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The anti-social behaviour of urban dogs
Animal Ethology, 3 (1977) 101-104 o Elsevier Scientific Publishing Company, Amsterdam - Printed in The Netherlands
Applied
101
Editorial THE ANTI-SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR
OF URBAN DOGS
F.M. LOEW* and A.F. FRASER Western College (Canada)
of Veterinary
Medicine,
University
of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon,
Sash.
*Present address: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. 21205 (U.S.A.) INTRODUCTION
Since 8400 B.C., the first indication of the dog’s domestication (Beck, 1973), possibly nothing has adversely affected man’s collective attitude toward the dog more than the contemporary “overpopulation” issue. City dwellers today have begun to perceive dogs as something less than their “best friends”. On recent occasions, dogs have even formally been described as vermin (Vermin Control Seminar, 1977). The canine behaviour cited most frequently as being responsible for this change in human attitude relates to environmental spoilage. In this behaviour the principal acts include defecation, biting, barking, street wandering, pack forming, exploring garbage and public copulation. Associated with each of these behavioural patterns are subsidiary effects which impose on public expenditure. Massive amounts of public funds are involved in the control of “strays” and their sterilization, temporary keep and often euthanasia. Public attitudes to this whole problem are in a state of conflict causing concern and guilt. The whole social issue has been aptly labelled “petishim” (Szasz, 1968). This new social philosophy regarding the urban dog problem has developed on the crest of thorough and convincing analyses of the problem by Beck (1973, 1975), and others (American Humane Association et al., 1974,1976; Working Party on Dogs, 1976). The deliberations seem not to have included ethology as a helpful means of comprehension, or the use of this subject as a major tool in feasible remedial action for canine behaviour which, in an urban setting, is effectively “anti-social” in its sundry consequences. Table I shows the relationship between normal canine behaviour and the common anti-social consequences. THE QUANTIFIED
PROBLEM
The original work and reviews by Beck, which provide most of the contemporary attitudes summarized here, were preceded in North American literature by the article “Planned Parenthood for Pets” which, surprisingly, appeared in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Djerassi et al., 1973). The authors presented a then original analysis of what might be called the
102
TABLE
I
Relationship
of normal
canine
behaviour
to common
anti-social
consequences
Normal canine behavioural features
Consequences as anti-social
Territorial elimination of feces and urine
Aesthetic offense; contamination of private and public areas such as gardens, pavements, parks; risk of communicating zoonotic diseases
Biting
Injuries
interpreted
particularly
to children;
attendant psychological trauma; fear of rabies transmission to man Barking
“Sound pollution”; disturbance of the peace in quiet neighbourhoods at hours of inconvenience
Territorial
exploration
Indiscriminate use of streets, with limited regard to traffic; resultant traffic accidents
Exploring
garbage
Dissemination of refuse thereby creating community cleaning problems; “setting the table” for vermin by making food scrap available
Formation packs Uncontrolled
of
Creation of “stray” colonies capable of intimidating pedestrians copulation
Excessive
population
of unwanted
Pups
-
social-economic burden of dogs and cats in terms of their numbers in the U.S.A., viz. 90 + 20 million (more than the human population of most countries of the world). This population involved a birth rate of 2 000-3 500/ h compared to 415 human beings in the same hour and waste production of 3 500 tons of feces and 36 million liters of urine daily. The implications of these statistics on urban ecologic relationships, citizenship, and tax rates have been analyzed and have had some impact. Quite apart from the costs in social and humane terms to both mankind and its dogs, the data suggest a complex human as well as canine ethological mosaic; actually a “sociobiology” of the man-dog-city. Cooperation of pet owners seems to be the generally acceptable approach to this socio-biological problem (Feldman, 1974). (The emphasis, in some quarters, on neutering of dogs as a solution to all these problems may have merit, but from the behavioural, not reproductive point of view.) One obvious solution lies in changing or controlling the dog’s common behaviours. Can applied animal ethology be brought to bear on this complex problem?
