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Published on: June 10, 2013
Maternal behaviour in domestic dogs
Karina Lezama-García1, Chiara Mariti2, Daniel Mota-Rojas1
1Neurophysiology, Behavior and Assessment of Welfare in Domestic Animals, Department of Animal Production and Agriculture, Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana (UAM), Mexico City, Mexico.
Maternal care in female dogs involves nursing, grooming, and protection, significantly impacting puppy development. Hormones like estradiol and oxytocin are crucial for these maternal behaviors.
Area of Science:
- Veterinary Behavior
- Animal Science
- Canine Ethology
Background:
- Mammalian parental care is predominantly maternal, encompassing feeding, warmth, and protection.
- In domestic dogs (Canis lupus familiaris), maternal behavior includes contact, nursing, grooming, play, punishment, thermoregulation, and motion.
Purpose of the Study:
- To review and discuss scientific information on maternal behavior in domestic bitches.
- To compare maternal behaviors in altricial versus precocial species.
- To explore the impact of bonding, grooming, and nursing on puppy behavior.
Main Methods:
- A comprehensive literature review of peer-reviewed articles published between 1952 and 2018.
- Searches were conducted across databases including CAB Abstracts, PubMed, ISI Web of Knowledge, and Scopus.
- Relevant book chapters were also included in the review.
Main Results:
- Maternal interactions significantly influence the physiological, cognitive, and behavioral development of puppies.
- Key maternal behaviors include nursing, grooming/licking, and thermoregulation.
- Altered maternal behaviors such as aggression, cannibalism, and rejection were also discussed.
Conclusions:
- The dam-puppy interaction level is critical for litter development.
- Estradiol, oxytocin, prolactin, and progesterone are the primary hormones inducing maternal care in bitches.
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