Puppy Classes Research Articles

Impacts of Puppy Early Life Experiences, Puppy-Purchasing Practices, and Owner Characteristics on Owner-Reported Problem Behaviours in a UK Pandemic Puppies Cohort at 21 Months of Age.

Problem behaviours are a leading cause of relinquishment and euthanasia of young dogs. Previous research has identified associations between owner-reported problem behaviours and risk factors, including how dogs were acquired as puppies, early socialisation experiences, and owners' experience levels. Puppies acquired during the 2020 phase of the UK COVID-19 pandemic ("Pandemic Puppies") were more likely to be exposed to many of these risk factors compared to puppies acquired in 2019; however, consequences for their adult behaviour are, as yet, unexplored. This study aimed to investigate the impact of these early-life and provenance-based risk factors, in addition to owner management strategies (including training methods) into early adulthood, upon adult dog behaviour aged 21 months. An online longitudinal cohort study of n = 985 Pandemic Puppies was conducted, recruited from a cohort of n = 4369 puppies originally surveyed in November-December 2020, which included data on how and why they were acquired and their socialisation/habituation experiences <16 weeks of age. Nearly all owners (96.7%) reported that their dog had exhibited at least one problem behaviour up to 21 months of age (median: 5; IQR: 3-7). Almost one third of dogs (30.9%) were reported to have displayed separation-related behaviours. Multivariable linear regression modelling revealed that owners reporting more problem behaviours were more likely to use multiple aversive training techniques (e.g., physical punishment), the use of which was notably high in this population (82.3%) compared to previous studies. Attendance at online puppy classes was the sole protective factor against owner use of aversive training methods. Almost one third of owners had underestimated how hard training their dog would be; this view was more likely among first-time owners. Urgent efforts are required to support this vulnerable population of dogs, including providing owner education regarding humane training techniques, to improve canine emotional health and avoid future relinquishment and/or behavioural euthanasia.

Highlighting gaps in puppy research using Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological theory of human development

Abstract The use of an ecological model in puppy development research can help to capture the real-world complexity of development factors and outcomes. Using a modified version of Bronfenbrenner’s bioecological model, we explored the real-world experiences of 20 Australian adults who had acquired and were subsequently raising a puppy in their home for companionship purposes. Our participants’ experiences offered insights into several gaps in the current literature and potential opportunities for future research. These insights included: (1) researchers should be wary of viewing a puppy’s household as uniform, or static. Each individual within a household provides unique interactions and development opportunities and therefore cannot be a reliable representative of the household at large; (2) knowledge is unlikely to be uni-directional, or deriving from only a single source, even in environments such as puppy classes. How knowledge is transferred, trusted, interpreted, and applied is likely affected by the individual’s own ecological system (such as biases), as well as the characteristics of the relationship between the individuals involved; and (3) puppies both are affected by, and have an effect on, those around them. The arrival of a puppy into a household is likely to change the existing dynamics of that household. These changes may be positive or negative in nature, or both simultaneously. Further research into these findings may help researchers better understand the complex nature of puppy development.

Factors influencing owner-reported approaches to training dogs enrolled in the Generation Pup longitudinal study

The majority of owners use rewards (e.g. treats and praise) when training their dogs. However, many additionally use aversive methods (e.g. physical reprimands, sound/spray distractions) which can compromise the welfare of dogs. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with owner-reported use of aversive training methods.A study was conducted using data provided by owners living in the UK or Republic of Ireland participating in a longitudinal study (‘Generation Pup’). Data from a registration questionnaire completed when puppies were ≤16 weeks of age, and a follow-up questionnaire completed when dogs were nine-months of age were analysed. Responses to questions about owners’ intended/actual use of different training methods at each time point were grouped into two categories. ‘Reward only’ training: positive reinforcement (PR; increasing behaviour through application of rewarding stimulus) and/or negative punishment (NP; decreasing behaviour through removal of rewarding stimulus), and’ reward and aversive’ training: >2 methods of positive punishment (PP; decreasing behaviour by application of aversive stimulus) and/or negative reinforcement (NR; increasing behaviour through removal of aversive stimulus). Associations between training approach (’reward only’ / ‘reward and aversive’) and potential owner-related risk factors were modelled using multivariable logistic regression.Data from 2154 owners at registration were collected, and a follow-up questionnaire for 9-month-old dogs were completed by 976 owners. At registration, 99.7 % of owners reported their intention to use PR and/or NP, and 84.1 % intended to use PP and/or NR. At 9 months, 99.7 % of owners reported using PR and/or NP, and 74.2 % used PP and/or NR. Data were available for 161 owners at both time points, of which 80 % reported the same training approach in both questionnaires. At 9 months, not attending training or puppy classes in the previous 2-months (Odds Ratio = 3.16, 95 % Confidence Interval = 2.18–4.59, P < 0.001), and not having dog-related employment (Odds Ratio = 2.70, 95 % Confidence Interval = 1.53–4.77, P = 0.001) were associated with increased odds of reporting a reward and aversive approach. Owners aged 55 years or more were twice as likely as those younger than 55 (Odds Ratio = 1.93, 95 % Confidence Interval = 1.29–2.87, P = 0.001), and male owners were three times as likely as female owners (Odds Ratio = 3.10, 95 % Confidence Interval = 1.52–6.36, P = 0.002) to use a reward and aversive training approach.Owners reporting a reward and aversive training approach was common within this cohort. Increased awareness of optimal training approaches for dogs is needed, especially for older, male owners, who have not accessed puppy training classes.

