Owner perception of problem behaviours in dogs aged 6 and 9-months

Lord, Michelle; Casey, Rachel; Kinsman, Rachel; Tasker, Séverine; Knowles, Toby G; Costa, Rosa E. P. Da; Woodward, Joshua; Murray, Jane

doi:10.1016/j.applanim.2020.105147

Cited by 24 publications

(28 citation statements)

References 66 publications

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“…Furthermore, lack of owners’ comments on a given behaviour is not equivalent with a dog not showing these behaviours. Previous research has highlighted that even when dogs are reported to show behaviours indicative of SRB, owners may not consider such behaviours as problematic [ 89 ].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“More Attention than Usual”: A Thematic Analysis of Dog Ownership Experiences in the UK during the First COVID-19 Lockdown

Holland

Owczarczak‐Garstecka

Anderson

et al. 2021

Animals

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On 23 March 2020, the UK Government imposed a nationwide lockdown as part of efforts to mitigate the impact of COVID-19. This study aimed to explore how the experience of dog ownership in the UK was impacted during this lockdown. Data for this research came from open-ended survey questions and an electronic diary completed by members of the general public and participants involved in “Generation Pup”, an ongoing longitudinal cohort study of dogs. A total of 10,510 free-text entries were analysed. Three major themes emerged: spending time at home with dog(s), walking practices, and behaviour and training. Owners valued having more time than usual with their dog(s) but also recognised that spending extra time with their dog(s) may negatively impact on the dog’s future ability to cope when left alone. However, very few owners provided alone time for their dog(s) during the lockdown. The opportunity to walk their dog(s) as part of their permitted daily exercise was regarded positively, but walks under the lockdown guidelines were not always felt to be adequate with respect to providing sufficient exercise and opportunities for interaction with other dogs. Owners reported observing new undesirable behaviours in their dog(s) during the lockdown, including barking and dogs being “clingy” or vocalising when briefly left alone. Based on these findings, we suggest intervention strategies to best support dog welfare that include helping dog owners to teach dogs to cope with being alone, even if owners do not need to leave their dogs alone.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“More Attention than Usual”: A Thematic Analysis of Dog Ownership Experiences in the UK during the First COVID-19 Lockdown

Holland

Owczarczak‐Garstecka

Anderson

et al. 2021

Animals

Self Cite

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This phenomenon has been documented previously whereby some owners do not report behaviors as a problem despite reporting occurrences of the behavior itself. Research has found dog owners who are employed/students, use positive reinforcement training methods only, do not attend puppy classes or own small dogs are less likely to report problem behaviors as a problem 54 . The multifactorial nature of returns means the categorization of return reasons is also subject to potential error.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Characterizing unsuccessful animal adoptions: age and breed predict the likelihood of return, reasons for return and post-return outcomes

Powell

Reinhard

Satriale³

et al. 2021

Sci Rep

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A considerable number of adopted animals are returned to animal shelters post-adoption which can be stressful for both the animal and the owner. In this retrospective analysis of 23,932 animal records from a US shelter, we identified animal characteristics associated with the likelihood of return, key return reasons, and outcomes post-return for dogs and cats. Binary logistic regression models were used to describe the likelihood of return, return reason and outcome based on intake age, intake type, sex, breed and return frequency. Behavioral issues and incompatibility with existing pets were the most common return reasons. Age and breed group (dogs only) predicted the likelihood of return, return reason and post-adoption return outcome. Adult dogs had the greatest odds of post-adoption return (OR 3.40, 95% CI 2.88–4.01) and post-return euthanasia (OR 3.94, 95% CI 2.04–7.59). Toy and terrier breeds were 65% and 35% less likely to be returned compared with herding breeds. Pit bull-type breeds were more likely to be returned multiple times (X2 = 18.11, p = 0.01) and euthanized post-return (OR 2.60, 95% CI 1.47–4.61). Our findings highlight the importance of animal behavior in the retention of newly adopted animals and provide useful direction for allocation of resources and future adoption counselling and post-adoption support services.

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“…Previous research has found owners who do not attend obedience classes are at greater risk of relinquishing their pets (14,16). Owners who do not attend puppy training classes are also less likely to report behaviors, such as pulling on a leash or separation-related behavior, as a problem (34).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Owners' demographic characteristics can also affect their perceptions of canine behaviors. Lord et al (34) found owners who were employed or students were less likely to recognize canine behavioral problems than retired and unemployed owners. Demographic characteristics were not included in the present study to reduce the response burden on participants, but the possible influence of demographic characteristics on relinquishing owners' perceptions of dog behavior presents an interesting avenue for future research.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Relinquishing Owners Underestimate Their Dog's Behavioral Problems: Deception or Lack of Knowledge?

et al. 2021

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Undesirable behavior is a leading cause of canine relinquishment. Relinquishing owners could provide valuable information about their dog's behavior, although the reliability of their reports has been questioned by the sheltering community. This study aimed to investigate (a) whether relinquishing owners' reports of dog behavior differed based on the behavioral screening method; (b) whether relinquishing owners' reports were impacted by the confidentiality of their responses; and (c) whether relinquishing and non-relinquishing owners perceived the behavior of their dogs differently. The sample included 427 relinquished dogs from three animal shelters and 427 pet dogs, matched for sex and breed. Owners responded to a direct question about whether they were experiencing problems with their dog's behavior and completed the mini C-BARQ which includes 42 questions about the frequency and severity of specific canine behaviors in various circumstances. More than two-thirds (69.3%) of relinquishing owners indicated they were not experiencing problems with their dog's behavior when asked directly, compared with only 34.5% of pet owners. Yet, relinquished dogs had significantly higher (less desirable) scores than pet dogs across most C-BARQ scales. The disparity between C-BARQ scores and the single, direct question does not appear to be the result of deliberately biased reporting by relinquishing owners as the perceived confidentiality (or lack thereof) did not affect their responses (X2 = 1.44, p = 0.97). It is possible that relinquishing owners had less understanding of dog behavior and did not recognize behavior problems as a problem. Our findings support the use of standardized behavioral questionnaires, such as the mini C-BARQ, to collect behavioral information from owners at the time of relinquishment and highlight opportunities for animal shelters to reduce relinquishment by assisting owners to recognize and manage behavioral problems.

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Owner perception of problem behaviours in dogs aged 6 and 9-months

Cited by 24 publications

References 66 publications

“More Attention than Usual”: A Thematic Analysis of Dog Ownership Experiences in the UK during the First COVID-19 Lockdown

“More Attention than Usual”: A Thematic Analysis of Dog Ownership Experiences in the UK during the First COVID-19 Lockdown

Characterizing unsuccessful animal adoptions: age and breed predict the likelihood of return, reasons for return and post-return outcomes

Relinquishing Owners Underestimate Their Dog's Behavioral Problems: Deception or Lack of Knowledge?

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