An Epidemiological Analysis of Dog Behavior Problems Presented to an Australian Behavior Clinic, with Associated Risk Factors

Accepted Manuscript

An epidemiological analysis of dog behavior problems presented to an Australian behavior clinic, with associated risk factors

R. Col, C. Day, C.J.C. Phillips

PII: S1558-7878(16)30061-2 DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2016.07.001 Reference: JVEB 981

To appear in: Journal of Veterinary Behavior

Received Date: 27 April 2016

Accepted Date: 18 July 2016

Please cite this article as: Col, R., Day, C., Phillips, C.J.C., An epidemiological analysis of dog behavior problems presented to an Australian behavior clinic, with associated risk factors, Journal of Veterinary Behavior (2016), doi: 10.1016/j.jveb.2016.07.001.

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1 An epidemiological analysis of dog behavior problems presented to an Australian

2 behavior clinic, with associated risk factors

4 R. Col 1,2 , C. Day 1,3 and C.J.C. Phillips 1* ,

5 1 School of Veterinary Science, University of Queensland, Gatton, Queensland 4343, Australia

6 2 Department of Physiology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey

7 3 Pethealth, Fairfield, Brisbane, Queensland, Australia

8 *Author to whom correspondence should be addressed; E-Mail: [email protected]

10 Abstract

11 Records of dogs presented to a behavior clinic servicing the eastern seaboard of Australia in and around

12 Brisbane and the Gold Coast were analysed for principal behavior problems and the related factors, from 13 information recorded at the time that the owner approached MANUSCRIPT the clinic for assistance. Data relating to 7,858 14 dogs presenting with 11,521 behavior problems between 2001 and 2013 were analysed. Twenty-two

15 principal behavior problems were identified, of which the most common, in declining order, were

16 aggression towards people, barking and anxious behavior. Male dogs were at greater risk of several

17 behavior problems, compared to female dogs. Low socioeconomic status of owners and a short period

18 spent at home each week were also associated with a greater risk of several behavior problems. The

19 prevalence of breeds and breed groups presented to the clinic were compared with dog registrations at the 20 local city council, and thereACCEPTED were more working dogs, hounds and utility dogs and fewer terriers, toy dogs 21 and non-sporting dogs in the clinic population. Uncommon breeds were over-represented in the clinic

22 population compared to local registrations. The risk of developing behavior problems is discussed in the

23 light of evidence about the dogs and their owners.

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25 Key words: dog; behavior; veterinary clinic; aggression; barking; anxious behavior

27 INTRODUCTION

28 Dogs are important to human society for their companionship and the many other roles that they fulfill

29 (Coppinger and Schneider, 1995; Jagoe and Serpell, 1996; Kobelt et al., 2003). However, behavior

30 problems in companion animals present serious public health, economic and animal welfare concerns. We

31 use the term behavior problems to describe any behavior exhibited by a companion animal that is

32 unacceptable to the owner (Wells, 1996; Amat et al., 2009). Canine behavior problems break down the

33 bond between dog and owner (Campbell, 1999), sometimes leading to the abandonment of the dog to a

34 shelter (Patronek et al., 1996) and may ultimately lead to euthanasia of the dog (Patronek et al., 1995;

35 Houpt et al., 1996). In both Australia and the UK about 80% of dogs have been reported as exhibiting 36 behaviors undesirable to owners (Adams and Clark, 1989;MANUSCRIPT O’Farrell, 1992; Martınez et al., 2011). 37 Approximately 50% of owners relinquishing their dogs around the world do so because of behavior

38 problems (Patronek et al., 1996; Segurson et al., 2005). In Australia, there are an estimated 4.2 million

39 dogs (ANKC, 2015) and in 2009-2010, 20,177 dogs were euthanized in RSPCA shelters there, 10,784

40 (53%) of whom met this fate because of behavior problems (RSPCA, 2010).