Owner perception of problem behaviours in dogs aged 6 and 9-months

Problem behaviours may lead to compromised welfare, risk of relinquishment and euthanasia for dogs, as well as distress and safety issues for owners. This study used data provided by 1111 UK and Republic of Ireland participants in the ‘Generation Pup’ longitudinal study of canine health and behaviour. The aims were to; i) identify the proportion and type of problem behaviours reported by owners when their dogs were 6 and 9-months; ii) identify risk factors for behaviours owners reported as a ‘problem’ when their dog was 9-months old; iii) identify risk factors for behaviours reported to occur but not recorded as a ‘problem’ by owners when dogs were 9-months old; and iv) identify whether and how owners sought help for undesired behaviours. In the 6 and 9-months questionnaires, 31 % and 35 % (respectively) of owners reported their dog to be showing behaviour(s) that they found a problem. Owners most often sought help for these behaviours from dog trainers (72 % at 6-months and 68 % at 9-months), and online sources excluding those associated with welfare organisations (which were listed separately) (34 % at 6-months and 27 % at 9-months). The most commonly reported problem behaviours at both ages were pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and poor recall. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that female owners, owners who were unemployed/homemakers/pensioners/retired, owners who did not attend (nor planned to attend) puppy classes, and owners who reported they used a mixture of positive reinforcement and positive punishment or positive punishment only training methods at 9-months had increased odds of reporting a problem behaviour in their dogs at that age. Further investigation determined risk factors for owners reporting one or more of the three most commonly reported problem behaviours (pulling on the lead, jumping up at people and poor recall) in their dog’s 9-months questionnaire compared with those owners who separately recorded the occurrence of these behaviours, but did not report any to be problematic. Owners who were employed/self-employed/students, owners who reported that they used positive reinforcement only, owners that had not attended puppy class, and owners of small dogs had increased odds of not reporting a behaviour to be problematic despite evidence of the behaviour having been observed by the owner. These results indicate that not all potentially concerning canine behaviours were perceived by the owners to be problematic, and has identified groups of owners more likely to require support with behaviour issues in their dogs.

A prospective cross-sectional survey of UK-based dog owners to explore canine handling intolerances and owner willingness to disclose these to veterinary professionals

Background: Canine handling intolerances (CHI) can be problematic for veterinary professionals (VPs), particularly when not disclosed by owners. Aims: This study explored apparent prevalence of CHI during veterinary practice visits, owner willingness to disclose intolerances to VPs and their beliefs as to responsibilities for disclosure and risks of non-disclosure. Methods: Using a prospective cross-sectional study design, an online, social media-based survey was distributed, which generated 471 usable responses over 4 months. Results: The majority (60.7%) of dogs had CHI. Most owners (78.1%) would definitely alert VPs to CHI, 90.5% believed it was primarily the owners’ responsibility to disclose, with non-disclosure perceived to make procedures high risk for VPs. Veterinary practices could help prevent CHI, with puppy classes and information on canine body language which respondents also felt could be valuable. Conclusion: With CHI common, owners and VPs have roles to play in prevention, disclosure and management to minimise risk to VPs and ensure all parties’ welfare.

