Wild dogs, wolves and domestic mongrels will all come under study at a unique new research centre devoted entirely to the study of dog behaviour. The Canine Behaviour Centre has opened at Queen's University Belfast and has invited the public to discuss their dog behaviour problems with its experts.
"We have been getting a huge response from the public. It is really just a continuation of the research we are doing," said Dr Deborah Wells, an animal behaviourist and head of the centre, which is based in the School of Psychology at Queen's. "A lot of our research is applied," she said, so people with pet problems represented a research resource.
She specialises in understanding underlying factors which determine dog behaviour. The centre itself actually builds on the school's 10-year record of research into canine behaviour and welfare.
Activity in the centre is divided between domestic breeds and wild dogs such as wolves, jackals, the dingo, and African wild dogs, also known as Cape hunting dogs. The school's head, Prof Peter Hepper, is studying the wild dogs. Dr Wells will research domestic animals.
Public outreach is somewhat unusual for a research organisation. "People come to us with dog behaviour problems" such as aggression, persistent barking or "separation anxiety" (fear and disturbance caused when an owner departs).
The key to solving problems was to understand the underlying cause, Dr Wells said. Aggressive behaviour, for example, might be caused by one of a number of things, defensiveness over territory, fear, pain or - in the context of social interaction - conflict between males or females.
The centre looked for the "hidden vital clues" behind behaviour patterns. These clues usually came from the owner and not through observing the dog. Dr Wells said: "It is more important to speak to the owner than it is to see the dog."
The wild dog studies could help reverse an alarming decline in the numbers of Cape hunting dogs, she said. The centre is helping organise a Belfast Zoo breeding programme, which already has four male Cape dogs. A female will be introduced shortly.
"We are studying the social dynamics of the group to decide which of the males to introduce the female to first," she said. They are trying to establish the "dominance hierarchy". This was quite new work, as very little had been done with dogs in captivity.
Another innovative study involves examining behavioural development in the dog foetus. As many as 30 per cent of all newborn pups die after birth from a condition known as "fading puppy syndrome", she said. No reason had been found for this, so the centre is looking for patterns of pre-natal behaviour so these can be compared with post-natal patterns and survival. The studies are done using non-invasive ultrasound equipment.
The centre's work is supported by a number of institutions, including the National Canine Defence League, the Ulster Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, Belfast City Council, the RUC, Belfast Zoo and the Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour.