Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

A reactive dog reacts stronger and more intensely to stimulus. Reactive dogs often take longer before they calm down and reach a normal state. Reactivity in dogs is a problem that can make dog ownership harder. Reactivity can show itself together with aggressive behavior, which is an unwanted behavior and can lead to abandonment or sometimes euthanizing of the dog. A typical problem area when it comes to reactivity is veterinary visits. A lot of dogs already find visits to the clinic stressful but in reactive dogs it can lead to aggressive behaviors. These behaviors can sometimes make it hard for the veterinarian to complete the examination.
A lot of disinformation and myths about how dogs should be trained are spread through TV-programs. Lack of knowledge and the use of wrong training methods can however worsen the behavior that is meant to be improved.
The method used in this study was a survey formed from the web tool Netigate. The survey was shared in two different Facebook groups and was sent through email to students from Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences.
The results show that the most common scenario where dogs react with fear or with an increased reactivity was towards other dogs. Almost all the dog owners that sought professional help found it helpful in managing their dogs. Positive reinforcement was used by almost all dog owners in this survey. Most of the dog owners answered that their life quality and mental health has been affected by their dog’s reactivity. Most respondents answered that they feel a lack of support from other dog owners, family and friends and society as a whole.
The survey was shared in a Facebook group that exclusively uses positive reinforcement and sent to different university programs related to animals. This might be the reason why this training method was so prevalent in this study, other studies show similar results regarding the usefulness of professional help. This could be a sign that dog owners with reactive dogs might lack knowledge on how to best train the dogs. The results show that there might be a knowledge gap in dog behavior not just in dog owners to reactive dogs but also in society.
The aim of this study was to investigate how dog owners experience owning a reactive dog. Do the dog owners own experience and knowledge affect the reactivity in their dog, and what kind of training methods do they use? In what areas of their lives do the dog owners feel that they are missing support from their surroundings? Owning a reactive dog can be troublesome for the owner where stress and anxiety over the problem behavior can worsen their relationship with the dog. Everyday things like taking the dog out for a walk become more troublesome which might lead to increased problems with the behavior.