103
URBAN
LEGISLATION
BITES
DOG
In the support of a large canine population, various vested interests can be recognized. These might include pet lovers, veterinarians, manufacturers of food and related necessities of dogs, humane societies, pet shops, dog breeders, and dog clubs and registries. Despite their often different stances (e.g. American Humane Association et al., 1974, 1976; Loew et al., 1977) these parties have begun to realize that, while Beck (1975) states that non dog owners “are for the most part a disenfranchised (sic) majority with no social organization or industry to support their views....“, restrictive municipal and national legislation is being increasingly enacted by the political representatives of this same majority. It seems clearly in the interest of the responsible dog owners, who attempt to prevent anti-social behaviour by their dogs, that their irresponsible colleagues must similarly prevent anti-social canine behaviour. Some would argue that man in his life style, his hedonism, his “progress” in the course of the world-wide trend to urbanization and urbanity, has left the dog genetically and ethologically far behind. Some might reflect that, if only people would return to the more rural, pastoral life in which they evolved with their dogs, all would be well. But the contemplation of such an unlikelihood does not solve the current and compounding problem. QUESTIONS
TO APPLIED
ETHOLOGY
In the way farm animals have been subject to domestically amenable behaviour modification (Fraser, 1976 a and b)? the dog can be said to have been similarly affected socially (Ash, 1972). But this has not been enough; the catalogue of individual canine behaviours referred to earlier, such as territorial defecation, urination and aggression; vocalization; exploration; copulation, now viewed as “anti-social”, is precisely comprised of those which have been of vital evolutionary significance to the domestic dog as a species. Flippantly, it could be argued that urban society now needs a toothless, silent, sterile and constipated creature if the real problems of dogs in the cities are to be confronted! But would such a creature be a dog? Would society want it? Would there develop a black market in “real dogs”? What type of urban dog could the ethologist recommend? Or do we need a change in human behaviour among dog owners? Which is more likely to occur? Most breeds of dogs have been genetically developed for specific behavioural roles. Examples include retrievers, sheep dogs, pointers, terriers, the Dalmatian coach hound, wolf hounds, fox hounds, and sundry breeds of guard dogs. The urban breeds, such as “toy” breeds, have been bred for physical features with minimal regard to behavioural characteristics. Breeds with more socially acceptable urban behaviour could doubtless be evolved quickly by selection for desirable traits by knowledgeable dog breeders. They should now be called upon to do so by society as a whole and interested parties,
104
such as veterinarians, in particular. Veterinarians can already recognize dog breeds with the desirable traits. Some breeds are beneath the norm in antisocial biting. Others have passive temperaments, minimal vocalization, aggression and explorative tendencies. Again, dog breeders must be asked to improve their products for city ambience. The use of early training and socialization must now be seen by breeders and vendors to be as essential as worming, vaccinating and grooming in the presentation of their products (pups) for sale to the public. Efficient toilet training can begin as early as 3 or 4 weeks of age. Obedience training can also be started in the first few weeks of life, thereafter to be continued by the later owner. Socialization, the satisfactory relationship to man, can only be established in pups between 3 and 12 weeks old and is thereby the breeders’ responsibility. The resultant amenable attitude in the dog to the dictates of the owner rests wholly on a satisfactory socialization process. Ethological literature on this is very adequate. Applied ethology has established that heredity affects behaviour very considerably and that selective breeding in domesticated animals is capable of modulating their behaviour. This basic fact is the ethological long-term answer to many of the problems somewhat unfairly attributed to dogs, now subjected to city life for which man did not breed them, and to society’s criticisms.
REFERENCES American Humane Association, American Kennel Club, American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society of the United States, and Pet Food Institute, 1974. Proceedings of the National Conference on the Ecology of the Surplus Dog and Cat Problem. Chicago, Ill. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., Chicago, Ill., 128 pp. American Humane Association, American Kennel Club, American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society of the United States, and Pet Food Institute, 1976. Proceedings of the National Conference on Dog and Cat Control. Denver, Colo. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., Chicago, Ill., 283 pp. Ash, E.C., 1972. Dogs: Their History and Development, Vol. I. Benjamin Blom, Inc., New York, N.Y., 384 pp. Beck, A.M., 1973. The Ecology of Stray Dogs. York Press, Baltimore, Md., 98 pp. Beck, A.M., 1975. The public health implications of urban dogs. Am. J. Public Health, 65: 1315-1318. Djerassi, C., Israel, A. and Jochle, W., 1973. Planned parenthood for pets? Bull. At. Sci., 29: 10-19. Feldman, B.M., 1974. The problem of urban dogs. Science, 185: 903. Fraser, A.F., 1976 a. Preventive ethology (Editorial). Appl. Anim. Ethol., 2: l-2. Fraser, A.F., 1976 b. Ethological evolution (Editorial). Appl. Anim. Ethol., 2: 99-100. Loew, F.M., McCutcheon, E. and Rowsell, H.C. (Editors), 1977. Proceedings of the First Canadian Symposium on Pets and Society, An Emerging Municipal Issue. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Ottawa, Ont., in press. Szasz, K., 1968. Petishism. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, N.Y., 262 pp. Vermin Control Seminar, 1977. Descriptive Brochure. Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., 3 pp. Working Party on Dogs, 1976. Report. Department of the Environment, H.M. Stationery Office, London, 40 pp.
