Data and facts about how behaviours should be considered in post-adoption management.
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Highlights
Overview
Behavioural Changes
Jump to: Changes Over 180 Days
Changes Over 180 days
External link:
Bohland, K. R., Lilly, M. L., Herron, M. E., Arruda, A. G., & O’Quin, J. M. (2023). Shelter dog behavior after adoption: Using the C-BARQ to track dog behavior changes through the first six months after adoption. PloS one, 18(8), e0289356. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0289356
Prevalence of undesirable behaviors based on C-BARQ subscales
| C-BARQ subscales | 10 days | 30 days | 90 days | 180 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Stranger-directed aggression | 61.5% | 66.7% | 81.7% | 76.9% |
| Owner-directed aggression | 32.3% | 25.0% | 30.0% | 27.2% |
| Dog-directed aggression | 62.8% | 74.7% | 66.7% | 75.0% |
| Familiar dog aggression | 32.7% | 35.7% | 25.6% | 37.8% |
| Stranger-directed fear | 46.7% | 58.2% | 47.2% | 55.0% |
| Nonsocial fear | 89.7% | 92.6% | 95.8% | 86.3% |
| Dog-directed fear | 71.6% | 80.0% | 76.1% | 67.1% |
| Separation-related behaviors | 92.0% | 89.6% | 92.6% | 87.5% |
Overall Behaviour Satisfaction
| Variable | 10 days | 30 days | 90 days | 180 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall, how well do you feel that your dog is adjusting to its new home? | ||||
| Extremely well | 73 (75.5%) | 64 (75.3%) | 60 (82.2%) | 65 (83.3%) |
| Moderately well | 21 (21.4%) | 17 (20.0%) | 13 (17.8%) | 13 (16.7%) |
| Fair | 4 (4.1%) | 4 (4.7%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Poorly/Not at all | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |
| Overall, how do you feel your dog’s behavior has changed since adoption? | ||||
| Improved | 70 (72.2%) | 56 (68.3%) | 54 (74.0%) | 60 (75.0%) |
| Stayed about the same | 24 (24.7%) | 22 (26.8%) | 18 (24.7%) | 17 (21.2%) |
| Worsened | 3 (3.1%) | 4 (4.9%) | 1 (1.4%) | 3 (3.8%) |
| Overall, how would you describe your dog’s behavior? | 0% | |||
| Excellent | – | 25 (29.4%) | 25 (32.9%) | 30 (38.0%) |
| Good | – | 55 (64.7%) | 45 (59.2%) | 44 (55.7%) |
| Fair | – | 4 (4.7%) | 6 (7.9%) | 5 (6.3%) |
| Poor/Terrible | – | 1 (1.2%) | 0 (0%) | 0 (0%) |