Owner and animal factors predict the incidence of, and owner reaction towards, problem behaviors in companion dogs

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