Association between Training Methods and Owner-Reported Problems Behaviours in Dogs Enrolled in the Generation Pup Longitudinal Study in the UK

摘要: This study aims to explore factors associated with owners reporting problem behaviour in dogs. Owner-completed surveys collected as part of a longitudinal dog health/behaviour study were analysed. Owner-selected training methods were classified into four training categories on a scale from ‘Rewards only’to ‘Aversive only’that reflected the proportion of aversive-and rewards-based methods selected.‘Owner-reported behaviour at 12-months’(problem reported/not) was modelled with logistic regression. Predictive variables included: dog/owner demographics; owner-reported behaviour at three timepoints (12/16-weeks, 6-and 9-months), the training category and change in the training category (to a more aversive/less aversive method or maintenance) at three timepoints (12/16-weeks, 9-and 12-months). The model was repeated for a subset of dogs whose owners completed a personality questionnaire (International Personality Item Pool-50). The second model included the predictive variables listed for the first model and owners’ personality scores. Dogs trained with only aversive methods were excluded (n< 10). In the first model (X2= 312, R2= 0.33, p=< 0.001, n= 1130), owner-reported problem behaviour at 12-months was associated with the increased odds of: owner-reported problem behaviour at 12/16-weeks (OR= 1.88, CI% 1.38-2.55, p< 0.001), 6-(OR= 2.19, CI% 1.62-2.97, p< 0.001) and 9-months (OR= 6.51, CI% 4.83-8.83, p< 0.001) and changing to a more aversive training category between 9-12 months (compared to changing to a less aversive/maintenance of the same category; OR= 1.66, CI% 1.06-2.63, p= 0.029). In the second …