Peer-reviewed veterinary case report
Behavior problems in 1,644 dogs: breed, age, and trends from 1991-2001
By Bamberger, Michelle & Houpt, Katherine A·Published in Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association·2006·Department of Clinical Sciences, United States·View original on PubMed →
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Original publication title: Signalment factors, comorbidity, and trends in behavior diagnoses in dogs: 1,644 cases (1991-2001).
- Species:
- dog
Plain-English summary
A study of 1,644 dogs revealed that behavioral issues like aggression and anxiety have become more common over the years. Certain breeds, such as Dalmatians and German Shepherds, were seen more often for these problems, while Labrador Retrievers were less frequently evaluated for anxiety. Interestingly, male dogs were generally more likely to have behavioral issues, except for certain fears and phobias, which were more common in females. The findings suggest that age, sex, and breed can influence the types of behavioral problems dogs experience.
People also search for: dog aggression treatment · anxiety in Dalmatians · behavioral problems in German Shepherds
Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To determine trends in behavior diagnoses; assess the relationship between diagnoses and age, sex, reproductive status, and breed; and evaluate associations between diagnoses within the same dog (comorbidity). DESIGN: Retrospective case series. ANIMALS: 1,644 dogs. PROCEDURES: Medical records of dogs evaluated for behavioral problems were reviewed for breed, sex, reproductive status, consultation year, birth date, and diagnoses. RESULTS: Numbers of dogs with aggression, anxiety, and unruly behavior increased over the course of the study, as did the total number of dogs evaluated for behavioral problems. In general and for aggression, Dalmatians, English Springer Spaniels, German Shepherd Dogs, and mixed-breed dogs were evaluated more often than expected, whereas Labrador Retrievers and Golden Retrievers were evaluated less often than expected. Labrador Retrievers were also underrepresented for anxiety, whereas mixed-breed dogs were overrepresented. Males were overrepresented except for interdog aggression, anxieties, and phobias, whereas females were overrepresented for phobias. Dogs with phobias were evaluated at a median age of 6.5 years, compared with dogs with other problems (median age, 2.5 years). A mean of 1.6 diagnoses/dog was observed, with certain diagnoses clustered. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Results suggested that in dogs, behavioral problems changed over the course of the study; age, sex, and breed distributions varied among diagnoses; and certain diagnoses were likely to occur together.
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Search related cases →Original publication on PubMed: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17107314/