Human social buffer in goats and dogs.

Area of Science:

• Animal behavior and welfare
• Comparative psychology
• Stress physiology

Background:

• Limited human socialization in domestic animals can impact their stress response.
• Social buffering, the reduction of stress through social interaction, is well-documented in dogs but less understood in other species like goats.
• Investigating cross-species social buffering is crucial for understanding animal welfare in human-animal interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the social buffering effect of human presence on goats and dogs with limited human socialization.
• To compare the physiological stress responses (cortisol levels) of dogs and goats interacting with unfamiliar humans.
• To determine if acceptance of human interaction influences the social buffering effect in these species.

Main Methods:

• 13 dogs and 14 goats with limited prior human socialization were exposed to unfamiliar humans for 15 minutes.
• Animals were assessed for social interaction willingness (accepting food, allowing petting).
• Cortisol levels were measured via blood samples pre- and post-interaction; statistical analyses included GzLM.

Main Results:

• Goats exhibited significantly higher cortisol levels post-interaction, unlike dogs.
• "Social" goats (those accepting interaction) showed a lower likelihood of significant cortisol change compared to "social" dogs.
• Both species demonstrated potential benefits from social buffering once human interaction was accepted.

Conclusions:

• Human social buffering effects differ between dogs and goats, particularly concerning physiological stress responses.
• Acceptance of human interaction is key for both species to benefit from social buffering.
• This study provides insights into interspecies differences in stress regulation and the role of human interaction in mitigating stress for less-socialized animals.