Boxall Jackie, Heath Sarah, Bate Simon, Brautigam John
GlaxoSmithKline, New Frontiers Science Park (North), Third Avenue, Harlow, Essex CM19 5AW, UK.
Altern Lab Anim. 2004 Sep;32 Suppl 2:81-93. doi: 10.1177/026119290403202s16.
The provision of a socialisation and training programme for dogs can lead to an improvement in the quality of the data that are produced from scientific procedures, and also to an improvement in animal welfare. A reduction in the number of animals needed to produce statistically significant data can result from decreasing the variability of the experimental data. The effects of a dog's behaviour can be a major source of random variability. A well socialised, habituated and trained dog should be calm during experimental procedures and, for example, during an ECG measurement, thus providing good quality data. A fearful, poorly socialised dog may also appear to be well-behaved on an examination table, and during an ECG measurement, because of the freezing response. However, there is likely to be a difference in the level of stress that these two individuals experience during the procedures. The stress response can have an impact on vital physiological parameters, such as heart rate. The variability in these parameters and the behaviour exhibited within a group of socialised, habituated and trained dogs that have been well prepared for experimental procedures, should be less than the variability present within a similar group of dogs that have not been prepared for these procedures. This paper describes two socialisation programmes, which were designed in order to compare the heart rates and behaviour of dogs which had received different degrees of socialisation, habituation and training. The behaviour of small groups of dogs from this study was compared with that of dogs on a standard socialisation programme, by using a simple, reproducible behavioural score scheme. The heart rate of the dogs was also measured. The results showed that there was little difference in heart rate between the groups, but that there were significant differences in the scores for key behaviours. There was evidence of a decrease in the variability of the behavioural scores for the groups of dogs that had undergone an intensive socialisation programme. Therefore, a socialisation programme can have a significant effect on behaviour and welfare, and has the potential to improve the quality of the data that are recorded.
为犬只提供社交和训练计划可提高科学实验所产生数据的质量，同时也能改善动物福利。通过降低实验数据的变异性，可以减少产生具有统计学意义的数据所需的动物数量。犬只行为的影响可能是随机变异性的主要来源。一只社交良好、习惯化且经过训练的犬只在实验过程中，例如在心电图测量期间，应该会保持平静，从而提供高质量的数据。一只恐惧、社交不良的犬只在检查台上以及心电图测量期间可能也表现得很乖巧，这是因为它出现了僵住反应。然而，这两只犬只在实验过程中所经历的压力水平可能存在差异。应激反应会对重要的生理参数产生影响，比如心率。在为实验程序做好充分准备的社交良好、习惯化且经过训练的犬只群体中，这些参数的变异性以及所表现出的行为，应该小于在未为这些程序做好准备的类似犬只群体中的变异性。本文描述了两个社交计划，其设计目的是比较接受不同程度社交、习惯化和训练的犬只的心率和行为。通过使用一种简单、可重复的行为评分方案，将本研究中一小群犬只的行为与接受标准社交计划的犬只的行为进行了比较。同时也测量了犬只的心率。结果显示，各犬只群体之间的心率差异不大，但关键行为的评分存在显著差异。有证据表明，接受强化社交计划的犬只群体的行为评分变异性有所降低。因此，社交计划可对行为和福利产生显著影响，并有潜力提高所记录数据的质量。