Applied
101
Editorial THE ANTI-SOCIAL
BEHAVIOUR
OF URBAN DOGS
F.M. LOEW* and A.F. FRASER Western College (Canada)
of Veterinary
Medicine,
University
of Saskatchewan,
Saskatoon,
Sash.
*Present address: Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, Md. 21205 (U.S.A.) INTRODUCTION
Since 8400 B.C., the first indication of the dog’s domestication (Beck, 1973), possibly nothing has adversely affected man’s collective attitude toward the dog more than the contemporary “overpopulation” issue. City dwellers today have begun to perceive dogs as something less than their “best friends”. On recent occasions, dogs have even formally been described as vermin (Vermin Control Seminar, 1977). The canine behaviour cited most frequently as being responsible for this change in human attitude relates to environmental spoilage. In this behaviour the principal acts include defecation, biting, barking, street wandering, pack forming, exploring garbage and public copulation. Associated with each of these behavioural patterns are subsidiary effects which impose on public expenditure. Massive amounts of public funds are involved in the control of “strays” and their sterilization, temporary keep and often euthanasia. Public attitudes to this whole problem are in a state of conflict causing concern and guilt. The whole social issue has been aptly labelled “petishim” (Szasz, 1968). This new social philosophy regarding the urban dog problem has developed on the crest of thorough and convincing analyses of the problem by Beck (1973, 1975), and others (American Humane Association et al., 1974,1976; Working Party on Dogs, 1976). The deliberations seem not to have included ethology as a helpful means of comprehension, or the use of this subject as a major tool in feasible remedial action for canine behaviour which, in an urban setting, is effectively “anti-social” in its sundry consequences. Table I shows the relationship between normal canine behaviour and the common anti-social consequences. THE QUANTIFIED
PROBLEM
The original work and reviews by Beck, which provide most of the contemporary attitudes summarized here, were preceded in North American literature by the article “Planned Parenthood for Pets” which, surprisingly, appeared in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists (Djerassi et al., 1973). The authors presented a then original analysis of what might be called the
102
TABLE
I
Relationship
of normal
canine
behaviour
to common
anti-social
consequences
Normal canine behavioural features
Consequences as anti-social
Territorial elimination of feces and urine
Aesthetic offense; contamination of private and public areas such as gardens, pavements, parks; risk of communicating zoonotic diseases
Biting
Injuries
interpreted
particularly
to children;
attendant psychological trauma; fear of rabies transmission to man Barking
“Sound pollution”; disturbance of the peace in quiet neighbourhoods at hours of inconvenience
Territorial
exploration
Indiscriminate use of streets, with limited regard to traffic; resultant traffic accidents
Exploring
garbage
Dissemination of refuse thereby creating community cleaning problems; “setting the table” for vermin by making food scrap available
Formation packs Uncontrolled
of
Creation of “stray” colonies capable of intimidating pedestrians copulation
Excessive
population
of unwanted
Pups
-
social-economic burden of dogs and cats in terms of their numbers in the U.S.A., viz. 90 + 20 million (more than the human population of most countries of the world). This population involved a birth rate of 2 000-3 500/ h compared to 415 human beings in the same hour and waste production of 3 500 tons of feces and 36 million liters of urine daily. The implications of these statistics on urban ecologic relationships, citizenship, and tax rates have been analyzed and have had some impact. Quite apart from the costs in social and humane terms to both mankind and its dogs, the data suggest a complex human as well as canine ethological mosaic; actually a “sociobiology” of the man-dog-city. Cooperation of pet owners seems to be the generally acceptable approach to this socio-biological problem (Feldman, 1974). (The emphasis, in some quarters, on neutering of dogs as a solution to all these problems may have merit, but from the behavioural, not reproductive point of view.) One obvious solution lies in changing or controlling the dog’s common behaviours. Can applied animal ethology be brought to bear on this complex problem?
