How do oxytocin administration and the level of bond with the owner modulate rescue behavior in domestic dogs?

DZIK, MARINA VICTORIA; BENTOSELA, MARIANA; CARBALLO, FABRICIO; CASANAVE, EMMA

Lisboa

Congreso; Canine Science Forum 2021; 2021

Introduction. Rescue behavior is a pro-social response that involves providing help to a stressed individual. In previous studies, dogs released their owners when they pretended to be trapped and stressed inside of a box. Oxytocin (OT) and bonding could modulate rescue behavior given their role on other pro-social behaviors.Question. Our aim was to evaluate the effects of intranasal OT administration on dog?s rescue behavior towards their owners. In addition, we used the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) to examine associations of the level of dog-owner bond with this behavior.Method. We assessed 48 adults pet dogs, 21 males and 27 females. Dogs participated in either a Stressed-Owner Condition (SO) or a Calm-Owner Condition (CO). In each one, half of the sample received 16 IU of OT and the rest received saline, 40 min before the task which comprised 3 trials lasting 2 min or until the dog opened the box. We measured behaviors directed to the box (total openings rate and latency to open, time in proximity and in contact with the box) and stress behaviors (ears down, tail down, vocalizations, lip licking) across trials. We analyzed these variables using GLM, GLMMs and their associations with the MDORS scores using Spearman?s correlation.Results. Dogs in the SO condition opened the door more often (X2(1)=5.34, p=.021), spent more time in proximity (F(1,41)=13.54, p=.001) and in contact (F(1,44)=15.29, p