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

Abstract

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.

Selection Factors Influencing Eventual Owner Satisfaction about Pet Dog Adoption

“…Untreated behaviors have been shown to harm human pet dog relations and, in some cases, quickly. This is likely due to an underestimated commitment of time, money and emotional investment required without guarantees [ 20 , 22 ].…”

Owner psychological characteristics predict dog behavioural traits

“…Behavioural problems in pet dogs can result in a lifetime in kennels or euthanasia (Patronek et al 1996), and are, along with the need for more attention than owners can provide, a primary reason for relinquishment (Diesel et al 2010). However, behaviour alone is often not the primary determining factor in relinquishment (Patronek et al 2021): also signi cant is owner miseducation in dog behaviour, emphasising the role of owner attitude (Powell et al 2021). Dog behavioural problems are especially salient as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic: in a survey of over 6000 owners, Dogs Trust (2020) found that, during lockdown, 26% of pet dogs had developed at least one new behavioural issue, and an 82% increase in barking and whining.…”

Understanding the occupational role of dog ownership through the lens of attachment theory: A survey study

“…barking, digging, etc. ), undesired canine behaviours have also been found to be indicative of poor canine welfare (living conditions, inconsistent training, unpredictable social environments), as well as reduced owner attachment (Powell et al, 2021). Further, although several benefits of dog ownership were identified within a 2014 qualitative study exploring the experience of dog ownership for families of children with autism spectrum disorder, 'burdens' were also noted.…”

“…Of the available literature exploring reasons for dog relinquishment, behaviour problems are frequently identified (Powdrill-Wells et al, 2021; Powell et al, 2021). In addition to behaviours that reflect instinctual canine behaviour (e.g.…”