BRYAN-COLLEGE STATION — A researcher at the Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Sciences (VMBS) has found that more than 99% of dogs in the United States show behaviors that are potentially problematic, with the top categories being aggression (55.6%), separation and attachment behaviors (85.9%), and fear and anxiety behaviors (49.9%).
The study, recently published in the Journal of Veterinary Behavior, used data gathered by the Dog Aging Project (DAP), an initiative that collects information from companion dog owners to study the effects of aging and what makes a healthy canine life. To date, more than 50,000 dogs from all backgrounds have been enrolled in the study.
For each of the 28 questions about behavior in DAP surveys, owners were asked to rate their dog’s behavior on a scale of zero to four, with four representing a potentially serious problem.
