Purpose: The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to knowledge of customers’ buying behaviour toward premium dog food by examining their brand associations and how these are shaped by using Bozita Robur as a case study. Background: Market for dog food has increased heavily during the last decades what made knowledge of underlying driving forces of dog food consumption crucial for dog food producers. Quite peculiar is a phenomenon of purchasing behaviour towards a product purchased but not consumed turning it into a more complex and dynamic object of study. Lack of coherent and conclusive research that offer an understanding of primary behavioural drivers and preferences of Swedish dog food customers makes it a good opportunity to continue investigating the dog food industry. Method: The study is conducted in the form of a single case study. A survey instrument is used to collect data on awareness and to identify behavioural beliefs and subjective norms of consumers, followed by phone interviews that uncover their attitudes towards dog food brands. Lantmännen Doggy’s brand Bozita Robur is used for this purpose. Data collected is further analyzed with the application of consumer behaviour related theories. Findings: The study has found that Swedish customers have built a positive image associated with premium dog food brands, where superior quality is the primary association. On the brand schema level, each of the premium dog food brands investigated holds specific associations in consumer minds, whereas the strength of these associations depends much on brand recognition levels. Bozita Robur, though less familiar among respondents, was found to have a positive brand schema and is associated with Swedishness and high quality. Customers of premium dog food brand actively search for information when making a purchasing decision towards a dog feed brand. In a product, they do value high nutrition content. Dog owners are influenced by various social groups, among which breeders and specialty store staff have the strongest influence when it comes to purchasing advice of the dog food brands.

<p><strong>Purpose: </strong>The purpose of this thesis is to contribute to knowledge of customers’ buying behaviour toward premium dog food by examining their brand associations and how these are shaped by using Bozita Robur as a case study.<strong></strong></p><p><strong>Background:</strong> Market for dog food has increased heavily during the last decades what made knowledge of underlying driving forces of dog food consumption crucial for dog food producers. Quite peculiar is a phenomenon of purchasing behaviour towards a product purchased but not consumed turning it into a more complex and dynamic object of study. Lack of coherent and conclusive research that offer an understanding of primary behavioural drivers and preferences of Swedish dog food customers makes it a good opportunity to continue investigating the dog food industry.</p><p><strong>Method:</strong> The study is conducted in the form of a single case study. A survey instrument is used to collect data on awareness and to identify behavioural beliefs and subjective norms of consumers, followed by phone interviews that uncover their attitudes towards dog food brands. Lantmännen Doggy’s brand Bozita Robur is used for this purpose. Data collected is further analyzed with the application of consumer behaviour related theories.</p><p><strong>Findings: </strong>The study has found that Swedish customers have built a positive image associated with premium dog food brands, where superior quality is the primary association. On the brand schema level, each of the premium dog food brands investigated holds specific associations in consumer minds, whereas the strength of these associations depends much on brand recognition levels. Bozita Robur, though less familiar among respondents, was found to have a positive brand schema and is associated with Swedishness and high quality.</p><p><strong> </strong>Customers of premium dog food brand actively search for information when making a purchasing decision towards a dog feed brand. In a product, they do value high nutrition content. Dog owners are influenced by various social groups, among which breeders and specialty store staff have the strongest influence when it comes to purchasing advice of the dog food brands.</p>

