Risk factors for the development of behavior problems in a population of Iranian domestic dogs: Results of a pilot survey

Owner complaints of canine behavior in Iran–A preliminary survey

“…Similar results were reported for jumping on people in Cheshire, United Kingdom (Westgarth et al, 2008), and for aggressive behaviors in Mexico (Edwards et al, 2002) and in a referral practice in Spain (Fatjo et al, 2007). On the other hand, previous findings in Iran regarding the rate of aggressive behaviors toward other dogs (21%) (Khoshnegah et al, 2011) were significantly different from what was reported in our survey (50.4%). This notable difference in these studies could be because of the use of 2 different questionnaires, geographic differences, and/or nature of the sampling (small convenient samples).…”

“…In comparison with other studies, conducted in Mexico (83.7%) (Edwards et al, 2002), Northern Ireland (68.3%) (Wells and Hepper, 2000), and northeastern Iran (85.6%) (Khoshnegah et al, 2011), this rate of behavioral complaints is high. The most likely reason for the high rate of behavioral complaints in this survey could be the growing number of pet dogs in Iran, combined with the inexperience of dog owners and lack of available resources for behavior modification and education.…”

“…On the other hand, dogs having access to yards were more likely to show aggressive behaviors and excessive barking. Khoshnegah et al also reported that dogs with access to outdoor areas had less fearfulness and more aggressive behaviors toward people and other dogs (Khoshnegah et al, 2011). It should be noted that in our survey large-breed dogs were more likely to live in houses with access to yards.…”

“…Although numerous studies and texts have been published in the United States and Europe regarding canine behavioral problems (Beaver, 1994;Bowen, 2008;Bradshaw et al, 2002;Hsu and Serpell, 2003;Menor-Campos et al, 2011;Overall, 1997), few have been published in the Middle East, including Iran (Khoshnegah et al, 2011). The current survey aimed to provide information on the general prevalence of 17 common behavioral complaints reported by a population of dog owners in Tehran, Iran.…”

Breed differences in everyday behaviour of dogs

“…In a survey study by King et al (2009) participants were asked to describe their ideal companion dog, results showed that the dog should be safe with children, friendly towards people, calm and well behaved. Several studies have shown that the most common reason for relinquishing a dog to a shelter is that the dog is not behaving according to their owners' expectations -common behaviour problems are hyperactivity, noisiness and fearfulness (Wells and Hepper, 2000;Weng et al, 2006;Khoshnegah et al, 2011). Thus, everyday behaviour is very important for both the wellbeing of the dog and their owners.…”