Evaluation of the effect of signalment and body conformation on activity monitoring in companion dogs.
OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the effect of signalment and body conformation on activity monitoring in companion dogs.


METHODS
104 companion dogs.


METHODS
While wearing an activity monitor, each dog was led through a series of standard activities: lying down, walking laps, trotting laps, and trotting up and down stairs. Linear regression analysis was used to determine which signalment and body conformation factors were associated with activity counts.


RESULTS
There was no significant effect of signalment or body conformation on activity counts when dogs were lying down, walking laps, and trotting laps. However, when dogs were trotting up and down stairs, there was a significant effect of age and body weight such that, for every 1-kg increase in body weight, there was a 1.7% (95% confidence interval, 1.1% to 2.4%) decrease in activity counts and for every 1-year increase in age, there was a 4.2% (95% confidence interval, 1.4% to 6.9%) decrease in activity counts.


CONCLUSIONS
When activity was well controlled, there was no significant effect of signalment or body conformation on activity counts recorded by the activity monitor. However, when activity was less controlled, older dogs and larger dogs had lower activity counts than younger and smaller dogs. The wide range in body conformation (eg, limb or body length) among dogs did not appear to significantly impact the activity counts recorded by the monitor, but age and body weight did and must be considered in analysis of data collected from the monitors.
Brown
Dorothy Cimino
DC
Department of Clinical Studies-Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA 19104, USA. dottie@vet.upenn.edu
Michel
Kathryn E
KE
Love
Molly
M
Dow
Caitlin
C
D000818:Animals; D001824:Body Constitution / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011187:Posture; D015398:Signal Transduction; D016138:Walking