Survey of Dog Owners’ Awareness of Puppy Classes

Survey of Dog Owners’ Awareness of Puppy Classes

Preliminary study on the effects of attendance at dog training school on minimizing development of some anxiety disorders

In Japan, the importance of problem behaviors in dogs has recently become more widely recognized. Many dogs in Japan are relinquished to shelters because of problematic behaviors, and anxiety-related disorders are one of the main causes of such behaviors. In many cases, dogs are euthanized because of behaviors associated with anxiety-related disorders. In the present study, the effects of attending puppy classes, attending training school sessions, living with other dogs, and the presence of children while dogs were puppies on later anxious behaviors were investigated. Questionnaires were distributed to dog owners and data pertaining to 307 dogs were obtained. Anxious behaviors in response to storms (hereafter referred to categorically as “storm”) and fireworks were also investigated. There were significant associations between storm and age, storm and attending training school, fireworks and age, and fireworks and attending training school. In multiple comparison testing, there were significant differences between juvenile dogs and other groups with regard to fireworks, and reduced anxious behaviors were significantly associated with training school attendance in the storm and fireworks subgroups. The results of this study suggest that attending training school reduced some anxiety-related behaviors. Notably, however, we did not investigate the effects of the regularity or frequency of training school attendance, or the content of such training sessions in this study. Therefore, the effects of these things on anxiety-related behaviors require further investigation.

Association between puppy classes and adulthood behavior of the dog

This study was designed to assess the effect of puppies and juvenile dogs' attendance at puppy classes on the behavior of the dogs at their adult age. For this purpose, 80 dogs (32 of which had attended puppy classes and the other 48 had not) were evaluated using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire that was filled out by owners 1 year after the completion of the puppy training. Dogs that attended classes were categorized as puppies (≤3 months) (n = 15) or juveniles (>3 months) (n = 17). Ordinal regression models were used to estimate the influence of puppy classes on the different behavioral traits assessed by the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire. The results indicated that both puppies and juveniles that have attended classes had more favorable scores for family-dog aggression, trainability, nonsocial fear, and touch sensitivity. The study showed that attending puppy class may be important for social exposure with other puppies and people which could have an association with the dog's long-term behavior.

Puppy socialization practices of a sample of dog owners from across Canada and the United States.

OBJECTIVE To identify actions taken by owners to socialize puppies < 20 weeks of age, to determine factors affecting attendance of structured puppy classes, and to examine associations between class attendance and owner response to various undesirable puppy behaviors. DESIGN Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE 296 puppy owners (each with 1 puppy). PROCEDURES Participants completed a survey at enrollment (to gather data regarding owner demographics and puppy characteristics) and again when puppies were 20 weeks of age (to gather information on socialization practices and owner responses to misbehavior and signs of fear in their puppy). Responses were compared between owners that did (attendees) and did not (nonattendees) report attending puppy classes. RESULTS 145 (49.0%) respondents reported attending puppy classes. Class structure differed greatly among respondents. Attendees exposed their puppies to a greater number of people and other dogs than nonattendees as well as to various noises and situations. Puppies of attendees were less likely than puppies of nonattendees to have signs of fear in response to noises such as thunder and vacuum cleaners as well as to crates. Fewer attendees reported use of punishment-based discipline techniques than did nonattendees. Almost one-third of puppies received only minimal exposure to people and dogs outside the home during the survey period. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE A notable number of puppies < 20 weeks of age in this study received few early socialization opportunities, which could lead to behavior problems and subsequent relinquishment. Opportunities exist for veterinarians to serve an important role in educating puppy owners about the importance of early puppy socialization and positive reward training.

Risk factors for human-directed canine aggression in a referral level clinical population

Risk factors for human-directed aggression were investigated using retrospective analysis of data from a referral-level clinical behaviour population in the UK. A sample of 200 cases involving human-directed canine aggression...

The Current State of Puppy Classes in Veterinary Clinics and How to Facilitate their Use in the Future

The Current State of Puppy Classes in Veterinary Clinics and How to Facilitate their Use in the Future

Puppy parties and beyond: the role of early age socialization practices on adult dog behavior.

The most common role of a domestic dog in the developed world currently is that of companion. Puppy socialization practices play a large role in the development of well-adjusted adult dogs that display few undesirable behaviors, and which can establish a positive, lifelong relationship with their owner. Age-appropriate socialization practices should begin within a few days of birth, and should extend well into adulthood. These practices should aim to provide exposure to many of the types of experiences, people, and objects that the dog is likely to encounter over the course of its life, in a controlled and pleasant way. Dogs that are appropriately socialized as puppies are less likely to exhibit behavioral problems as adults, including aggression and fearfulness. They are more likely to engage in positive social behaviors with humans, and can learn how to play games with humans better than dogs without proper socialization. However, the evidence in support of puppy socialization classes is less clear. There is some evidence that puppy classes positively impact adult behavior, but other studies show no clear benefit. Since socialization should begin early in a puppy’s life, it is the responsibility of the breeder and the owner. Breeders can ensure that puppies are exposed to age-appropriate experiences while in the litter, and owners must ensure that the dog continues to have varied experiences throughout its life. Veterinarians are also an important part of this process, and are heavily relied upon by owners to provide information about health and behavior. Since veterinarians often see puppies during vaccinations, owners can be educated about proper socialization practices at those visits. Future research should aim to determine the minimum amounts of socialization required for a puppy, and whether there is a maximum amount, beyond which there is no benefit, or even a disadvantage.

