Researchers find causes of canine separation anxiety
Canine SRBs have been identified in approximately 50 per cent of dogs.
New research from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed how early life experiences may contribute to a dog developing separation-related behaviours (SRBs).
The project aimed to understand which SRBs the dogs were developing, the experiences which might lead to them and whether there were any other contributing factors.
Canine SRBs have been identified in approximately 50 per cent of dogs, and can be associated with poor animal welfare. However, the factors are not fully understood, and are therefore harder to prevent.
To investigate the contributing factors, researchers examined data collected from 145 puppy owners during Dogs Trust’s ‘Generation Pup’ study. This involved exploratory risk factor analysis, where they linked early life experiences with owner-reported instances of SRB in six-month-old puppies.
The data showed that 46.9 per cent of the puppies had displayed signs of SRB.
The most common SRB displayed by these puppies was pacing, which was reported in 14.5 per cent of cases. This was followed by whining (7.6 per cent) and spinning (6.9 per cent).
Puppies which had experienced punishment or aversive techniques, such as telling off or ignoring, in response to ‘bad’ behaviour at 16 weeks of age were more likely to develop SRBs at six months. Similarly, dogs which had been ‘fussed’ were six times more likely to develop such behaviours.
Training also had an impact on their future chances of developing SRBs. Puppies that received poor training, or were trained with kibble or treats, proved more likely to develop this behaviour.
Dogs appeared less likely to develop SRBs if they were restricted to crates or rooms overnight, and if they got at least nine hours of sleep each night.
Investigations into the impact of dog breed or sex, however, found no clear link to SRBs.
Based on this data, the researchers advise that puppy owners refrain from aversive training methods with their pet and avoid fussing their pet in response to unwanted behaviour. Puppies should be allowed to sleep for at least nine hours in a crate or restricted to a room.
Fiona Dale, project lead and a PhD student at the RVC, said: “There has been relatively little research to date into whether the early experiences of puppies influence if they develop SRBs later in their lives.
“Our findings suggested that how owners responded to their puppies’ behaviour across different contexts was associated with the development of SRBs. In particular, aversive techniques (e.g. shouting at the puppy) when responding to ‘bad’ behaviour and fussing during reunions may lead to an increased risk of SRBs when puppies are six months of age.”
The full study can be found here.
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Joanne Webster, a professor of parasitic diseases at the RVC, has been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society (FRS).
