Just like humans, dogs also deal with the consequences of climate change, and this worrying issue is being evaluated by researchers.
A recent study he did Harvard university It revealed a link between rising temperatures and an increase in dog bites as we experience warmer days and more extreme weather events.
The aim of the research was to find out whether environmental factors influence dog bite rates to humans, seeking to understand the relationship between dog bites and environmental factors such as climate change and temperature variations.
These findings are relevant to understanding how dogs are affected by the effects of climate change and how this may affect the safety of people and pets.
The relationship between climate and canine mood swings
The study identified an effect between higher levels of UV radiation and increased rates of dog bites. This result indicates that environmental factors, such as climate change, play an important role in the behavior of dogs and their relationships with humans.
According to the researcher, aggression is a common behavior in many species, which may mean adaptation to different contexts, including competition for protection, defending territory, and the like.
While studies have shown that high temperatures can increase aggression in humans, researchers have observed similar behavioral patterns in other species such as rats, mice, and macaques.
In order to investigate environmental influences on the daily incidence of dog bites in eight US cities from 2009 to 2018, the researchers analyzed a total of 69,525 reports of humans being bitten by dogs.
The researchers hypothesized that the increased aggressiveness on days with higher UV exposure might be related to elevated levels of aphrodisiacs.
This finding suggests that hormonal factors may play a role in the effect of UV radiation on aggressive behavior in both animals and humans. This means that your pet and you, human, can get stressed out on warmer days.