Orientador: Luiz Augusto do Amaral / Banca: Luiz Francisco Zafalon / Banca: Maria da Glória Buzinaro / Resumo: Nos últimos anos, o segmento de alimentos para animais de estimação no Brasil apresentou um expressivo crescimento no volume de vendas. O mercado brasileiro de rações para cães apresenta os maiores índices de crescimento mundial. Com os objetivos de verificar a qualidade higiênico-sanitária e a influência da venda a granel foram analisadas 15 marcas de rações para cães, em duplicata, oriundas de embalagens fechadas e da comercialização a granel. As amostras foram obtidas no comércio varejista dos Municípios de Jaboticabal e Ribeirão Preto/SP. Foram realizadas as determinações dos números mais prováveis de coliformes totais e termotolerantes, as contagens de bolores e leveduras e microrganismos mesófilos e a pesquisa de bactérias do gênero Salmonella. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram que não houve diferença significativa nas contagens de bolores e leveduras e microrganismos mesófilos entre as amostras comercializadas em embalagens fechadas e a granel. Entretanto, nas amostras de rações comercializadas em embalagens fechadas foram verificadas maiores porcentagens de amostras contaminadas por bolores e leveduras e maior presença por indicadores de contaminação fecal. Não foram isoladas bactérias do gênero Salmonella nas amostras analisadas. Sugere-se que na comercialização a granel a ração seja embalada, para com isso preservar a qualidade microbiológica do produto. / Abstract: In the past years, pet food segment in Brazil has been experiencing a marked increase in sales' volume. The Brazilian dog food market has the world's highest growth rate. This study is aimed to verify the influence of in bulk sales and the hygienic-sanitary quality of dog food. Fifteen brands of dog food obtained from packages and from in bulk marketed were analyzed in duplicate. The samples were collected from retailers of Jaboticabal y Ribeirão Preto Municipality/SP. The most probable number of total coliforms and heat-resistant ones, the counts of yeasts, molds and mesophils, and Salmonella investigation were performed. Results for counts of yeasts, molds and mesophils showed no statistical significance between packed and in bulk food. However, it was verified that samples of in bulk food had greater percentage of molds, yeasts and fecal indicators contaminations. No bacteria of the genus Salmonella was found in analyzed samples. This study suggests that in bulk marketing should pack dog food in order to preserve its microbiological quality. / Mestre

Reintroduction has been used successfully as a tool to restore declining populations of many threatened species. However, the lack of detailed evaluations of past reintroduction attempts has hindered a priori planning of management actions to achieve conservation goals. The metapopulation approach resulted in the most extensive and successful reintroduction efforts of the African wild dog (Lycaon pictus) in South Africa, but the approach was only recently evaluated by Gusset et al. (2008). For future reintroduction attempts to be successful on relatively small reserves, extensive evaluations are needed. Particular focus on feeding behaviour and impact on prey populations is essential to predict sustainability and carrying capacities in these areas for the African wild dog. A small reintroduced population of African wild dogs (pack number varying from 3 to 13 during the study period) were studied in the Karongwe Game reserve (79 km2) between January 2002 and January 2004. Fourteen prey species were identified: impala (Aepyceros melampus, 60 %) was the most dominant prey followed in descending order by bushbuck (Tragelaphus scriptus, 7.4 %), waterbuck (Kobus ellipsiprymnus, 4.9 %), warthog (Phacochoerus aethiopicus, 4.7 %), kudu (Tragelaphus strepsiceros, 4.4 %), and grey duiker (Sylvicapra grimmia, 4.4 %). Generally, prey were included in the diet in relation to abundance, and the dogs were not rate maximizing foragers but, unlike the findings of previous studies, were opportunistic feeders. The fences and angles in the fence, were used to assist hunting, but only for medium sized prey, impala and bushbuck, which were killed significantly more than expected along the fence line. A predictive prey preference model was then tested, but the model did not account for possible differences in feeding behaviours and prey preferences found in this, nor another study from the small Shambala Game Reserve. The model had limited accuracy as a predictive tool for proposed reintroductions into relatively small reserves. Models which can predict carrying capacity and minimum area requirements were also tested. Large variation and low numbers were predicted, which conflicted with social requirements needed for the survival of the population; further the models did not account for interspecific competition nor simultaneous depletion of prey by other guild predator. If the metapopulation approach is to continue to be successful and sustainable, more detailed evaluations of reintroductions of African wild dog on relatively small, fenced reserves are needed to determine the impact of these dogs on prey populations, and to determine if African wild dog feeding behaviour does differ for these areas in comparison to previously described open systems. With this information, more appropriate protocols regarding reintroduction and management can then be developed, thereby meeting one goal of management and conservation for the African wild dogs and their coexisting prey populations, and which can be used as a model for managing other large predators. / Thesis (M.Sc.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2010.

The efficiency of five natural antioxidants (curcumin, cranberry, pomegranate, grape seed extract (GSE) and açai berry) in reducing lipid oxidation in dog food was tested in comparison to the synthetic antioxidant butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA). Lipid oxidation was evaluated after 12 days of storage at 55C and thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS) was measured as an indicator of lipid oxidation. In project one, the natural antioxidants were added at 0.2% and BHA at 0.02% of the food (DM basis) and samples were collected on day 12 and analyzed for TBARS. Compared with the control treatment, TBARS values were lower (p<0.01) for four antioxidant treatments (curcumin, cranberry, pomegranate and GSE) but not for the açai berry treatment (p<0.39). The four antioxidants showed similar efficacy at lowering lipid oxidation as BHA and therefore may have the potential to substitute BHA in dog food. In project two, we evaluated the effects of GSE and curcumin at two inclusion rates (0.1 and 0.2% of food DM) on TBARS and omega-3 fatty acid (FA) content over 12 days of storage at 55C. By day 12, our results showed no significant differences in TBARS values between the BHA and the 0.1% GSE treatment, however BHA was still more effective than the 0.1% GSE as the differences in fold increase in TBARS were lower for BHA (19.4%) than for the 0.1% GSE (75.5%) treatment. Omega-3 FA loss tended (P>0.11) to be greater at the lower inclusion rate which correlated with the increased TBARS values at the 0.1% when compared to the 0.2% inclusion rate. Curcumin and GSE were most effective at maintaining omega-3 FA content at the 0.2% inclusion rate and showed no significant differences from the BHA treatment. In conclusion, BHA in dog food can be effectively substituted by GSE, cranberry, curcumin and pomegranate at the inclusion rate of 0.2% of food DM.

Master of Science / Department of Human Nutrition / Kadri Koppel / Palatability of pet food is an important factor influencing food purchase decision of pet owners. In industry, single- or two-bowl methods are traditionally used to determine food acceptance or preference by pets but shortcomings exist to these methods. The first objective of this study was to propose and develop a preference ranking procedure. Preliminary testing consisted of five phases each lasting five days. Each day twelve beagles were presented 5 treats encased in identical rubber toys (“kongs”). The order of selection was considered as the ranking of preference. The five phases consisted of training, testing lab-baked treats formulations with five varieties of fats, starches and proteins, and commercial foods. The dogs generally ranked 1-2 flavors above others, indicating this procedure could be a more efficient method to determine preference since more samples can be evaluated simultaneously. The second objective was to validate this procedure by following the same process as the preliminary test. The results from phases 2 to 4 showed a similar pattern. For phase 5, various treat formulations were tested by combining the most to least preferred ingredients in each category. The results proved that the ranking of the formulations resembled the preference of the dogs for individual ingredients. Therefore, this procedure was concluded to be reliable. The third objective was to use descriptive sensory analysis to study the sensory characteristics of the treats and gain insights on the drivers of dogs’ preference. Five highly trained panelists profiled the aroma of the treats and the data was analyzed with the preference results collected from the dogs. The external preference maps showed that fish and meaty aromatics tended to be liked by the dogs and grain and musty/dusty aromatics appeared to be disliked. The last objective of this study was to further explore the applications of this procedure by studying the effect of toy/puzzle toy of the treat and ingredient dosage/ratio. With the same dogs, Styrofoam cups (puzzle toy alternative) and kongs were evaluated separately with the same treats. The results collected with Styrofoam cups were similar but less discriminating than kongs. It potentially suggested that the difficulty level of the toy can affect the significance of the dogs’ preferences. No significant preference was observed when testing the treats with different ratio of the most and the least preferred protein sources, although the human descriptive panel was able to provide different profiles for the samples. In conclusion, the preference ranking procedure is a reliable test method but more research is necessary to further explore applications.

