Epsilon Archive for Student Projects

Abstract

Dogs are the second most popular pet in Sweden, with over 700,000 registered dog owners. Problem behaviours in dogs are common and can affect both the dog’s welfare and the relationship between dog and owner. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between dog owners’ self-assessed knowledge of dogs and their breed, activity level, and the occurrence of perceived problem behaviours in dogs.
The study was conducted as a questionnaire survey in which 323 complete responses from dog owners were analysed. The questionnaire contained questions about the dog owners’ background and knowledge, the dogs’ characteristics, perceived problem behaviours, and various forms of exercise and enrichment. The results were analysed using Spearman’s rank correlation.
The results showed that dog owners generally rated their knowledge of both dogs and their own breed as high. No statistically significant correlation could be demonstrated between breed knowledge and perceived problem behaviours. However, a statistically significant positive correlation was demonstrated between higher levels of stimulation and a higher incidence of reported problem behaviours.
The study shows that the relationship between dog owners’ knowledge, activity levels and perceived problem behaviours is complex and influenced by several possible factors. Further research is needed to investigate how different types of activity, as well as the owner’s expectations and experiences, influence dogs’ behaviour.