Three Things to Know
Researchers compared the results of owner-completed questionnaires and in-shelter behavior assessments for over 100 dogs to determine the accuracy of shelter evaluations in reflecting a dog’s home behavior.
They found that observing a dog’s behavior in an unfamiliar room, assessing its sensitivity to touch, and gauging its response to unexpected stimuli can provide valuable insights into its home behavior.
Consistent with previous research, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of formal shelter assessments in predicting fear, friendliness, and owner-directed aggression. However, other forms of aggression (stranger-directed, dog-directed), separation anxiety, and resource guarding were less reliably predicted by these assessments.
The Full Picture
The RSPCA Australia shelters take in over 30,000 dogs annually. Upon arrival, each dog undergoes a series of evaluations: medical checks, behavioral assessments, and in-kennel monitoring. Behavioral assessments, typically conducted within a few days of admission, gauge a dog’s response to new situations and its ability to handle everyday challenges. However, these assessments can be unreliable due to factors like shelter stress and the complexity of canine behavior.
This study, “Comparison of Canine Behaviour Scored Using a Shelter Behaviour Assessment and an Owner Completed Questionnaire, C-BARQ,” aimed to explore the validity of behavioral assessments used in RSPCA Australian shelters. Owners completed the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), a validated tool that measures traits like aggression, fear, trainability, and separation anxiety. Subsequently, the same dogs underwent a standardized behavioral assessment at an RSPCA Queensland shelter. By comparing these two assessments, the study sought to determine whether shelter evaluations accurately reflect a dog’s behavior at home.
Study Methods
Subjects
One hundred seven companion dog owners were recruited through social media and media outlets associated with the RSPCA and the University of Queensland. Eligible dogs were between six months and thirteen years old, free of medical conditions or medications that could impact their behavior. Dogs of any breed, including those previously adopted from shelters, were allowed. To ensure accurate data, participating dogs had to have lived with their current owners for at least six months.
To participate, owners had to complete the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), which included 102 questions addressing behavioral traits like attachment, attention-seeking, sociability, touch sensitivity, excitability, chasing, fear, aggression, and separation-related behaviors. They then scheduled a shelter-based assessment for their dog.
Behavior Assessment
The dogs were assessed in a quiet room for 15 minutes. The researcher observed their behavior using video cameras and scored them on various metrics. The assessment included tasks like leash walking, toy interaction, and response to strangers. The dogs’ behavior was categorized into 48 specific actions and analyzed using software to determine their levels of anxiety, fear, friendliness, arousal, and aggression. The assessment followed the RSPCA Queensland’s standard protocol for shelter dogs.
Study Results
The study included 107 dogs, evenly split between males and females. Most dogs were desexed. The dogs came from various sources, including shelters (44.9%), breeders (23.8%), and private sales. Mixed breeds (19.3%) were the most common, followed by Border Collies and Kelpies. Most dogs lived in households with other dogs (64.2%) and children (30.3%). The majority of dogs had both indoor and outdoor access.
C-BARQ Questionnaire
The C-BARQ questionnaire revealed that many dogs exhibited little fear in various situations, particularly around strangers (68%) and in non-social settings (56%). When fear was present, it was most often directed towards other dogs. Aggression was generally uncommon, with owner-directed aggression being the least frequent (5%). Dog-directed aggression was more common, especially towards unfamiliar dogs (60%). Separation anxiety was not a significant issue, while behaviors like attention-seeking and high energy were more prevalent. Most dogs were reported as trainable.
Formal Behavior Assessment
During the formal assessment, dogs displayed mostly friendly (41.2% of time) and fearful behaviors (28.4%). Friendly behaviors were most frequent, followed by fear-related behaviors. Anxiousness, arousal, and aggression were less common. The toy interaction test specifically elicited higher arousal due to its stimulating nature.
Correlations between Owner-Reported Questionnaire and Formal Assessment
The study found that selected tests performed in the shelter were predictive of in-home behaviors. These tests included exploration of the room, touch sensitivity, and response to unusual stimuli for non-social fear.
In addition, the study found various correlations between owner-reported behaviors and observed behaviors in formal assessment.
Fear
The study highlighted the strong consistency of fear responses between home and shelter environments. Dogs scoring low stranger-directed fear in the owner questionaire were generally more friendly and less fearful in the shelter assessment, while those with high stranger-directed fear exhibited more fear and aggression. Non-social fear in the questionnaire was also linked to increased fearfulness in the shelter. These findings align with previous research, suggesting that fear responses are stable and predictable across different contexts. This consistency is likely due to the survival-oriented nature of fear and its association with specific environmental stimuli.
Aggression
The study revealed inconsistencies in predicting aggression from owner reports to shelter assessments. While owner-reported aggression towards humans showed some correlation with behaviors in the shelter assessment, dog-directed and stranger-directed aggression proved more challenging to assess. This aligns with previous research, which highlights the difficulty in capturing the complexities of aggression due to its multifactorial nature and the influence of environmental and contextual factors.
Aggression towards unfamiliar stimuli, such as other dogs or strangers, may not consistently manifest in controlled shelter settings due to the absence of specific triggers or different environmental cues. Additionally, owner misinterpretation of behaviors, such as mistaking frustration for aggression, can contribute to discrepancies between owner reports and shelter assessments.
Friendliness
The study found a strong correlation between owner-reported friendly behaviors and observed friendliness in shelter tests like play interactions and dog-to-dog interactions. This aligns with previous research suggesting that friendly behaviors are relatively stable across different contexts. However, while friendliness was a reliable predictor of positive post-adoption behaviors, it was less effective in predicting more complex problem behaviors like aggression or destructiveness in shelter settings.
Other Behaviors
Separation-related behaviors and possessive aggression were challenging to identify due to their complex nature and the limitations of the shelter environment. Separation anxiety, often combined with other behavioral issues, is difficult to assess without the specific triggers associated with social isolation. Possessive behaviors can vary depending on the environment and may not consistently manifest in a shelter setting.
The shelter assessment also did not predict dog rivalry, dog-directed aggression, separation-related behaviors, trainability, or chasing, suggesting limitations in the assessment protocol.
Conclusion
This study suggests that standardized behavior assessment protocols can be a valuable tool in gaining insights into a dog’s home behavior, particularly regarding friendliness, fearfulness, and aggression towards humans. However, it’s important to recognize the limitations of these assessments, as they may not accurately reflect all aspects of a dog’s behavior, such as dog-to-dog interactions, separation anxiety, or complex behavioral issues.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
–
Year of Publication:
2020
External Link:
Clay, Liam, Mandy B A Paterson, Pauleen Bennett, Gaille Perry, and Clive C J Phillips. 2020. “Comparison of Canine Behaviour Scored Using a Shelter Behaviour Assessment and an Owner Completed Questionnaire, C-BARQ” Animals 10, no. 10: 1797. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani10101797