Dog behavior problems

Andrew Jagoe and James Serpell (1963): Owner characteristics and interactions and the

prevalence of canine behaviour problems. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 47: 3 l-42

Reviewed by Jeanette Karlsen Taarud

What to find out?

Is the dog behavior a problem who can be related to the owner, the pet or both?

What kind of problems are common, and why?

Is there anything to do?

The communication with the dogs and the trying to understand their behavior started as late as in the 1970. Before this a problem dog was related to a dog with no respect for its owner. It was the dog trainer Barbara Woodhouse who first introduced "no bad dogs, only bad owners". After this there has been a loot of research articles about dog behavior, and dog problems, each with their own story.

This article is based on a test done of 737 dogs from four sources, animal behavior/therapists (451 dogs), veterinary surgeons (88 dogs), the teaching hospital at the University of Cambridge veterinary school (112 dogs) and random door to door inquire (86 dogs).

It was focused on the reason for the acquiring of the dog if it was for protection, showing/breeding, exercise/ recreating or just for companionship.

It was also focused on if the owner had experience as a dog owner or not. What they wanted to find out was the connection between the dog behavior and the owner behavior, how the owner raised the dog and what kind of problems they had.

The behavior patterns was divided into four categories; aggression, fearful behavior, separation- related behavior patterns, over excitability and miscellaneous.

Different testes which were used:

-Pearson chi-square test: Associations between owner or husbandry variables and prevalence of behavior problems

-Mantel Haenzel chi- square test: Linear relationships

-Goodman post hoc comparative multiple comparative test were performed when appropriate.

 To se how often the different problems came, they used a cluster analysis using an agglomerative hierarchical technique.

This table makes it possible to categorize the different problems.

The test also shows that dogs acquired for different reasons showed different problems, like dogs acquired for protection showed a higher prevalence value of territorial aggression than dogs acquired for other reasons.

The test also showed that the first time owners had most problems with aggressive dogs in different situations, like when handled, feeding time, and in restricted places. There were no other aggressive situations in the cluster.

Dogs owned by first time owners also showed a higher value of overexcitement and fear of loud noises, traffic and other dogs.

But when it came to separating, it showed that it was the expedient owners who had most problems. This maybe because they spend more time with their dog and get another connection to the dog than the ones who didn’t.

The one who trained obedience also had fewer problems with escaping and roaming.

The owners who trained their dog had fewer problems than the ones that had no experience and didn’t train the dog. The first time owners cant read the dogs language as good as an experinet owner, and the also have problems choosing a dog, often they don’t know which breed the fit best with, there are lots of breeds that require a knowing owner.

In a litter there are different types of puppies, some is better as a family dog, not the one who is most dominant and they are more relaxed. Some is better for obedience because they are more awake and often likes to play with a ball or some other toy. These dogs are easier to train and get connection to. Some puppies are better for breeding and shows, like they have the correct angels on their legs and the colors are right. It is also important that the puppy who will be used in breeding not is aggressive, when its important to keep the good dogs in the breed.

Of course this also depends of the childhood to the dog, how the owner act as an leader an socialize the puppy from the beginning. But you can see some egenskaper that you can built on later.

It is not an easy job to raise a puppy, and mistakes will be done either you are very experient owner or have your second dog, but if you as an owner is interested in your pet and try to do your best,trying to learn your dog to know, how they communicate from the nature you’ll have a much easier job.

I think this article is very good, and I learn a lot from it, I have seen mistakes I have done as a dog owner my self, and tried to correct them. I have a Doberman male at one and a half year here in Budapest and he is a dominant big boy. I have always feed him after I have had my dinner, and he has been waiting for his meal, I have stopped doing that now, and he is never allowed to sleep in my bed anymore either. Before he snaked into my bed when he thought I was a sleep, and I allowed him to do that, in the winter if was very comfy to get an extra blanket. But now he has to sleep in his own bed the whole night, also in the winter.