title: Familial anthropophobia in pointer dogs?
abstract: This article assesses a dog model in terms of a proposed cross-species definition of phobia, the model referring to a strain of unstable dogs that has been produced by selection and inbreeding. The unstable dogs are contrasted with a strain of stable dogs. New findings are presented on approach and activity behavior toward three stimulus objects (man, another dog, and a sheet-covered chair) in a naturalistic setting. The fear response of unstable dogs to objects other than man habituates gradually, whereas the fear response to the sight of man is far more enduring, suggesting a relatively specific fear of man.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001362:Avoidance Learning; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005106:Exploratory Behavior; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D005793:Generalization, Psychological; D006185:Habituation, Psychophysiologic; D006801:Humans; D007178:Inbreeding; D008297:Male; D009043:Motor Activity; D010698:Phobic Disorders / Q000235:genetics* / Q000523:psychology