DOGS

Dogs may be more prone to biting due to heat and pollution, the study 

According to a study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and published in the journal 'Scientific Reports', dogs may be more likely to bite people on hot days and when air pollution levels rise. 

When such conditions occur, the chance of a dog biting would increase by up to 11% as aggression would also increase in these situations. 

The study was conducted to find out whether heat and pollution could have the same effects on dog aggression as they do in humans.

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Correlation between heat and pollution and increased aggression in dogs
According to a study conducted by researchers at Harvard Medical School and published in the journal 'Scientific Reports', dogs may be more likely to bite people on hot days and when air pollution levels rise.
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A behavior already verified in humans
When such conditions occur, the possibility of a dog biting would increase by up to 11% as aggression would also increase in these situations. The study was conducted to find out whether heat and pollution could have the same effects on dog aggression as they do in humans.
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Correlation with previous research
Based on previous research, it has been found that heat and air pollution can affect aggression levels in humans, mice and rhesus monkeys. With this in mind, the Harvard researchers tried to find out whether this could also negatively affect dogs. And the answer seems to be positive.
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How the data were collected
The findings came by analysing data from eight US cities - Dallas, Houston, Baltimore, Baton Rouge, Chicago, Louisville, Los Angeles and New York City - over a period of time between 2009 and 2018. This found that dog bites increased by 11% on days with higher UV levels, 4% on days with higher temperatures and 3% on days with higher ozone levels.
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The decrease in incidence on rainy days
Looking at the results, however, it was found that the incidence of dog bites decreased by 1% on days with higher levels of rain. The researchers were keen to emphasise, however, that these data were found without taking into account other factors that could have somehow influenced dog aggression.
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