Prevalence of 25 canine behavioral problems and relevant factors of each behavior in Japan

Abstract

Undesirable behaviors exhibited by dogs are called canine behavioral problems. Behavioral problems are common among dogs kept in ordinary homes; hence, veterinarians need to have sufficient knowledge of these problems, so as to advise owners. Among dogs kept in ordinary Japanese homes, only a few behaviors have been investigated regarding prevalence and relevant factors. To improve understanding of behavioral problems, a comprehensive survey is crucial. In this study, we distributed an online survey including general information and questions about 25 canine behaviors that can become problematic to owners, to investigate (1) the prevalence of behavioral problem, (2) the most common behavioral problems, and (3) the relevant factors of each behavior. We collected 2,050 valid responses. Among all dogs, 86.0% exhibited at least one behavioral problem. “Barking at noises inside the house”, “Barking at unfamiliar visitors”, and “Pica” were the most frequent behavioral problems. To reveal those factors related to the expression of each behavior, we performed multiple logistic regression analyses, with the presence of behaviors as objective variables and dogs’ general information as explanatory variables. Breed, age, the presence of other dogs in the household, sex, neutering status, source of acquisition, and type of residence were associated with 19, 16, 5, 4, 4, 4, and 1 behaviors, respectively. This study revealed the prevalence of 25 canine behavioral problems in Japan and relevant factors of each behavior. Our findings will be useful for veterinarians in advising owners about preventing behavioral problems.

Prevalence of 17 feline behavioral problems and relevant factors of each behavior in Japan

“…This result suggests that feline behavioral problems are common in Japan. We previously conducted a similar online survey targeting dog owners and found that 86.0% of dogs troubled their owners by their behaviors [35]. The prevalence of behavioral problems among cats revealed in the current study was slightly lower than that reported in our previous study of dogs.…”

“…This difference may have been caused by a difference in the number of investigated behaviors between the two studies. Specifically, we investigated 17 feline behaviors in the present study, whereas 25 canine behaviors were surveyed in our previous study [35]. Including a greater number of behaviors would be expected to increase the percentage of respondents who report being troubled by at least one behavior.…”

“…Voluntary respondents were recruited from among subscribers of an online magazine published by the online pet products store "Doctor's Advice PEPPY" (Shinnippon Calendar, Osaka, Japan) in February 2018, as in our previous study [35]. Responses were collected without any restrictions on cats' characteristics, such as breed or age.…”

“…The analyses were conducted in accord with our previous study [35]. When respondents answered that their cat showed a particular behavior (ratings from 2 to 5) and that they were troubled by the behavior (ratings from 3 to 4), the behavior was regarded as a behavioral problem.…”

A Treatment Plan for Dogs (Canis familiaris) That Show Impaired Social Functioning towards Their Owners

“…Impaired social functioning in dogs is not uncommon, although it is difficult to extract exact numbers from literature due to issues of terminology and the use of diagnostic categories that do not allow us to identify the underlying emotion of a behaviour [13,14]. Alternatively, anxiety disorders are often mentioned as part of behavioural problems, but most often-and with the exception of separation anxiety-they are grouped under a general category of "anxiety" rather than related to the presence of social or non-social stimuli [15][16][17]. For fear, the subdivision of social and non-social is made, but this generally pertains to unfamiliar people or dogs [18,19].…”