How to run a puppy party: social saviour or social demon?

A previous article ( Hargrave 2013 ) discussed some of the predisposing factors that may make it difficult for a puppy's emotional and behavioural repertoire to develop as their owner may expect, potentially leading to puppies failing to cope in the domestic environment and developing compensating, undesirable behaviours that lead to early difficulties in the human–animal bond. Such puppies and their families require vigilance on the part of the veterinary team to spot them early and to enable the initiation of support. This article develops the theme by suggesting a comprehensive package of support that practices, possibly in cooperation with appropriately qualified trainers, may offer puppies during practice-led puppy classes. Such support packages should help puppies, both with or without extra challenging predispositions, to cope with the physical and social complexity and frustrations of co-existence with humans in a domestic environment. Due to the increasing environmental challenges met by young dogs and the growing sensitivity of the general public to dogs that exhibit behaviours associated with a lack of environmental competency, such preventative behavioural support should be as much a basic of practice welfare policy as preventative puppy vaccinations.

Human directed aggression in domestic dogs (Canis familiaris): Occurrence in different contexts and risk factors

The consequence for dogs of showing aggression towards people is often euthanasia or relinquishment. Aggression is also a sign of compromised welfare in dogs, and a public health issue for people. The aims of this study were to estimate the numbers of dogs showing aggression to people in three contexts (unfamiliar people on entering, or outside the house, and family members); identify whether these co-occur, and investigate risk factors for aggression in each context using multivariable analyses. In this cross-sectional convenience sample of UK dog owners, aggression (defined as barking, lunging, growling or biting) towards unfamiliar people was more common than towards family members. Most dogs did not show aggression in multiple contexts, suggesting that this behaviour may be a learnt response to situations rather than a general characteristic of individuals. Older owners were less likely to report family directed aggression or aggression to unfamiliar people entering the house than younger ones. Female owners were also less likely to report aggression to visitors. Increasing dog age was associated with increased risk of aggression to unfamiliar people both entering and outside the house. Female neutered dogs had a reduced risk of aggression in all three contexts. Dogs in the Utility and Hounds groups as defined by the UK Kennel Club had an increased risk of aggression to family members compared to cross-breeds, although post hoc analyses identified no specific increased individual breed risks. Gundogs has a reduced risk of aggression to unfamiliar people both entering and outside of the house. Where owners acquired their dog was a risk factor for aggression to household members. Attendance at puppy classes reduced risk of aggression to unfamiliar people both in and out of the house; attending ring-craft classes were associated with reduced risk when outside the house. The use of positive punishment or negative reinforcement based training methods was associated with increased chance of aggression to family and unfamiliar people outside the house. Importantly, for all types of aggression, the variables measured explained a relatively small amount of the variance (<10%) between aggressive and non-aggressive animals, suggesting a much greater importance of factors specific to the experience of individual dogs in the development of aggression. These data suggest that although general characteristics of dogs and owners may be a factor at population level, it would be inappropriate to make assumptions about an individual animal's risk of aggression to people based on characteristics such as breed.

An introduction to developmental problems in puppy hood

Many veterinary staff wondered why the Companion Animal Welfare Council, that conducted independent studies into the welfare, care and treatment of companion animals, concluded that the minimum standard of accredited qualification for professionals instructing a puppy class should be at level 4 to 5, i.e. equivalent to a foundation degree or early years of undergraduate level study. It is intended that this article will go some way towards explaining the complexity and variety of problems that can be faced by the young puppy and why it is essential for veterinary staff in charge of this part of a dog's emotional and behavioural development to be able to recognise problems and give appropriate advice to owners. To fail to intervene appropriately in this essential aspect of preventative behavioural medicine can lead to permanent and irreversible behavioural problems. In turn such problems may lead to abuse, relinquishment or euthanasia of the dog and to potential injury to owners. Put simply, there is more to preparing puppies for life than opportunities to play together and it is particularly inappropriate to encourage a party atmosphere of excessive emotional arousal.

