Owner and animal factors predict the incidence of, and owner reaction toward, problematic behaviors in companion dogs

Abstract

36Unwelcome behaviors in pet dogs may have serious implications for the quality of life of both the 37 animals and their owners. We investigated owners' perceptions about their dogs' behavioral issues 38 as well as other factors that might be predictive of potential canine problem behaviors. We 39 distinguished between "undesirable behaviors" (behaviors that were unpleasant to the owners) and 40 "problematic behaviors" (behaviors that the owners found difficult to overcome). 41 We designed an on-line survey eliciting information about owners, their dogs, their relationship 42 with their dogs and whether the animals exhibited any of 15 potentially problematic behaviors. The 43 largest proportion of respondents (65%) reported that their dogs exhibited undesirable, but not 44 problematic, behaviors and were not interested in their modification. Only 32% of the respondents 45 considered the behavior to be both undesirable and problematic and wished to change it. The 46owners' perception of a problem was associated with reports of fear-and anxiety-related behaviors. 47The owner's gender, marital status and attitude towards the dog as his/her child as well as the dog's 48 age, size, age at acquisition and breed emerged as robust predictors. Compared to all other 49 behavioral categories, reported aggressive canine behaviors were three times more likely to elicit an 50 owner's wish to address them. This study revealed that the behaviors of dogs may be perceived 51 differently by their owners and the type of perception may influence the owner's actual willingness 52 to change those behaviors. Moreover, we identified the most robust set of factors that, either 53 individually or combined, would help predict a dog's potential problem behaviors and an owner's 54 attitude towards them, which will be useful in improving rational prevention and treatment 55 strategies. 56 57 58

Different Dynamics of Sensory-Motor Development and Behavior During the Transitional Period in Puppies: Preliminary Results

“…For many people, the idea of family extends beyond just humans to also include pets. In fact, 93.3% of owners regard their pet as a family member, and particularly like a child (2,3). Along with this comes a growing interest among dog owners and scientists in issues of canine welfare.…”

Same or different? Why establishing the range of behavioral variability matters

“…Were behavioral problems infectious diseases, we would mandate such intervention, but as they are simply responsible for the death or relinquishment of more dogs than any other sets of veterinary complaints, combined, the view is that advanced thought and training is unnecessary. The data in Pirrone et al (2015) are more evidence of the lie within the common worldview. I await the day when we realize that all specialties in veterinary medicine will grow and the science of healthcare will advance, if we cease to view companion animals as disposable and invest in behavior as the foundation as a best practice for care.…”

“…It's no accident that Pirrone et al (2015) included noise reactivity in their list of 15 potentially problematic dog behaviors. Noise reactions that are problematic for the dog should always be problematic for the humans….if humans can learn to recognize the dog's distress.…”

“…The time has passed when mere assertions of opinion about breeds and behavior based on a paucity of data should be tolerated, and Morrow et al (2015) show why this is so. Pirrone et al (2015) implicitly understand that we must establish both the range of extant behaviors and determine which parts of that range fall outside the norm, before we can make progress in truly assessing incidence of and interventions for problematic behaviors. Using an internet survey, they attempted to distinguish behaviors that were simply not what the clients wanted ("undesirable behaviors") from those that the owners truly found difficult to manage ("problematic behaviors").…”

Factors Which Influence Owners When Deciding to Use Chemotherapy in Terminally Ill Pets

“…The status of animals in society is inconsistent, ranging from owners who treat their pets as family members [12] and will spare no expense upon them, to others who will abandon animals when they become an inconvenience [13]. The Royal College of Veterinary Surgeon’s Code of Professional Conduct requires veterinary surgeons to provide owners of animals undergoing chemotherapy with an outline of all potential treatment options, associated fees and side effects, and the subsequent prognosis for their pet [14].…”