# Dog dissertation ideas



## Setter (May 5, 2009)

Hi, I am a second year animal behaviour student and have to undertaken a mini dissertation research project for an forthcoming assignment. I was wondering if anyone has done this and have some suggestions that may help me. I am interested in interspecies dominance theories etc but going about this in a short time frame is tricky! 
Thank you


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## Bagrat (Jun 4, 2012)

Perhaps not the best forum to mention the D word especially if inter species means hoomans and dogs!! Just search dominance on here and you'll see what I mean; unless you want to disprove it. But if you search there are lots of links. I fear it is not a mini dissertation though - more a maxi.


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## Setter (May 5, 2009)

Bagrat said:


> Perhaps not the best forum to mention the D word especially if inter species means hoomans and dogs!! Just search dominance on here and you'll see what I mean; unless you want to disprove it. But if you search there are lots of links. I fear it is not a mini dissertation though - more a maxi.


Hi and oh yes I definitely disapprove of it ( sorry , should have made that clear) and want to go from an angle of how damaging it can be and the main cause of aggression, bites etc.


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## BoredomBusters (Dec 8, 2011)

Setter said:


> Hi and oh yes I definitely disapprove of it ( sorry , should have made that clear) and want to go from an angle of how damaging it can be and the main cause of aggression, bites etc.


You think the theory of dominance is the main cause of aggression and bites? You definitely need to do some research.


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## Guest (Jan 29, 2013)

Hi Setter,

Whats your time frame on this? What resources are available to you? What has your advisor suggested for you?

My thesis when I was in fourth year was on the effects of the early socialization period on success in Guide Dog Training. So, my adviser arranged for me to go the Guide Dog Training Centre in Scotland and access their database on their 'puppy walkers'. I had a year to complete this and I needed it because there was a lot of information to sift through, however it was all in one place and I didn't need to find it for myself, just analyze it.

So things I looked into of the 'puppy walkers' were -
country/city living
did they have access to a car
did they have another dog and if not
did they have previous experience of dogs
did they own a cat
did they have children
did they work
how old were they
first time 'puppy walking' and if not
did their previous puppies succeed or fail.

It was a very interesting thesis based on external factors and behaviour. I think if you were going to try and dispel the dominance theory in relation to aggression in dogs, it would take you a lot longer than I imagine your timescale would allow!

I was actually talking on here before about Nature vs Nuture in relation to aggression in dogs and BoredomBusters put the idea in my head of the possibility of a link between higher incidences in dog aggression and city/country living.

Perhaps you could do something like this? Not sure where you would get the info needed but behaviorists/trainers might have a database they'd be willing to share of the type of owners that have aggressive dogs? Or a poll on here and create a list of questions you would like to ask about their background/homelife to set up the parameters of your study?

However, there are different types of aggression so I would ascertain exactly what forms of this behaviour you would like to focus on - dog-dog aggression/dog-people aggression etc...And if you're going to create a questionnaire for 'laymen' so to speak, you would need to ensure they understand what the term 'aggression' means in the terms of your study. As someone posted on here before, Joe Public might have a different understanding of the behaviour than you:

http://www.petforums.co.uk/dog-chat/289138-rude-dogs-fool-factor.html

HTH


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## Setter (May 5, 2009)

BoredomBusters said:


> You think the theory of dominance is the main cause of aggression and bites? You definitely need to do some research.


Yes I def need to do some research, apologies but I am a novice at this and probably didnt mean that to come out so literally. Its just that I have all these ideas swinging around my head!


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## Setter (May 5, 2009)

Hi erinn and thank you for all your info, it was a very interesting read and esp the article. I have approx 6 weeks for mini dissertation, so definitely wont be anything proper , just an assignment i think to get us researching. A bit unfair too when you havent done it before and only just doing appropriate modules, hey ho. But am also thinking about ideas for the proper dissertation which will need to begin this summer really and have a good year at it.
I will further digest some of your ideas as they have been very helpful, thank you


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