More than 99% of US dogs have a behavior problem, Texas A&M researcher finds

A researcher at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has found that more than 99% of dogs in the United States show behaviors that are potentially problematic, with the top categories being aggression (55.6%), separation and attachment behaviors (85.9%), and fear and anxiety behaviors (49.9%).

The study, recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, used data gathered by the Dog Aging Project (DAP), an initiative that collects information from companion dog owners to study the effects of aging and what makes a healthy canine life. To date, more than 50,000 dogs from all backgrounds have been enrolled in the study.

For each of the 28 questions about behavior in DAP surveys, owners were asked to rate their dog’s behavior on a scale of zero to four, with four representing a potentially serious problem.

“Overall, 99.12% of dogs had at least one response of moderate to severe in an area of behavior,” said Dr. Bonnie Beaver, a professor in the VMBS’ Department of Small Animal Clinical Sciences and author of the study. “The majority of responses suggest dogs do not have a lot of problems, and the problem behaviors that do exist are relatively minor. Owners may not see them as issues worth addressing, but almost any dog owner will encounter a behavior that is at least inconvenient.

“The questions used in the study are not intended to be a diagnosis, and many behaviors overlap into different categories. For example, anxiety and separation are often related behaviors, but questions about them were put into separate categories. Dogs may act aggressively out of fear, but again the questions about each were in separate categories. So, a fear-biting dog may not be obvious in the results,” she said.

What remains clear from the study is that behavior is a crucial element of dog ownership and should be considered carefully by both dog owners and veterinarians so that mild problems do not escalate into severe ones.

“Some studies report that only 50% of veterinarians ask questions about behavior during appointments, and owners may not think to ask the veterinarian about something they don’t like,” Beaver said. “This has to change, so we don’t end up missing half of the problems.

“For dog owners, it’s important to learn to read your dog’s body language and talk to your local veterinarian if there is any type of behavior happening that bothers you,” she said. “They can help you identify the cause and find a solution.”

Getting To The Root Of Behavior Problems

Not all owners react to their dogs’ behaviors the same way, because what bothers one person may not bother another. This can make trying to address behavior problems more challenging.

“As an example, I once saw a miniature poodle that came in for a problem with barking,” Beaver said. “In the patient’s history, I found out that the dog would routinely urinate on a Persian rug, but that behavior didn’t bother the owner as much as the barking.”

To get a complete history of a dog’s behavior, veterinarians may need to ask questions in multiple ways.

“Owners don’t always bring up behavior problems during appointments,” Beaver said. “If a dog bites somebody as it walks out the door to the veterinarian’s office, then they might mention it. But if it happened three months ago, they might not think to say anything.

“Giving owners a questionnaire before asking in-person questions can help give them time to think, which will increase the chance that they tell you about behavior problems,” she said.

When A Behavior Becomes Dangerous

While minor behavior problems may be common and relatively harmless, some problems require special care.

“Every species will show a behavior that humans don’t understand,” Beaver said. “If it’s dangerous to you or other people, you need help, and you need to look at what else is going on in the animal’s environment that may be triggering the dangerous behavior.”

One of the most common dangerous behaviors in dogs is aggression — including growling, snapping and biting — but the cause may not be obvious to owners.

“Aggression is a normal behavior in animals and it happens for a reason,” Beaver said. “So, you need to consider why the dog is behaving that way. Is it fearful? Is it being threatened by a little kid getting too close, somebody staring in its eyes, by a bigger dog coming toward it, or by a stranger approaching? As veterinarians, we’ve got to look at the context in which a behavior happens to try and appreciate what might be going on in the animal’s mind.

“Animals think,” she said. “But they probably don’t think like we do.”

According to Beaver, one of the most important ways of preventing unwanted aggressive behaviors in dogs is for owners to educate themselves about canine body language so they can better recognize emotions like fear before it turns into aggression.

“The information is readily available online, including sources from veterinarians,” she said. “You can also ask your local veterinarian for pictures and other resources.”

People with young children should be extra cautious when owning a dog or allowing their children near one, since children are the least likely to be able to read a dog’s body language.

“The people most often bitten are children under the age of 7,” Beaver said. “If you have children and a dog, be sure that they are only together under supervision. Do not allow your kids to climb all over the dog or pull its hair and ears. And teach your kids not to approach a dog ­— even their own family dog — unless they are with a parent.”

By Courtney Price, Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences