A ten-year food preference database (2007-2017) was used to relate food selection in dogs\nto the nutritional components of diets by doing a principal component analysis (PCA) and a linear\nregression between components obtained and dogsâ?? preferences. Intake and preference of preferred\ndiets were analyzed by dogsâ?? sex, breed, age, body weight, and the season of the year (hot or cold).\nThe fourth component after PCA presented a relation with food preferences (OR = -2.699, p = 0.026),\nshowing negative correlations with crude fiber (rho = -0.196; P = 0.038) and dry matter (rho = -0.184;\np = 0.049). Weight (OR = -1.35; p < 0.001), breed, both Boxer (OR = 10.62; p = 0.003) and Labrador\nRetriever (OR = 26.30; p < 0.001), and season (hot season) (OR = -5.27; p < 0.001) all influenced\nanimalsâ?? intake. Boxers presented a lower food preference compared to the other breeds (OR = -44.3;\np < 0.001), while animalsâ?? weight influenced preferences only in Boxers (OR = 2.02; p < 0.001). Finally,\nage and sex did not affect dogsâ?? preference or intake of preferred diets. Thus dry matter and fiber\ncontent have a negative impact on dogsâ?? food choices. Dogsâ?? weight, breed, and season affected food\nintake, but only breed affected dogsâ?? preferences, which is probably explained by adaptive changes\nin the detection, metabolization, and learning of nutritive food cues.
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