association between attachment to humans and pubertal timing in the domestic dog

The relationship between parent and child changes around adolescence, with children believed to have: (i) an earlier puberty if they have less secure attachments to their carer; (ii) a phase of increased conflict behaviour toward their carer; and (iii) heightened conflict behaviour when carer attachments are less secure. We find support for analogous associations in adolescent dogs based on behaviour and reproductive timing of potential guide dogs. Bitches with behaviour indicative of insecure attachments pre-adolescence became reproductively capable earlier. Providing the first empirical evidence to our knowledge in support of adolescent-phase behaviour in dogs, we found a passing phase of carer-specific conflict-like behaviour during adolescence (reduced trainability and responsiveness to commands), an effect that was more pronounced in dogs with behaviour indicative of less secure attachments. These results indicate a possibility for cross-species influence on reproductive development and highlight adolescence as a vulnerable time for dog–owner relationships

Test-retest reliability and predictive validity of a juvenile guide dog behavior test

The ability to measure stable and consistent behavioral traits in dogs would facilitate selection and assessment of working dogs, such as guide dogs. Ideally, these measures should predict suitability for the working role from a young age. This study assessed test-retest reliability of a juvenile guide dog behavior test and predictive validity using qualification or withdrawal from guide dog training. Ninety-three guide dog puppies (52 female; 41 male) were tested at 5 (mean 4.78; ±0.73 SD) and 8 (mean 7.98; ±0.78 SD) months of age. The dogs were exposed to a sequence of 11 stimuli designed to assess the dogs’ reactions to meeting a stranger, obedience commands, body sensitivity, scavenging, and “animal” and human distractions. The behavior of dogs was digitally recorded and analyzed using an ethogram incorporating both frequency of behavior and specific reactions to stimuli. Test-retest reliability indicated interindividual consistency in many of the behavioral measures such as jumping, barking, and “low” greeting posture, as defined in our ethogram. Behavior measures that did not show interindividual consistency between tests included obedience responses, lip licking, body shaking, and scratching. Binary logistic regression models revealed 7 behavioral measures at 5 months and 5 measures at 8 months that were significantly associated with qualification or withdrawal. Uncorrelated measures and principal component scores of correlated measures were combined in a logistic regression model that showed great potential for predicting the probability of a dog qualifying or being withdrawn from guide dog training

Creating a Budget and Predictive Income Model in Church Ministry

The Groundlings Summer Day Camp, which began in 2015, is a ministry of the Los Altos United Methodist Church in Long Beach, California. Although the camp has grown, the bookkeeping has not accurately followed. There was interest from the regional branch of the Methodist Church to use the camp format to take to other cities in Southern California. The budget was created in Google Sheets due to the number of people needing access to the information and the lack of an institutional database or shared drive. The revenue and expense data came from the 2020 actuals which most accurately depict current costs as well as extra costs for health and safety due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The resulting document allows for informed decision-making in offering more sessions of camp and at different locations. This report details the decision-making processing, constraints for completion, and how this project can be used for future financial viability and success

A standardised equine-based welfare assessment tool used for six years in low and middle income countries.

The majority of horses, donkeys and mules (equids) are in low- and middle-income countries, where they remain a key source of labour in the construction, agriculture and tourism industries, as well as supporting households daily through transporting people and staple goods. Globally, approximately 600 million people depend on working equids for their livelihood. Safeguarding the welfare of these animals is essential for them to work, as well as for the intrinsic value of the animal's quality of life. In order to manage animal welfare, it must be measured. Over the past decade, welfare assessment methodologies have emerged for different species, more recently for equids. We present the Standardised Equine-Based Welfare Assessment Tool (SEBWAT) for working equids. The tool is unique, in that it has been applied in practice by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) for six years across Low-Middle-Income Countries (LMICs). We describe the revision of the tool from an original to a second version, the tool methodology and user training process and how data collection and analysis have been conducted. We describe its application at scale, where it has been used more than 71,000 times in 11 countries. Case study examples are given from the tool being used for a needs assessment in Guatemala and monitoring welfare change in Jordan. We conclude by describing the main benefits and limitations for how the tool could be applied by others on working equids in LMICs and how it may develop in the future

Why do dogs play? Function and welfare implications of play in the domestic dog

Play is an enigmatic behaviour, the function of which is still debated, despite more than a century of research. We discuss the evolutionary function of play behaviour, focusing on the domestic dog (Canis familiaris), a unique species due to its past domestication and current cohabitation with humans. The ultimate function of play in dogs is explored through four main theories: 1) developing motor skills; 2) training for the unexpected; 3) social cohesion; and 4) play as a by-product of biological processes. The proximate functions of play and the association between play and animal welfare, which is widely believed to be positive, are examined. The majority of evidence supports the developing motor skills and social cohesion functions of play in dogs, with some support for training for the unexpected. Most types of play appear to improve social cohesion between humans and dogs, increasing their familiarity and reducing agonistic interactions. Play in dogs is unlikely to have arisen only as a by-product of other biological processes, but has been shaped directly and indirectly by artificial selection. Multiple factors determine when and why adult dogs play and these differ for solitary, intraspecific and interspecific play. We suggest that play is not a reliable, generalisable, positive welfare indicator, but, rather, a heterogeneous behaviour which serves different functions. This multifaceted view of play implies that early experience, prior life-history and the context of the interaction define the association between play and welfare

Scoring criteria for parameters of SEBWAT: Body lesions.

<p>Scoring criteria for parameters of SEBWAT: Body lesions.</p

Scoring criteria for parameters of SEBWAT: Behaviour.

<p>Scoring criteria for parameters of SEBWAT: Behaviour.</p

Scoring criteria for parameters of SEBWAT: Practice-induced conditions.

<p>Scoring criteria for parameters of SEBWAT: Practice-induced conditions.</p

Total number of SEBWAT assessments on working equids from 2010 to 2016 in countries listed by the work type of the animal: South Asia.

<p>Total number of SEBWAT assessments on working equids from 2010 to 2016 in countries listed by the work type of the animal: South Asia.</p