Dogs’ fears revealed by study
DOES your dog get scared while being examined by a vet?
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DOES your dog get scared while being examined by a vet?
A new study led by researchers from the University of Adelaide has found that up to 40 per cent of owners report their pet dogs are scared at the vet, while globally up to one in seven dogs show severe or extreme fear during an examination.
But some risk factors may help predict their fear, including a dog's breed group, its weight, the age of other dogs in the household, the dog's history of roles or activities, the owner's level of experience in dog ownership and where the dog has been purchased.
The study was based on 26,555 responses to the Canine Behaviour and Research Questionnaire, where dog owners were given examples of mild to moderate fear, including avoiding eye contact, crouching or cringing with tail lowered or tucked between the legs, whimpering or whining, becoming rigid, and shaking or trembling.
Extreme fear is described as exaggerated cowering and/or vigorous attempts to escape, retreat or hide.
Researcher Petra Edwards, a PhD candidate with the University of Adelaide's School of Animal and Veterinary Sciences, said owners with dogs that were afraid of their vet might avoid taking them frequently for check-ups, or wait until a health issue was severe.
"It was a shock to find up to one in seven dogs were reported to show severe or extreme fear during vet visits, and that even 41 per cent of dogs showed mild to moderate fear in the same context,'' she said.
Ms Edwards hopes the research will promote more proactive processes and education around human-animal interactions, clinic environment and animal management.
"I imagine that there's likely not a one-size-fits-all answer, but hopefully with time, practice and research we can find many answers that we can adapt to each individual to help ensure the majority of our dogs can feel safe and comfortable with their vet care,'' she said.
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