Made available in DSpace on 2014-06-11T19:27:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 0 Previous issue date: 2007-08-02Bitstream added on 2014-06-13T19:14:34Z : No. of bitstreams: 1 girio_tms_me_jabo.pdf: 251908 bytes, checksum: 7bb049e1cfb46e3b37f969523ef3db95 (MD5) / Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior (CAPES) / Nos últimos anos, o segmento de alimentos para animais de estimação no Brasil apresentou um expressivo crescimento no volume de vendas. O mercado brasileiro de rações para cães apresenta os maiores índices de crescimento mundial. Com os objetivos de verificar a qualidade higiênico-sanitária e a influência da venda a granel foram analisadas 15 marcas de rações para cães, em duplicata, oriundas de embalagens fechadas e da comercialização a granel. As amostras foram obtidas no comércio varejista dos Municípios de Jaboticabal e Ribeirão Preto/SP. Foram realizadas as determinações dos números mais prováveis de coliformes totais e termotolerantes, as contagens de bolores e leveduras e microrganismos mesófilos e a pesquisa de bactérias do gênero Salmonella. Os resultados obtidos evidenciaram que não houve diferença significativa nas contagens de bolores e leveduras e microrganismos mesófilos entre as amostras comercializadas em embalagens fechadas e a granel. Entretanto, nas amostras de rações comercializadas em embalagens fechadas foram verificadas maiores porcentagens de amostras contaminadas por bolores e leveduras e maior presença por indicadores de contaminação fecal. Não foram isoladas bactérias do gênero Salmonella nas amostras analisadas. Sugere-se que na comercialização a granel a ração seja embalada, para com isso preservar a qualidade microbiológica do produto. / In the past years, pet food segment in Brazil has been experiencing a marked increase in sales' volume. The Brazilian dog food market has the world's highest growth rate. This study is aimed to verify the influence of in bulk sales and the hygienic-sanitary quality of dog food. Fifteen brands of dog food obtained from packages and from in bulk marketed were analyzed in duplicate. The samples were collected from retailers of Jaboticabal y Ribeirão Preto Municipality/SP. The most probable number of total coliforms and heat-resistant ones, the counts of yeasts, molds and mesophils, and Salmonella investigation were performed. Results for counts of yeasts, molds and mesophils showed no statistical significance between packed and in bulk food. However, it was verified that samples of in bulk food had greater percentage of molds, yeasts and fecal indicators contaminations. No bacteria of the genus Salmonella was found in analyzed samples. This study suggests that in bulk marketing should pack dog food in order to preserve its microbiological quality.

