Faktory ovlivňující vazbu a interspecifickou komunikaci mezi člověkem a zvířetem v zájmovém chovu

Bc. Lucie Přibylová, MSc

Disertační práce

Abstract:

Factors affecting bonding and interspecific communication between humans and companion animals: Keeping animals as companions has become a common practice in many parts of the world. Animals are often not perceived only as pets but as part of the family. People appreciate animals’ trustful company and create strong emotional bonds with them. Although many species can be kept as companion animals, dogs, cats, and rabbits are among the most popular pet species. However, differences among the species can be seen regarding the ability to bond with humans. No other animal than the dog can interact and communicate with humans so successfully. Dogs have been by the side of humanity for millennia as hunters, guardians, assistants, and companions. Contrary rabbits have become pet animals only recently due to their fluffy look and cheap purchase price. Their use is not only as a pet animal but also as a therapy animal in animalassisted interventions (AAI). However, the impact of the therapy on their welfare has been investigated only marginally so far. Compared to dogs, they can suffer more when manipulated and transported as they are fearful prey animals. Good interspecific communication between owners and pets is key to a good relationship. Rabbit-human communication has not yet been scientifically investigated. Surprisingly, not even dog-human communication has been researched sufficiently. For example, the understanding of acoustic communication of dogs by humans has been researched in many studies compared to canine visual or olfactory communication. This thesis aims to deepen the understanding of the interaction, communication, and relationship between humans and companion animals. It is a collection of studies that have been focused on hot topics that have not yet been investigated so far but are very important in terms of animal-human interaction. Five presented studies have been divided into two thematic circles for a better understanding of the investigated topic: (i) Interaction and communication between humans and animals. The specific goals of this part were to find: 1) what is the effect of Animal Assisted Intervention on rabbits’ behavior in different social environments and how they perceive it regarding their welfare (Study 1. Behavioral reactions of rabbits during AAI sessions), 2) whether human owners can identify their dog based on smell (Study 2. Ability of dog owners to identify their dogs by smell), 3) how brachycephaly in dogs influence dog-human communication (Study 3. Can my human read my flat face? The curious case of understanding the contextual cues of extremely brachycephalic dogs); and ii) Human-animal bond and relationship. The specific goals of the second part were to investigate 4) if the value of the bond towards the rabbit is associated with the level of the husbandry condition of the rabbit (Study 4. Does a stronger bond with pet rabbits equate to better husbandry conditions for them?) and 5) differences between homeless people and people with permanent residence in the relationship with their dog(s) (Study 5. Perceived relationship, costs and benefits of dog ownership in Czech homeless and non-homeless people). The results of Study 1 show that the use of a specially adapted table when exposing the rabbits to unfamiliar children reduced the perceived emotional discomfort of the rabbits compared to placing the rabbit directly on the child’s lap. Results of Study 2 indicate that dog owners can recognize their own dogs by smell. Results of study 3 found that the morphology of the dog has a significant effect on the success rate of humans in recognizing positive and negative situations based on visual cues. Participants have been more successful in recognizing brachycephalic Boston Terriers in positive situations and negative ones in normocephalic Jack Russell Terriers. The results of Study 4 show that owners can create a tight bond with their rabbits. Owners who lived without or with ol

Abstract:

der children have a stronger bond with their rabbits than those living with children under 12 years of age. Owners who own not only rabbits but also cats and dogs have weaker bonds with their rabbits. Owners who spend more active time per day with their rabbit have a stronger bond with the rabbit. The strongest bond was calculated in owners who spent more than one hour per day with their rabbits. The results of Study 5 reported stronger emotional closeness between homeless dog owners and their dogs than between people who permanently live with their dogs. No differences between the investigated groups regarding Owner-Dog Interaction and Perceived Costs of Ownership have been found between the investigated groups. This thesis presented studies investigating animal-human interaction from different points of view. As companion ownership is becoming an unstoppable trend, a precise understanding of humananimal interaction should be an important topic within scientific research. Understanding the impact of human actions on animal welfare is crucial for the creation of a positive mutual relationship.

Keywords

Animal-Human Relationship, Dog, Rabbit, Bonding

Jazyk práce: angličtina

Datum vytvoření / odevzdání či podání práce: 23. 8. 2024

Obhajoba závěrečné práce

• Vedoucí: doc. Ing. Helena Chaloupková, Ph.D.
• Oponent: Eva Jozífková, Bc., externi, Peter Juhás, externi, Lucie Hasoňová, externi

Česká zemědělská univerzita v Praze

Fakulta agrobiologie, potravinových a přírodních zdrojů

Doktorský studijní program:
Aplikovaná zoologie