Four in five (82 percent) pandemic puppy owners reported that they have used aversive training methods to address their dog’s problem behaviours, according to a new study by the Royal Veterinary College (RVC). However, this rise in negative reinforcement/positive punishment (eg owners shouting at their dogs or using unpleasant training equipment for dogs rather than using reward-based methods such as praise and treats) not only negatively impacts animal welfare but is often poorly effective and, in some cases, can even result in new problem behaviours in dogs due to the fear and anxiety.
This study, funded by Battersea and part of the ongoing RVC pandemic puppies project, followed a cohort of puppies (less than 16 weeks) purchased from breeders in the UK during the Covid pandemic in 2020 and sought to identify risk factors linked to four areas including owner-reported problem behaviours, use of training methods, expectations vs realities of behaviour and training, and seeking professional advice for behaviour and training of these puppies as they hit 21 months. This is a pivotal age because problem behaviours can increase the risk of owners deciding to rehome or euthanise their dogs due to these issues.
More than 1,000 UK owners were asked to identify the problem behaviours of their young dogs. The list of 24 behaviours that owners considered as problems ranged from control behaviours (eg pulling on their lead) and attention-seeking behaviours (eg jumping up, clinginess) to aggressive behaviours (eg towards other dogs, people and guarding food), and fear/avoidance behaviours (eg anxiety/fear around other dogs, people, loud noises) and more.
Almost all (97 per cent) owners reported their dogs displayed at least one problem behaviour from the list. The average number of owner-reported problem behaviours at 21 months was five, while 20 percent of owners reported eight or more. The three most common behaviours were pulling on the lead (67 percent), jumping up at people (57 percent) and not coming back when called (52 percent).
When the behaviours were grouped, the most frequent behavioural problems were control behaviours (84 percent), attention-seeking behaviours (77 percent), fear/avoidance behaviours (41 percent) and aggressive behaviours (25 percent).
Ninety-six percent of owners used verbal praising as a training method in the first 21 months of ownershippercent. However, 80 percent also reported using one or more aversive methods/aids and 39 percent two or more aversive training aids.
The most used aversive training method/aid was physically moving the dog (eg pushing them off if they jump up at a person or on furniture) (44 percent), followed by shouting at them/telling them off (41 percent) and leash corrections (eg yanking their lead if they pull) (40 percent). Other methods reported included using a range of aversive training equipment including rattle bottles/cans/discs, water pistols/spray bottles, choke chains and more.
Owners were less likely to use aversive training techniques if they had attended online puppy classes with their dog under 16 weeks during the pandemic, demonstrating the value of educating owners in humane training techniques at an early stage of ownership.
Dr Rowena Packer, lecturer in companion animal behaviour and welfare science at the RVC and lead author of the study, said: “Problem behaviours in dogs are a major welfare challenge, not just for affected dogs but also for their caregivers, causing stress and lifestyle changes for many owners. Our findings indicate that problem behaviours are extremely common in pandemic puppies and, in many cases, are potentially being exacerbated by owners using punishment-based training techniques.
“Although we understand these problem behaviours can be very frustrating for owners, they are often a sign that a dog is struggling to cope or hasn’t been taught an appropriate response in a situation, rather than dogs intentionally behaving badly. Punishing problem behaviours can lead to anxiety and fear, which can develop further problem behaviours including aggression.
“Gaining a deeper understanding of the risk factors for problem behaviour development is important in helping us provide effective advice to owners. A key piece of guidance from our study is that attending puppy classes is a vital way to support owners using the best training techniques available. We appreciate many pandemic puppy owners missed these opportunities due to lockdown restrictions, but thankfully, there are also many science-based behaviour professionals available running adult classes and consultations who can support owners and dogs using effective and humane training techniques .”
Robert Bays, Battersea’s senior animal behaviour manager, said: “At Battersea, we have seen a significant increase in the number of dogs coming to our centres with certain behavioural issues, such as separation anxiety, which can often be linked to the pandemic and the training challenges. Without the right kind of positive training and support, a small behaviour problem in a puppy or dog can quickly escalate into a serious issue, so we are deeply concerned by this study’s findings that so many owners are using aversive training methods. This approach can often cause further behavioural problems in adulthood and lead to suppression of behaviour, not to mention significantly damaging the relationship between pet and owner, which can be challenging to overcome in the future.
“We believe that this new research will help provide the animal welfare sector with a greater understanding of the behavioural needs of a whole generation of dogs, and in turn, the needs of their owners, so that we can offer the appropriate support and training advice they need.”
As a wider longitudinal study, later time points in this cohort of dogs will continue to be investigated for the same and broader outcomes in the future including the potential impact on later adult-dog behaviours, their health and their bond with their owners.
