US study explores canine fear and anxiety

A research report has been published in the United States (US) titled Owner-Reported Prevalence and Severity of Fear and Anxiety in Dogs. The study cited that anxiety and fear impact an animal’s present and long-term welfare.

Although previous studies have examined the problem’s prevalence, their data collection methods, reported figures and study locations have varied considerably. To counter this, the report used data based on 43,517 US dogs included in the Dog Aging Project (DAP). Behaviours of fearfulness and anxiety were assessed based on their owner’s answers to nine questions.

The questions were separated into categories. These included fearfulness and anxiety in response to unfamiliar dogs, people and occurrences in their environment. Owners provided ratings on a five-point scale ranging from no problem to extreme fear.

Analysed data then determined the prevalence of problems at each individual rating level. The research found that overall, 91 per cent of dogs included in the study had at least one level two rating (mild to moderate anxiety and fear) or higher in severity, over the full complement of questions. Around 22 per cent of studied dogs were recorded to show anxiety and fear toward unfamiliar people, while about 47 per cent to unfamiliar dogs and approximately 25 per cent to unfamiliar situations, noises or objects.

Reactive dog training can help dogs better cope with unfamiliar encounters with other dogs, people and noises by altering their emotional responses and increasing their tolerance using structured, positive methods. For reactive dog training in Oxford, touch base with canine behaviourist Azz Rainey today.