Michaela Souckova

@czu.cz

Department of Ethology and Companion Animal Science
Czech University of Life Sciences Prague (CZU)

Michaela Souckova


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https://researchid.co/michaela

RESEARCH, TEACHING, or OTHER INTERESTS

Agricultural and Biological Sciences, Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics, Animal Science and Zoology
7

Scopus Publications

Scopus Publications

  • When touch is stressful: acute endocrine and behavioral responses of domestic rabbits to unfamiliar human handling
    Michaela Součková, Martina Frühauf Kolářová, Lucie Přibylová, Katarína Kováčová, Michal Zeman
    Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2026
    Background Rabbits are increasingly kept as companion animals, yet little is known about their stress responses during interactions with unfamiliar humans—situations commonly encountered during household visits or animal-assisted interventions. This study evaluated whether tactile interaction with an unfamiliar person induced acute stress in domestic rabbits using physiological (salivary corticosterone) and behavioral indicators (ear position, eye openness, and body posture). Methods Seven adult, intact female dwarf rabbits were each exposed five times to a 10-min stroking session while sitting on an unfamiliar person’s lap, simulating a typical human– rabbit interaction. Salivary corticosterone was measured under control conditions (no stroking) and experimental conditions (20 min post-interaction), while behavior was recorded during the stroking period. Results Tactile interaction with an unfamiliar person resulted in a significant increase in corticosterone concentrations (mean +214.4 ± 74.1%, p = 0.031). Behaviorally, rabbits spent an average of 8.4 min in a tense posture, held their ears pressed back for 4.2 min, and kept their eyes partially or fully closed for 0.7 min. Tense posture in rabbits significantly correlated ( r = 0.82; p = 0.03) with increased corticosterone levels; moreover, a tendency toward a correlation ( p = 0.088) between ears pressed back and increased corticosterone levels was observed. Conclusion These results indicate that handling by an unfamiliar person elicits acute stress responses in rabbits and should be considered when interacting with rabbits.
  • The influence of an unfamiliar person's presence on shelter use, feeding, and exploratory behavior in domestic rabbits during animal-assisted interventions
    Michaela Součková, Lucie Přibylová, Martina Frühauf Kolářová, Hana Vostrá-Vydrová, Helena Chaloupková
    Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2025
  • Perceived Relationships and the Costs and Benefits of Dog Ownership in Czech Homeless and Non-Homeless People
    Lucie Přibylová, Michaela Součková, Hana Vostrá-Vydrová, Lisa-Maria Glenk
    Anthrozoos, 2025
    Dog ownership is connected to several psychological and physical health benefits, but it also comes with costs and consequences in terms of providing suitable accommodation or leaving the dog while going to work, hospital, or traveling on holiday. Although many people think that homeless individuals should not have a dog, dog ownership among homeless communities is quite popular and beneficial for them. In this study, we compared the perceived costs and benefits of dog ownership (based on a Czech version of the Monash Dog Owner Relationship Scale) among people who had and did not have permanent housing. In total, 1,056 people participated in the study, of which 955 had permanent housing and 101 did not. After completing the questionnaire, participants experiencing homelessness responded to open-ended questions about their life with a dog on the street. No statistically significant differences emerged in the Owner–Dog Interaction subscale (p = 0.289), and Perceived Costs subscale (p = 0.251). However, for the Perceived Emotional Closeness subscale, there was a statistically significant difference between the groups, (Z = 2.079, p = 0.038): homeless dog owners reported higher emotional closeness to their dogs. These results underline the importance of dog companionship for homeless individuals. Although both groups were likely to regard the dog as a part of the family, for a person facing homelessness, their dog may be the only family member. Homeless dog owners often refuse accommodation options or jobs when dogs are not permitted to accompany them. To address this complicated scenario, further research into the One Health approach is required.
  • Does a stronger bond with pet rabbits equate to better husbandry conditions for them?
    Lucie Přibylová, Michaela Součková, Martina Frühauf Kolářová, Hana Vostrá-Vydrová, Helena Chaloupková
    Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2024
  • Behavioural reactions of rabbits during AAI sessions
    Michaela Součková, Lucie Přibylová, Lenka Jurčová, Helena Chaloupková
    Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 2023
  • Effect of dog presence on stress levels in students under psychological strain: A pilot study
    Kristýna Machová, Radka Procházková, Mariana Vadroňová, Michaela Součková, Eliška Prouzová
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2020
    As university students face many stressful situations, especially during the examination period, this study focused on the use of animal-assisted activities (AAAs) with a dog as a means of relieving students’ stress before a final exam. The aim was to determine whether a 10-min interaction with a dog affected subjectively evaluated stress and mood, objective blood pressure, and heart rate. Ninety-three female students (mean age = 22.5 years; standard deviation = 3.8 years) were divided into three groups according to their preference. The first group underwent AAAs (n = 26), the second group chose a relaxation technique (n = 28), and the last one was a control group (n = 39). Physiological values were measured using a pressure gauge and the subjective feelings of stress and mood were evaluated by the Likert scale 1–5. The AAA group showed significant improvement after 10 min of interaction in both mood and stress, with no change in heart rate and blood pressure. The remaining groups showed a significant decrease in blood pressure, but not in heart rate, with different evaluations of mood and stress. AAAs with a dog appear to be effective in improving students’ mood and stress without affecting their physiological parameters.
  • Canine-assisted therapy improves well-being in nurses
    Kristýna Machová, Michaela Součková, Radka Procházková, Zdislava Vaníčková, Kamal Mezian
    International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 2019
    As nursing is one of the most stressful occupations worldwide, its management warrants more attention to identify possible ways to cope with its pressures. This study aims to evaluate whether animal-assisted therapy (AAT) with the presence of a dog affects the stress level of nurses. As a stress biomarker, we used salivary cortisol level testing. Twenty female nurses (mean age: 30) in physical medicine (PMR) (n = 11) and the department of internal medicine and long-term care (IM < C) (n = 9). On each of the three observed days, saliva was collected at 10 a.m. and then again after 50 min. The first sampling was performed during a normal working process without a break (Condition A), the second was carried out during a normal working process with a break of choice (Condition B), and the third sampling was performed during a normal working process with a break with AAT (Condition C). All participants were enrolled in all three interventional conditions in a randomized order. The results demonstrated the effect of a reduction of cortisol levels in Condition C, where AAT was included (p = 0.02) only in nurses recruited from the IM < C department. By way of explanation, nurses from the PMR department already showed low cortisol levels at baseline. We propose including AAT with a dog in healthcare facilities where nurses are at a high risk of stress.