Data from: Denning habits of free-ranging dogs reveal preference for human proximity

Dens are crucial in the early development of many mammals, making den site selection an important component of parental care in such species. Resource availability and shelter from predators primarily govern den selection. Species inhabiting human-dominated landscapes typically den away from human disturbance, often shifting dens to avoid humans during the early life of their young. Domesticated dogs have evolved in human proximity over centuries, being bred and reared in human homes for generations. While pets rely on their owners for shelter and care, free-ranging dogs roam uncared, and typically whelp in dens. We conducted a study on 148 free-ranging dog dens in India to understand their denning habits. Distance from resources influenced den choice, but anthropogenic disturbance did not. Dens were found in areas of high human activity, and begging from humans was preferred over scavenging. A study on 15 pregnant females revealed that females actively searched for denning sites, rejecting several intermediate ones before selecting the final den. We propose that the obvious preference of dogs for denning close to humans is a behavioural adaptation that helps them to survive in the urban landscape, in spite of the high human induced mortality during the early life of pups.

兽穴对多数哺乳动物的早期发育至关重要，因此窝点选择是这类物种亲代抚育行为的重要组成部分。窝点选择主要受资源可获得性与天敌庇护条件的制约。栖息于人类主导景观中的物种通常会避开人类干扰区域筑穴，并往往在幼崽早期阶段通过更换窝点来规避人类活动。家犬在数百年间与人类相伴演化，多代均在人类居所中被繁育饲养。伴侣犬依赖主人提供庇护与照料，而散养犬则无依无靠地游荡，通常会在兽穴中产下幼崽。本研究针对印度境内的148处散养犬兽穴展开调查，以解析其筑穴习性。研究发现，与资源的距离会影响窝点选择，但人为干扰并无显著影响；这类兽穴多位于人类活动频繁的区域，且散养犬更倾向于向人类乞讨食物而非自行腐食。此外，针对15只怀孕母犬的分析显示，母犬会主动搜寻筑穴地点，在选定最终窝点前会舍弃多处备选地点。本研究认为，犬类明显偏好于在人类附近筑穴，是一种适应城市景观的行为策略——尽管幼崽早期阶段会面临较高的人类活动导致的死亡率，但该策略仍有助于其在城市环境中存活。