Dog aggression behavior studies ::
Studies and papers examining aggression, fighting breed aggression, dog behavior tests and breed differences, authored by animal behaviorists, veterinarians and animal welfare specialists.
Castration & Aggression
Dog-on-Dog Aggression
- Abstract Dog Bites Dog: The Use of News Media Articles to Investigate Dog-on-Dog Aggression, by Montrose VA, Squibb K, Hazel S, Kogan LR, Oxley JA, Journal of Veterinary Behavior , v. 40, Nov-Dec 2020. | View related post | View related chart
- Abstract Intraspecific Killing in Dogs: Predation Behavior or Aggression? A Study of Aggressors, Victims, Possible Causes, and Motivations, by Schilder, MB, van der Borg, JA, Vinke, CM, J Vet Behav, v. 34, Nov-Dec 2019. | View related chart
- Abstract Canines seized by the Swedish Police Authority in 2015-2016, by Sarenbo SL, Forensic Sci Int, 2019 Mar;296:101-109.
- Dog Fights - 64,000 Canines Die in 12 Months, by Direct Line Pet Insurance, Research conducted by Opinium, October 18, 2017 (directlinegroup.co.uk)
Fighting Breed Aggression
- Neuroanatomical investigation of aggression in pit bulls, by Yasemin Üstündağ, Dilek Canlar Akar, Mehmet Kartal, Raif Can Yarol, Mustafa Mahmut Bariş, Pelin Fatoş Polat Di̇nçer, Behavioural Processes, June 2026; Vol 239:105385. Epub 2026 Apr 30.
- The American Bully - a review of the dog breed in Sweden, by Hanna Ivarsson, Master’s thesis, Linnaeus University, Sweden, Spring 2024.
- The Relation between Plasma Nesfatin-1 Levels and Aggressive Behavior in Pit Bull Dogs, by Guvenc-Bayram G, Semen Z, Polat-Dincer PF, Sertkaya ZT, Ustundag Y, Ates C, Aktas B, Yalcin M, Animals, February 2024, 14(4), 632.
- Emotions and Dog Bites: Could Predatory Attacks Be Triggered by Emotional States?, by d’Ingeo S, Iarussi F, De Monte V, Siniscalchi M, Minunno M, Quaranta A, Animals, 2021;11:2907.
- Relationship Between Scarring and Dog Aggression in Pit Bull-Type Dogs Involved in Organized Dogfighting, by Miller KA, Touroo R, Spain CV, Jones K, Reid R, Lockwood R, Animals, 2016 Nov; 6(11): 72.
- Fighting Dogs: Are They Gladiators or Victims of Selection?, by Komarov S (Study by Irina Smirnova, lecturer of Cherepovetsk State University), InnovativeReports.com, December 6, 2006.
- Aggressive Dog Breeds: Document nr. 1; Heritability of Behavior in the Abnormally Aggressive Dog, by Semyonova A, The Carriage House Foundation, November 2006 (nonlineardogs.com)
- Aggressive Dog Breeds: Document nr. 3; Backward Reasoning, Crooked Logic, Sudden Denial -- i.e., Human Pathologies, by Semyonova A, The Carriage House Foundation, Baltimore, November 2006 (nonlineardogs.com).
- The Care of Pit Bulls in the Shelter Environment, by Leslie D. Appel DVM, American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA), 2005 (sheltermedicine.com).
- Excerpts: Dog Bite Prevention for Law Enforcement and Other First Responders, by Randall Lockwood, PhD, Tawzer Dog Videos, 2004 (tawzerdog.com)
- The Ethology and Epidemiology of Canine Aggression, by Randall Lockwood, The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour, and Interactions with People, edited by James Serpell, Cambridge University Press, 1995; republished in Animal Law and Dog Behavior, Lawyers & Judges Publishing Company, by David Favre and Peter L. Borchelt, PhD, 1999, Pg. 133; heavily revised in the 2nd Edition, The Domestic Dog: Its Evolution, Behaviour, and Interactions with People 2nd Edition, edited by James Serpell, Cambridge University Press, 2017.
- The Pit Bull Dilemma: The Gathering Storm, Clifford DH, Green KA, Watterson RM, Charles Press Publishers PA, December 1990.
- Are "Pit Bulls" Different? An Analysis of the Pit Bull Terrier Controversy, by Lockwood R, Rindy K, Anthrozoos, Vol. 1 Number 1, 2-8, 1987.
- The Confinement, Handling and Care of Fighting Dogs, by Boatfield MP, Clifford DH, Rubright J, New Methods, March 1983.
- Observations on Fighting Dogs, by Clifford DH, Boatfield MP, Ed B, Rubright J, JAMA, Vol 183, September 1983.
Shelter Dog Behavior Tests
- Assessing Aggression Thresholds in Dogs: Using the Assess-a-Pet Protocol to Better Understand Aggression, by Sue Sternberg, DogWise Publishing, 2017.
- Behavior Testing Shelter Dogs -- A Summary of Where We Are Now, by Semyonova A, September 2016 (nonlineardogs.com) | View: related post
- Reliability, Validity and Feasibility of Existing Tests of Canine Behaviour, by Mornement K, Toukhsati S, Coleman G, Bennett P, Anthrozoology Research Group, Animal Welfare Science Centre and Monash University, AIAM Annual Conference on urban animal management, 2009.
- Behavioral Evaluation and Demographic Information in the Assessment of Aggressiveness in Shelter Dogs, by Bollen KS, Horowitz J, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, July 2008; 112(1):120-135.
- Aggressive Behavior in Adopted Dogs that Passed a Temperament Test, by Christensen E, Scarletta J, Campagnaa M, Houpt KA, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 106, Issues 1-3, August 2007, Pages 85–95.
Shelter Dog Returns
- Characterizing Unsuccessful Animal Adoptions: Age and Breed Predict the Likelihood of Return, Reasons for Return and Post-Return Outcomes, by Powell L, Reinhard C, Satriale D, Morris M, Serpell J, Watson B, Scientific Reports, April 2021.
- Factors Informing the Return of Adopted Dogs and Cats to an Animal Shelter, by Hawes SM, Kerrigan JM, Hupe T, Morris KN, Animals, September 2020.
Breed Differences, Behavior & Genetics
- Domestic Dog Lineages Reveal Genetic Drivers of Behavioral Diversification, by Dutrow EV, Serpell JA, Ostrander EA, Cell, December 2022; 185 (25): 4737
- Critique: Dog Behavior Unrelated to Breed? Researchers Respond to Controversy, Misleading Media Coverage, by Reed Berkowitz, OneRearch Newsletter, May 14, 2022 (oneresearch.org).
- Significant Neuroanatomical Variation Among Domestic Dog Breeds, by Hecht EE, Smaers JB, Dunn WJ, Kent M, Preuss TM, Gutman DA, Journal of Neuroscience, 2 September 2019, 0303-19.
- Highly Heritable and Functionally Relevant Breed Differences in Dog Behaviour, by MacLean EL, Snyder-Mackler N, vonHoldt BM, Serpell JA, Proc. R. Soc. B, 286: 20190716.
- Genetic Mapping of Canine Fear and Aggression, by Zapata I, Serpell JA, Alvarez CE, BMC Genomics, 17, 572 (2016).
- Abstract Breed Differences in Canine Aggression, by Duffy DL, Hsu Y, Serpell JA, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, Volume 114, Issues 3–4, 1 December 2008, Pages 441-460.
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