interview
A Better Dog-Human Understanding
Susan Nilson speaks to canine behavior researcher Marco Adda about the study he authored in conjunction with Eötvös Loránd University to examine and compare
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behavior and personality traits in the companion and free-ranging dogs of Bali arco Adda is a freelance dog behavior consultant, independent researcher, dog-human facilitator (or dog trainer if you prefer), animal advocate, and educator who is passionate about all things canine. He describes himself as a “globetrotter who moves through different continents” but is now considering settling in one place to set up his own canine center offering several programs of education, training, research, animal assisted intervention, and community activities around dogs, humans and other animals. In 2012, Adda initiated preliminary observations of Bali street dogs (BSD). The observations proved “novel and exciting,” he says, so, in 2014, he brought them to the attention of Prof. Ádám Miklósi and Enikő Kubinyi at the Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, in Budapest, Hungary. Together with Luca Corrieri (also from the university’s ethology department), a study was developed with further observations and questionnaire collection planned and carried out over the next few years. Owners and caretakers filled out a validated personality questionnaire for 75 adult dogs; caretakers observed and occasionally fed the free-ranging dogs for at least two years before filling out the questionnaires. “The results were intriguing,” says Adda. “Free-ranging dogs in Bali may not be as wild as they appear. The research reveals that living in human homes affects the personality of some Bali dogs, making them more excitable in comparison to free-ranging dogs.”
The Context
BARKS: Why Bali? How easy/difficult is it to find free-ranging populations of dogs to study?
Marco Adda: Free-ranging dogs are importantly present in many places around the world, including Indonesia, India, Mexico, Romania, Russia, and Italy among others. However, Bali dogs represent a unique canine population, for it has remained isolated due to its geographical condition. That makes this dog population unique. Most well-known dog breeds (such as Golden retrievers or German shepherds) are the result of relatively recent and deliberate human selection. Conversely, the Bali dogs have not been deliberately selected by humans in this way and have roamed the island for at least 3,300 years. That makes them a unique canine population that deserves both attention and protection. Moreover, the number of free-ranging Bali dogs in the last 10 years has dropped about 90 percent, from some 800,000 in 2008 to some 150,000 in 2018. All of that makes of Bali dogs exciting to study from a genetic, behavioral and ecological perspective.
During those hours when they are very active, dogs move around and may come cross other groups or dogs. Their typical behavior is very cautious, yet calm and respectful of each other. They apply many strategies to avoid conflict. 34
BARKS from the Guild/January 2019
Photo © Marco Adda
Independent canine behavior researcher Marco Adda found that free-ranging dogs in Bali may not be as wild as they appear
BARKS: Would you say the BSD has a symbiotic relationship with the human residents of Bali or do the two exist independently of one another? If the former, what benefits does each provide the other? In relation to this, can you discuss further the BSD’s tendency towards guarding? What sort of area/territory do they cover and are they tolerant of “intruders”?
MA: Bali dogs have been historically valued as guard dogs. They are very alert and smart, and early warners. Although some individuals move a lot, Bali dogs cover a small free-ranging area, for they tend to associate with a house, a household or a village consistently based on what was observed with other free-ranging/village dogs populations. The interaction of free-ranging Bali dogs with the local human community is ambivalent. There are two extremes; namely, nowadays some Balinese treat dogs in a very similar way to how dogs are treated in a typical “western” house. Conversely, some locals consider Bali dogs pests and keep them away from their households. In between those two extremes there are other approaches. For example, locals may be tolerant over dogs and let them free-roam around their houses, sometimes throwing leftovers at them and feeding them. This human behavior is typically reciprocated by free-ranging dogs being very good at guarding the house. They bark and alert people if someone unfamiliar comes around. This results in a mutual exchange of support between human and dogs, as it was in the early domestication of canines. BARKS: For those BSDs who find themselves adopted and kept as pet dogs, how well do they adapt?
MA: Bali dogs are known to be very adaptable and resilient. They are