Tips for those dreaming of adoption…Results of a study tracking behavioral changes at 4 points after adoption
Entered 2023.09.14 18:45 Views 1 Entered 2023.09.14 18:45 Modified 2023.09.14 15:04 Views 1
Most people who adopt dogs feel great happiness with their dogs. Many people have experienced various problems such as unpredictable dog behavior, disease, and aging, but they still love their dogs. [사진=게티이미지뱅크]I see and hear many stories of poor dogs who were suddenly abandoned by the people they lived with. Whenever that happens, quite a few people say that they desperately want to find a dog shelter (abandoned dog protection center) out of compassion. A new study has found that people who want to adopt a sheltered dog when conditions allow are more considerate.
A research team from Ohio State University’s College of Veterinary Medicine conducted a survey of 99 people who adopted abandoned dogs from five dog shelters in Ohio. The research team conducted a survey using a tool called the ‘Canine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ)’ at four time points: 7 days, 30 days, 90 days, and 180 days after the dog entered the adoptive home.
Research results have shown that aggression toward adopters, strangers, and other dogs changes in various ways over time. In particular, behavioral problems related to separation, such as separation anxiety, were found to decrease significantly at 6 months.
Additionally, among the dog’s changed behaviors, the intensity of some behaviors, such as aggression toward strangers and chasing, appeared to increase at all times. Excitability and tactile sensitivity increased at 90 and 180 days. Two traits, separation-related behavior, attachment, and attention seeking, decreased over six months.
Among the behaviors that did not change, aggression toward unfamiliar dogs (75%), aggression toward familiar dogs (37.8%), and aggression toward adopters (32.3%) still showed high rates at various times. At the end of the study, 93.7% of adopters rated their dog’s behavior as good or excellent overall. 100% of adopters responded that their dogs had adapted very or averagely well to their new home.
“It is important for shelter managers to be able to respond well to changing circumstances and allow adopters to continue raising their dogs,” said Kyle Borland, assistant professor of behavioral medicine and first author of the study.
According to the research team, if you search the Internet, you will find that a dog’s behavior changes 3 days, 3 weeks, and 3 months after being adopted into a home. “When a dog enters a new environment, the stress hormone cortisol spikes and then returns to normal within a few days,” said Assistant Professor Boland. “I think it’s right for her to change after three days,” he said. He said bluntly, “However, there is absolutely no scientific basis for the idea that things will change after three weeks or three months.” Previous studies on adopted shelter dogs were inevitably unscientific because they used a piecemeal approach, such as conducting surveys at one point in time or using unverified surveys.
Some behavioral changes in your dog after adoption have their own significance. As people feel more protected in their new surroundings, their aggression toward strangers may increase. Separation anxiety may decrease as your child adjusts to home life.[사진=게티이미지뱅크]The research team surveyed new adopters via email four times: one week, one month, three months, and six months after bringing the dog home. 62 out of 99 people responded to all surveys. The questionnaire included 42 questions on a scale of 0 to 4 assessing excitability, aggression toward adopters and strangers and unfamiliar or familiar dogs, fear, sensitivity to touch, separation-related behavior, attachment and attention seeking, chasing behavior, and energy level. A question was included.
At each time point, the research team asked owners to rate their overall satisfaction with their dog’s behavior and record changes in the household. The research team said, “What stands out the most is the high level of aggression among dogs. This is a concern from both a public health perspective and a human mental health perspective. “There are many dogs that are struggling, and this also affects humans,” he said.
However, it is also very important that people feel great happiness about their dogs. Many people have experienced various problems such as unpredictable dog behavior, disease, and aging, but they can still remember that they love their dogs. It clearly shows the deep bond between people and pets.
Previous statistical analyzes have shown that a dog’s size, age, or gender is associated with certain behaviors. Puppies treated with anti-anxiety medication at a dog shelter were more likely to show aggression towards strangers or react sensitively to being touched after adoption. This is not because the medication made the symptoms worse, but it is highly likely that the dog was difficult to handle from the beginning. The research team intentionally excluded breeds from the analysis, described most dogs as mixed breeds, and did not distinguish between male and female dogs.
According to the research team, some behavioral changes in dogs have their own meaning. Aggression toward strangers may increase as your dog feels more protected in a new environment. Separation anxiety may decrease as your dog adjusts to home life. Tactile sensitivity may not be noticeable for several months until your first nail is trimmed.
According to U.S. government statistics, about 2 million dogs are adopted from American dog shelters every year. Of the dogs adopted during the study period, seven were returned to the shelter. The return rate is 7.1%, which is much lower than the average return rate for the entire United States (about 15%).
The results of this study (Shelter dog behavior after adoption: Using the C-BARQ to track dog behavior changes through the first six months after adoption) were published in PLOS ONE, the online academic journal of the U.S. Public Library of Science.
2023-09-14 09:46:38
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