Pandemic puppies’ behaviour impacting bond with owners
Puppies bought impulsively during the pandemic were considered more of a burden.
A study from the Royal Veterinary College (RVC) has revealed how problem behaviours are affecting relationships between pet owners and dogs that they acquired during the pandemic.
The researchers reflect on welfare concerns for so-called ‘pandemic puppies’, and suggest that tackling these behaviours could improve owner-dog relationships and dog welfare.
During the COVID-19 pandemic the UK saw an increase in households bringing new puppies into their homes. This resulted in concerns about impulsive purchases, puppies being produced from poor welfare sources and the impact of the lockdown on the dogs’ development.
RVC’s longitudinal study seeks to examine the ongoing relationship between these dogs and their owners.
The researchers analysed data shared by 794 dog owners involved in the study when their dogs had reached 21 months of age. They examined various aspects of the owner-dog relationship using scores from two Monash Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) subscales: Perceived Emotional Closeness and Perceived Costs.
The Perceived Emotional Closeness scale examined the level of companionship and attachment felt by owners to their dogs. Meanwhile the Perceived Costs scale asked how burdened owners felt by their dogs – including time, emotion and financial cost.
Researchers also investigated how risk factors, such as health and behaviour, might be linked to these two relationship scores.
Overall, the data revealed that pet owners that had bought a puppy specifically because of the pandemic felt more burdened by their dog than pet owners that had planned to buy a puppy since before the pandemic.
The results revealed that dogs with perceived problem behaviours carried a higher burden to their owners. Similarly, owners reported feeling less emotionally close to dogs which showed multiple signs of aggression.
Dog owners which used reward-based training methods reported feeling more emotionally close to their dogs compared to owners which used punishment-based methods.
Bree Merritt, the lead author of the study, said: “Problem behaviours have the biggest influence on the burden of dog ownership felt by our Pandemic Puppy owners.
“This is after pandemic-related factors such as lack of training and socialisation opportunities were taken into account, so problem behaviours are likely to be a much wider concern beyond just those dogs who were brought home during the pandemic.
“These results show how important it is to find evidence-based help for problem behaviour to improve the emotional health of dogs, their owners and sustain their relationship. Owners who are struggling with problem behaviour in their dog should contact their vet who can look for any underlying physical problems, and refer them to an accredited behaviourist.”
The full study can be found in the journal PLOS One.
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