UK Study Not Finding Strong Relationship between Research and Dog Welfare
External link: Philpotts I, Blackwell EJ, Dillon J, Tipton E, Rooney NJ. What Do We Know about Dog Owners? Exploring Associations between Pre-Purchase Behaviours, Knowledge and Understanding, Ownership Practices, and Dog Welfare. Animals (Basel). 2024;14(3):396. Published 2024 Jan 25. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani14030396
Sources of Information
Research Prior To Acquiring A Dog
Prevalence of Pre-Purchase Research: 81.9% of respondents sought advice from at least one source before acquiring their dog.
Depth of Pre-Purchase Research: The mean number of information sources consulted was 1.56.
Research Practices Prior to Acquiring A Dog
%
Had previous experience of the breed/animal
41.5
Looked on the internet
33.6
Took advice from friends or family
17.9
Took advice from breeder
15.9
Took advice from rescue centre
15.3
Looked in book(s)/magazines/newspapers
12.5
Nothing—I didn’t do anything
11.5
Looked on social media
6.3
Other
6.3
Took advice from a veterinary professional e.g., vet, vet nurse or vet practice
6.2
Got advice from animal charity
5.8
Nothing—he/she was a present
3.6
Took advice from pet shop
1.2
Ownership Knowledge & Practices
Financial Preparedness: Only 30.8% of respondents accurately estimated the lifetime cost of dog ownership.
Awareness of the five welfare needs:
35% felt very informed about the five welfare needs.
47.4% felt informed about the five welfare needs.
17.7% reported not feeling informed about the five welfare needs.
Average Time Alone: Dogs were left alone for an average of 2.28 hours per day.
Mean Weekly Walk Time: The mean weekly walk time was 9.97 hours per week, or 85.46 minutes per day.
Methods Of Deciding Whether Their Dog Is The Correct Weight
Method
%
Vet or veterinary nurse advice
54.1
Weigh him/her
37.1
Look at my pet’s body
36.8
Common sense
33
Feel of my pet’s body
24.7
Pet breeder advice
2.3
Friends/relative advice
1.6
Not applicable—I don’t think about it
1.5
Another way
1.3
I’m never sure what the right weight is
0.3
Responsible Dog Ownership Practices
Responsible Dog Ownership Practices
%
Microchipped
94.2
Currently registered with a vet
92.9
Wormed
88.6
Treated for fleas
82.1
Vaccinated—regular boosters/injections
80.6
Vaccinated—primary course (when young)
73.9
Neutered
72.9
Insured
54.9
None of these
0.2
Ways of Dog Training
Ways of Training
%
Applied previous experience of how to train a dog
59
Went to one or more organised training class(es)
17.6
Completed a course through a regular dog training class
13.3
Other
8.6
Had a course of one-to-one lessons with an expert
5.4
Had a one off one-to-one lesson with an expert
5.3
Used an online or digital training programme
3.3
None of these—I haven’t trained my dog in anyway
11.2
None of these—my dog was already trained when I got him/her
9
Dog Welfare Indicators
Dog Body Condition:
Perfect Body Shape: 37.1% of respondents described their dog as having the perfect body shape.
Overweight: 17.8% reported their dog as overweight.
Underweight: 45.1% described their dog as thin or very thin.
Problem Behaviours: On average, respondents reported 1.11 problem behaviors.
Undesirable Behaviors
Undesirable Behaviours
%
None
35.9
Jumping up at people
22.3
Not coming back when called
18.4
Barking or vocalising for more than five minutes at a time when someone is present
10.9
Showing signs of fear
9.8
Aggression towards other pets
8.3
Chewing items not designed for chewing
6.9
Other
6.8
Signs of distress when left alone e.g., scratching, destructive behaviour, barking or howling for more than five minutes or toileting in the house
6.3
Growling or snarling
6
Inappropriate toileting in the house
5.5
Inappropriate sexual mounting (“humping”)
4.7
Urinating when excited
4.3
Aggression towards people
2.8
Destructive behaviour
2.6
Biting other dogs
2.4
Reported Sources of Initial Behavioral Advice
Reported Sources of Initial Behavioral Advice
%
Online search engine e.g., Google
35
A trainer
27
A veterinary practice
24.4
A behaviourist
16.8
Friends and family
14.6
A book
13.7
Specific website
12.1
None of these, I would not seek advice from anywhere