Do looks matter? No evidence of posture effects elicited by “modified” dog morphology
Author
Faculty Advisor
Date
2026
Keywords
dog morphology, communication, Student Research Day, greeting behaviour
Abstract (summary)
Scant research has been done on effects of modified morphology of the domestic dog on their greeting behaviour. Dog guardians, though, may be concerned their dogs are at risk in social situations due to breed-specific conformation. In addition to risks associated with pain and medical complications, some researchers have suggested modified morphology may result in flawed communication (e.g., Bennett & Perini 2003; Siniscalchi et al 2018), but few explicit tests have been conducted. Results from direct tests using brachycephalic dogs as stimuli are equivocal (Canori et al 2025), as are results for communication among dogs with various cues of paedomorphosis (Aucott, 2013). Although studies demonstrate the communicative potential of tail movement (e.g., Siniscalchi et al 2013) it has not yet been conclusively demonstrated that partial or total removal of the tail prevents appropriate communication among dogs. We analysed 154 off-leash dog greetings between unique dyads using methods derived from Ward (2020). Video recordings of encounters in public dog parks were coded for dog posture (low, neutral, high) at onset and offset of the greeting. We also documented whether play or aggression followed the greeting, and whether either dog showed evidence of surgically modified tails or ears, or brachycephalic faces. We conducted Chi square tests to determine whether “modified” dogs were more likely than “non-modified” dogs to experience greetings that included non-neutral body postures, or concluded in aggression. We found no evidence to support the hypothesis that “modified” dogs elicit more negative reactions from other dogs in an off-leash environment.
Publication Information
DOI
Notes
Presented on April 23, 2026, at Student Research Day, held at MacEwan University in Edmonton, AB.
Item Type
Student Presentation
Language
Rights
All Rights Reserved