Abstract:
The management of the thermal environment to which dogs are exposed should be included in strategies to improve their welfare. An online questionnaire was administered to 624 owners of Siberian Husky dogs residing in Brazil, with the objective of assessing their perceptions regarding their dogs\' capacity to adapt to heat, and its association with the owners\' routine care. Owners who believed that dogs are low-heat-tolerant animals were more likely to report heat response behaviors from their dogs. Overall, owners reported walk with their dogs during early morning, late afternoon and nighttime. They also reported solar radiation as the primary criteria for determining the time to walk with their dogs. However, owners who reported walking with their dogs at noon mentioned time availability as their primary criteria. In conclusion, owners perceive Siberian Husky dogs living in Brazil as being poorly adapted to heat, and this perception appeared to influence their positive attitudes towards protecting their dogs from heat stress by choosing to walk them during times with less solar exposure. However, the lack of time for owners to walk with their dogs during cooler periods can still be a risk factor in exposing the animals to extreme hot conditions.
摘要:
对狗所暴露的热环境的管理应包括在改善其福利的策略中。对居住在巴西的624只西伯利亚哈士奇狗的主人进行了在线问卷调查,目的是评估他们对狗适应热量能力的看法,以及它与业主日常护理的联系。认为狗是低耐热性动物的主人更有可能报告狗的热响应行为。总的来说,主人报告说,他们的狗在清晨散步,下午和晚上。他们还报告说,太阳辐射是确定与狗散步时间的主要标准。然而,报告中午与狗散步的主人提到时间是他们的主要标准。总之,主人认为生活在巴西的西伯利亚哈士奇狗不适应高温,这种看法似乎影响了他们对保护他们的狗免受热应激的积极态度,因为他们选择在阳光照射较少的时候走路。然而,在较凉爽的时期,主人没有时间与狗同行仍然是将动物暴露在极端炎热条件下的危险因素。