103
URBAN
LEGISLATION
BITES
DOG
In the support of a large canine population, various vested interests can be recognized. These might include pet lovers, veterinarians, manufacturers of food and related necessities of dogs, humane societies, pet shops, dog breeders, and dog clubs and registries. Despite their often different stances (e.g. American Humane Association et al., 1974, 1976; Loew et al., 1977) these parties have begun to realize that, while Beck (1975) states that non dog owners “are for the most part a disenfranchised (sic) majority with no social organization or industry to support their views....“, restrictive municipal and national legislation is being increasingly enacted by the political representatives of this same majority. It seems clearly in the interest of the responsible dog owners, who attempt to prevent anti-social behaviour by their dogs, that their irresponsible colleagues must similarly prevent anti-social canine behaviour. Some would argue that man in his life style, his hedonism, his “progress” in the course of the world-wide trend to urbanization and urbanity, has left the dog genetically and ethologically far behind. Some might reflect that, if only people would return to the more rural, pastoral life in which they evolved with their dogs, all would be well. But the contemplation of such an unlikelihood does not solve the current and compounding problem. QUESTIONS
TO APPLIED
ETHOLOGY
In the way farm animals have been subject to domestically amenable behaviour modification (Fraser, 1976 a and b)? the dog can be said to have been similarly affected socially (Ash, 1972). But this has not been enough; the catalogue of individual canine behaviours referred to earlier, such as territorial defecation, urination and aggression; vocalization; exploration; copulation, now viewed as “anti-social”, is precisely comprised of those which have been of vital evolutionary significance to the domestic dog as a species. Flippantly, it could be argued that urban society now needs a toothless, silent, sterile and constipated creature if the real problems of dogs in the cities are to be confronted! But would such a creature be a dog? Would society want it? Would there develop a black market in “real dogs”? What type of urban dog could the ethologist recommend? Or do we need a change in human behaviour among dog owners? Which is more likely to occur? Most breeds of dogs have been genetically developed for specific behavioural roles. Examples include retrievers, sheep dogs, pointers, terriers, the Dalmatian coach hound, wolf hounds, fox hounds, and sundry breeds of guard dogs. The urban breeds, such as “toy” breeds, have been bred for physical features with minimal regard to behavioural characteristics. Breeds with more socially acceptable urban behaviour could doubtless be evolved quickly by selection for desirable traits by knowledgeable dog breeders. They should now be called upon to do so by society as a whole and interested parties,
104
such as veterinarians, in particular. Veterinarians can already recognize dog breeds with the desirable traits. Some breeds are beneath the norm in antisocial biting. Others have passive temperaments, minimal vocalization, aggression and explorative tendencies. Again, dog breeders must be asked to improve their products for city ambience. The use of early training and socialization must now be seen by breeders and vendors to be as essential as worming, vaccinating and grooming in the presentation of their products (pups) for sale to the public. Efficient toilet training can begin as early as 3 or 4 weeks of age. Obedience training can also be started in the first few weeks of life, thereafter to be continued by the later owner. Socialization, the satisfactory relationship to man, can only be established in pups between 3 and 12 weeks old and is thereby the breeders’ responsibility. The resultant amenable attitude in the dog to the dictates of the owner rests wholly on a satisfactory socialization process. Ethological literature on this is very adequate. Applied ethology has established that heredity affects behaviour very considerably and that selective breeding in domesticated animals is capable of modulating their behaviour. This basic fact is the ethological long-term answer to many of the problems somewhat unfairly attributed to dogs, now subjected to city life for which man did not breed them, and to society’s criticisms.
REFERENCES American Humane Association, American Kennel Club, American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society of the United States, and Pet Food Institute, 1974. Proceedings of the National Conference on the Ecology of the Surplus Dog and Cat Problem. Chicago, Ill. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., Chicago, Ill., 128 pp. American Humane Association, American Kennel Club, American Veterinary Medical Association, Humane Society of the United States, and Pet Food Institute, 1976. Proceedings of the National Conference on Dog and Cat Control. Denver, Colo. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc., Chicago, Ill., 283 pp. Ash, E.C., 1972. Dogs: Their History and Development, Vol. I. Benjamin Blom, Inc., New York, N.Y., 384 pp. Beck, A.M., 1973. The Ecology of Stray Dogs. York Press, Baltimore, Md., 98 pp. Beck, A.M., 1975. The public health implications of urban dogs. Am. J. Public Health, 65: 1315-1318. Djerassi, C., Israel, A. and Jochle, W., 1973. Planned parenthood for pets? Bull. At. Sci., 29: 10-19. Feldman, B.M., 1974. The problem of urban dogs. Science, 185: 903. Fraser, A.F., 1976 a. Preventive ethology (Editorial). Appl. Anim. Ethol., 2: l-2. Fraser, A.F., 1976 b. Ethological evolution (Editorial). Appl. Anim. Ethol., 2: 99-100. Loew, F.M., McCutcheon, E. and Rowsell, H.C. (Editors), 1977. Proceedings of the First Canadian Symposium on Pets and Society, An Emerging Municipal Issue. Canadian Veterinary Medical Association, Ottawa, Ont., in press. Szasz, K., 1968. Petishism. Holt, Rinehart and Winston, New York, N.Y., 262 pp. Vermin Control Seminar, 1977. Descriptive Brochure. Wayne State University, Detroit, Mich., 3 pp. Working Party on Dogs, 1976. Report. Department of the Environment, H.M. Stationery Office, London, 40 pp.