Importance of Puppy Training for Future Behavior of the Dog

In this study, we attempted to clarify whether puppy socialization and command training class, which was limited to puppies approximately 4 months of age, prevented behavior problems in dogs. We evaluated the behaviors of 142 dogs with 4 types of training experience by using a behavior test and the Canine Behavior Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ). Dogs in the puppy class (PC) group (n=44) attended the class for 1 hr each week for 6 weeks, dogs in the puppy party (PP) group (n=39) attended a 1-hr "puppy party," dogs in the adult class (AC) group (n=27) undertook basic obedience lessons for adolescent/adult dogs for 1 hr each week for 6 weeks, and dogs in the no class (NC) group (n=32) underwent no formal training. The behavior test evaluated each dog's response to commands, owner's recall, separation, a novel stimulus and strangers. The C-BARQ evaluated 15 canine behavioral factors. The behavior test results indicated that the PC and AC groups showed significantly higher response to commands than the PP or NC group. Thus, participation in puppy and adult classes improved the obedience behavior of dogs, regardless of age. Positive response to strangers in the PC group was significantly higher than that in the AC and NC groups and tended to be higher than that in the PP group. Therefore, PC may help prevent canine behavioral problems such as disobedience or fear of strangers.

The use of electronic collars for training domestic dogs: estimated prevalence, reasons and risk factors for use, and owner perceived success as compared to other training methods

BackgroundThe use of electronic training devices for dog training is controversial. The aims of this study were to give an indication of the extent to which dog owners use these devices in England, identify factors associated with their use, and compare owner report of outcomes. A convenience sample of dog owners in England was used to identify numbers using electronic training devices and identify reasons for use. Factors associated with use of remote e-collars only were determined by comparing dogs trained using these devices with two control populations matched for reason of use (recall / chasing problems). Comparison groups were: those using other ‘negative reinforcement / positive punishment’ training techniques, and those using ‘positive reinforcement / negative punishment’ based methods. A multinominal logistic regression model was used to compare factors between categories of training method. Owner reported success for use was compared using chi-squared analysis.ResultsFor England only, 3.3% (n = 133) owners reported using remote activated e-collars, 1.4% (n = 54) reported use of bark activated e-collars, and 0.9% (n = 36) reported using electronic boundary fences. In comparison with the e-collar group, owners using reward based training methods for recall / chasing were 2.8 times more likely to be female and 2.7 times less likely to have attended agility training. Owners using other aversive methods for recall / chasing were 2.8 times more likely to have attended puppy classes than those using e-collars. However, the model only explained 10% variance between groups. A significantly higher proportion of owners in the reward group reported training success than those in the e-collar group.ConclusionsIn conclusion, a fairly low proportion of owners select to use electronic training devices. For a population matched by reason for training method use, characteristics of dogs, including occurrence of undesired behaviours do not appear to distinguish between training methods. Rather, owner gender and attendance at training classes appear more important, although explaining a relatively small amount of variance between groups. More owners using reward based methods for recall / chasing report a successful outcome of training than those using e-collars.

Effects of dog-appeasing pheromones on anxiety and fear in puppies during training and on long-term socialization

To evaluate the effectiveness of dog-appeasing pheromone (DAP) in reducing fear and anxiety in puppies and its effects on training and socialization. Randomized, controlled clinical trial. ANIMALS-45 puppies between 12 to 15 weeks of age at the time of inclusion. Puppies enrolled in puppy classes were randomly allocated to 1 of 4 groups: 2 large-breed groups (1 DAP and 1 placebo group) and 2 small-breed groups (1 DAP and 1 placebo group). The investigator, trainers, and owners were unaware of treatment allocation throughout the study. Classes lasted 8 weeks, and owners were asked to complete a questionnaire before the first lesson and at the end of each lesson thereafter. Data collected included amount of learning and degrees of fear and anxiety for each puppy. Follow-up telephone surveys of owners to obtain information on subsequent socialization of puppies were performed at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after the classes ended. Dogs in DAP and placebo groups were significantly different with respect to degrees of fear and anxiety; longer and more positive interactions between puppies, including play, were evident in dogs in the DAP groups. Data from follow-up telephone surveys indicated that puppies in the DAP groups were better socialized and adapted faster in new situations and environments, compared with puppies in the placebo groups. When compared with a placebo treatment, DAP was useful in reducing anxiety and fear in puppies during puppy classes and resulted in improved socialization.

Puppy Classes and Parties: A Good Place to Start

Puppy Classes and Parties: A Good Place to Start