Search

Simple Summary: Owners' understanding of dog behaviour influences dog welfare. This study explored owners' experiences and perceptions of dog behaviour. Data came from an ongoing UK/ROI study of dogs. Survey questions when dogs were 12/16 weeks (data combined), 6, 12, 18 and 24 months were analysed. Data were explored with two approaches: (1) qualitative thematic analysis and (2) quantitative text analysis. Responses to 'other information' questions and those regarding owner-reported problem behaviours were explored to understand owners' experiences/understanding of dog behaviour (1). Responses to the 'other information' questions were evaluated to understand how sentiment in the text and in word use changes over time (2). The proportion of positive: negative sentiments increased with the dog's age. At the first time point, 'bite' was the most common word, later replaced by words related to 'love'. Owners referred to the 'dog's biology', 'personality/deliberate action' and 'external influences' when explaining dogs' behaviour. Problematic behaviours of young dogs were seen as 'mischievous', unintentional and context-specific. Similar behaviours shown by older dogs were described as 'deliberate'. Both positive and negative experiences of dog ownership were identified. Free-text survey responses are a useful resource for exploring data but should be interpreted cautiously, as not all respondents answer these questions. Owners' understanding of dog behaviour influences dog welfare. This study aimed to investigate owners' experiences of living with dogs and perceptions of dog behaviour/behaviour change. Data from an ongoing UK/ROI longitudinal study of dogs were used. Open-ended survey data (n = 3577 comments, n = 1808 dogs) when dogs were 12/16 weeks (data combined), 6, 12, 18 and 24 months were analysed to cover the dog's puppyhood/adolescence. To evaluate the usefulness of open-ended survey questions, both quantitative textual and qualitative thematic analyses were employed. Textual analysis identified an overall positive sentiment at all timepoints; the proportion of positive: negative sentiments increased with the dog's age. Words related to 'love' were the most frequent descriptors at all but the first timepoint, when 'bite' was the most frequent descriptor. Qualitative analysis helped to identify that owners attribute dog behaviour to 'Dog's biology', 'Personality/deliberate action' and 'External influences'. Analysis of open-ended survey responses helped to identify changes in perception over time. When dogs were young, owners described problematic behaviours as 'mischievous', unintentional and context-specific. Similar behaviours shown by older dogs were seen as 'deliberate'. Both positive and negative experiences of dog ownership were identified. However, as not all respondents answered open-ended questions, the generalisability of our findings is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Cats and dogs can form friendly relationships and conflict between them can harm their welfare. This study aimed to investigate factors related to 'only desirable' puppy behaviour (defined as being uninterested, ignored the cat or interacted in a calm way) towards existing household cats following introduction. Owners' perceptions of the emerging cat-dog relationships were also explored. Quantitative and qualitative analyses were used to examine survey data collected as part of an ongoing study of dog health and behaviour. Of 4678 puppies, 26.7% lived with at least one cat. At the time of survey completion, 1211 puppies had been introduced to the household cat. The most common behaviours shown towards cats by puppies were: playing (58.9%), being overexuberant or over-excited (56.6%) and chasing (48.6%). Just 7.3% of puppies showed 'only desirable' behaviours. Puppies were more likely to show 'only desirable' behaviours when introduced before 12 weeks of age, gradually, and when they lived in a household with other dogs(s). Two styles of introductions were identified—owner-led and pet-led. Owners' expectations of the cat-dog relationship differed depending on the style of introduction. Early, gradual, owner-led introductions of puppies to household cats can help them form a friendly relationship. Although cats and dogs can live amicably, inter-species conflict can result in poor welfare. Species introduction can impact the development of the cat-dog relationship. This study aimed to identify factors associated with owner reported 'only desirable' puppy behaviour (defined as the puppy being uninterested, ignored the cat and/or interacted in a calm way) following introduction to existing household cats, and to explore perceptions of the emerging cat-dog relationship. Owner-reported data collected as part of a longitudinal study of canine health and behaviour were used. Of 4678 puppies, 26.7% lived with at least one cat. Of the 1211 puppies who had been introduced to the household cat at the time of survey completion, playing (58.9%), being overexuberant or over-excited (56.6%), and chasing (48.6%) were the most common behaviours displayed towards cats. 'Only desirable' behaviours were shown by 7.3% of puppies. Multivariable logistic regression showed early (puppies aged <12 weeks), gradual introductions and living in a multi-dog household increased the odds of 'only desirable' behaviours. Qualitative analysis revealed two styles of introductions—owner-led and pet-led. Owners who led introductions anticipated amicable relationships between pets, whilst owners who let pets introduce themselves did not. Early, gradual, owner-led introductions of puppies to household cats should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Dog. • Behaviour problems. • Dog owner perceptions. Problem behaviours may lead to compromised welfare, risk of relinquishment and euthanasia for dogs, as well as distress and safety issues for owners. This study used data provided by 1111 UK and Republic of Ireland participants in the 'Generation Pup' longitudinal study of canine health and behaviour. The aims were to; i) identify the proportion and type of problem behaviours reported by owners when their dogs were 6 and 9-months; ii) identify risk factors for behaviours owners reported as a 'problem' when their dog was 9-months old; iii) identify risk factors for behaviours reported to occur but not recorded as a 'problem' by owners when dogs were 9-months old; and iv) identify whether and how owners sought help for undesired behaviours. In the 6 and 9-months questionnaires, 31 % and 35 % (respectively) of owners reported their dog to be showing behaviour(s) that they found a problem. Owners most often sought help for these behaviours from dog trainers (72 % at 6-months and 68 % at 9-months), and online sources excluding those associated with welfare organisations (which were listed separately) (34 % at 6-months and 27 % at 9-months). The most commonly reported problem behaviours at both ages were pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and poor recall. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that female owners, owners who were unemployed/homemakers/pensioners/retired, owners who did not attend (nor planned to attend) puppy classes, and owners who reported they used a mixture of positive reinforcement and positive punishment or positive punishment only training methods at 9-months had increased odds of reporting a problem behaviour in their dogs at that age. Further investigation determined risk factors for owners reporting one or more of the three most commonly reported problem behaviours (pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and poor recall) in their dog's 9-months questionnaire compared with those owners who separately recorded the occurrence of these behaviours, but did not report any to be problematic. Owners who were employed/self-employed/students, owners who reported that they used positive reinforcement only, owners that had not attended puppy class, and owners of small dogs had increased odds of not reporting a behaviour to be problematic despite evidence of the behaviour having been observed by the owner. These results indicate that not all potentially concerning canine behaviours were perceived by the owners to be problematic, and has identified groups of owners more likely to require support with behaviour issues in their dogs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]