Orientador: Ronei Jesus Popi / Dissertação (mestrado) - Universidade Estadual de Campinas, Instituto de Quimica / Made available in DSpace on 2018-08-10T12:11:57Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Maretto_DaniloAlthmann_M.pdf: 2490749 bytes, checksum: 2efe474693fb82f366c9c3c06974de92 (MD5) Previous issue date: 2007 / Resumo: Este trabalho teve como objetivo comparar os métodos lineares de calibração "mínimos quadrados parciais" (PLS) e "padronização direta por partes" (PDS) e um método não-linear "máquina de vetores de suporte por mínimos quadrados" (LS-SVM) na transferência de calibração para modelos de calibração multivariada onde se determinou porcentagem de etanol em cachaça a cinco temperaturas diferentes e para modelos onde se determinou a porcentagem de proteína e gordura em ração para cães em três diferentes granulometrias através de espectroscopia na região do infravermelho próximo. Foram preparadas 50 amostras de cachaça entre 20,86 e 46,48% v/v através de diluição com água Milli-Q ou adição de etanol P.A. (Merck) à cachaça original. A porcentagem alcoólica foi obtida através de um densímetro digital Anton Paar DMA 4500 e os espectros a 5 temperaturas diferentes (15, 20, 25, 30 e 35ºC) foram obtidos na faixa de 850 a 1050 nm em um equipamento Agilent 8453. Um total de 38 amostras de ração moídas foi fornecido pela empresa Nutron Alimentos Ltda a qual realizou testes padrão para determinação de porcentagem de proteína e gordura nas mesmas. As amostras foram então peneiradas, sendo divididas em 3 grupos com tamanhos de partícula diferentes. Os espectros foram obtidos para todos os grupos de partículas de todas as amostras na faixa de 1000 a 2400 nm em um equipamento Varian Cary 5G. Foram feitas quatro propostas diferentes para se fazer a transferência de calibração para cada uma das três aplicações (determinação do teor de etanol em cachaça, e do teor de proteína e gordura em ração). Na grande maioria delas o LS-SVM foi quem apresentou modelos mais bem ajustados / Abstract: The aim of this work was to compare the linear methods of calibration ¿Partial Least Squares¿ (PLS) and ¿Piece-wise Direct Standardization¿ (PDS) and a nonlinear method ¿Least-Squares Support Vector Machines¿ (LS-SVM) on calibration transfer to multivariate calibration models to the determination of alcoholic grade in cachaça in five different temperatures and to determination of protein and fat content in dog food in three different particule sizes by using near infrared spectroscopy. It has been prepared 50 cachaça samples between 20.86 and 46.48% v/v through dilution with Milli-Q water or adding etanol P.A.(Merck) to the original cachaça. The alcoholic grade has been obtained through a Anton Paar DMA 4500 digital densimeter and the spectra in five different temperatures (15, 20, 25, 30 and 35ºC) has been obtained between 850 and 1050 nm in a Agilent 8453 equipament. The 38 grinded dog food samples were supplied by Nutron Alimentos Ltda wich has realized the standard tests to determination of protein and fat mass porcentage in them. The samples have been bolted, been divided in three groups with different particle sizes. The spectra have been obtained to all the particle groups of all samples between 100 and 24000 nm in a Varian Cary 5G equipament. It has been done four different proposals to do the calibration transfer to each one of the three applications (etanol grade in cachaça, and protein and fat in dog food). In the most of them LS-SVM has gotten better adjusted models / Mestrado / Quimica Analitica / Mestre em Química

This diploma thesis is focused on risk analysis of dry dog food range of products sold in a retail chain named Zvěrokruh. The main goal of this work is creation of model with use of the fuzzy logic. The model helps with the dry dog food range risk evaluation. The model is created in MS Excel and MATLAB. Outcome of this work is a tool which evaluate quality of the dry dog food, which can be afterwards analysed in other point of view.

Shamwari Game Reserve was the first enclosed conservation area in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa to reintroduce free ranging lions, cheetahs, leopards and wild dogs back into their historic range. At that time (2000 – 2001), little information was available on the ecology and behaviour of these predators in the habitats of the Eastern Cape, and management decisions were based on assumptions and unfounded comparisons with extant populations but from quite different habitats. The aim of this study was therefore to obtain a better understanding of the feeding ecology and space use of the predator guild, and the carrying capacity of Shamwari Game Reserve to enable more informed management decisions. In addition, the reserve is a photographic based tourism venture and understanding both the ecological and financial sustainability of the predator guild was important. The diets of the predators were similar to those reported in other studies; larger predators killed a greater range of prey species than did smaller predators and a small number of prey species made up the majority of the kills. The larger predators had a higher mean kill mass than the smaller species and prey selection was influenced by prey size, prey abundance and prey habitat preference, and risk associated with hunting the species. Diet was flexible and responded to natural and management induced changes in prey abundance. There was a considerable overlap in space use by the lions, cheetahs and leopards with their core areas being centred on and around the Bushmans River. Space use was driven by resource distribution and landscape attributes, and by the presence of other predators of the same or different species. The long term viability of wild dog within the reserve was explored and the results confirmed that there was neither the required space nor the ecological processes and the wild dogs were removed from the reserve. A carrying capacity of the reserve for the predator guild was determined using the Maximum Sustainable Yield method to assess the potential prey species off take and a resultant density of 3.3 to 6.6 lion female equivalent units per 10 000 ha was established. The natural carrying capacity of the reserve with respect to predators will not sustain the tourism objectives and consequently prey supplementation was necessary to maintain predator density at levels high enough to sustain tourism. Under these conditions the large predator guild is still sustainable financially although careful, responsible management is needed to provide ecological sustainability.