41 Exhibition of canine behavior problems depends on many risk factors, including breed, age, sex,

42 neuter status, relationship with owners, acquisition and diet (Voith et al., 1997; Wells and Hepper, 2000;

43 Kim et al., 2009; Khoshnegah et al., 2011). The dwelling place is also important: most of the 63% of

44 Australian households thatACCEPTED have a pet dog (Animal Health Alliance, 2013) live in suburbia and keep the

45 dog confined to household backyards for much of the time (Kobelt et al., 2003). In addition, in modern

46 society many owners work full time and therefore have to leave their dog at home alone for most of the

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47 day, which may result in the dog experiencing anxiety and separation-related behavior problems (Rugbjerg

48 et al., 2003; Rehn and Keeling, 2011; Scaglia et al., 2013).

49 Many researchers have reported associations between specific dog breeds and a high prevalence of

50 certain behavior problems (Podberscek and Serpell, 1997; Bradshaw and Goodwin, 1998; Svartberg, 2006;

51 Takeuchi and Mori, 2006). Although genetic factors undoubtedly play a major role in the underlying

52 mechanism for some behavior problems (Overall 1994, 2005; Overall and Dunham 2002), it is the

53 interaction between genetics, environment and experience that governs behavioral development (Plomin

54 and Asbury, 2005). Breed-related risk factors can result from genetic predispositions to environmental

55 influences (Mertens, 2002). Some epidemiological studies have found that breed and sex-related factors are

56 affected by geographical and cultural differences (Landsberg, 1991; Bamberger and Houpt, 2006).

57 Many environmental factors, and in particular owners’ characteristics (e.g. age, sex, level of

58 education, levels of experience, extent of interaction with dogs, personality and area of residence) are risk 59 factors for behavior problems (Podberscek and Serpell, MANUSCRIPT 1997; Messam et al., 2008; PerezGuisado and 60 Munoz-Serrano, 2009). Several canine behavior problems, including separation anxiety, can be attributed

61 to responses to anxiety or stress (Horwitz et al., 2002). Dogs with separation anxiety frequently display

62 excessive vocalization, destructive behavior, elimination in the house, pacing, salivating and trembling

63 (McCrave, 1991; Voith and Borchelt, 1996; Overall, 1997).

64 The most commonly reported clinical behavior problems in dogs include aggression,

65 destructiveness, elimination, fearful behavior and barking (Marder and Voith, 1991; Mugford, 1995; 66 Landsberg et al., 1997; ACCEPTEDOverall, 1997; Wells and Hepper, 2000; Kim et al., 2009). In the United States the 67 most frequent behavior problem is reported to be aggression, which in one study was mostly towards

68 people, but dogs also displayed separation anxiety, house soiling, attention-seeking behavior, barking and

69 destructive behavior (Bamberger and Houpt, 2006). Aggression has been cited as the most frequent

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70 complaint regarding canine behavior presented to specialists, reported in 42– 66% of all cases seen by

71 small animal behaviorists (Borchelt, 1983; Overall, 1997; Beaver, 1999). In a survey of small animal

72 veterinary practices in Spain (Fatjó et al., 2006), most canine aggression was directed towards other dogs

73 (39%), with 24% and 37% towards family and non-family members, respectively. Lindell (2002) reports

74 that in an unpublished survey conducted in the US of 722 dogs from 502 different households, 76% of

75 dogs showed aggressive behavior, 70% inappropriate elimination, 57% pulled on their lead, 48% were

76 easily excitable and 23% behaved improperly when travelling.

77 Epidemiological studies are important to understand the risk factors for behavior problems and to

78 facilitate the use of the best preventive measures. Although there have been some surveys undertaken to

79 gain information on dogs in Australian households (Adams and Clark, 1989; McHarg et al., 1995; Kobelt

80 et al., 2003), to the best of our knowledge this is the first clinical epidemiological study of a large database

81 of behavior problems in Australian dogs. The objective of the present study was to evaluate the risk factors 82 for behavior problems in dogs. Specifically, we asked whether MANUSCRIPT the following dog and owner characteristics, 83 breed, breed group, pure vs. mixed/crossbred dogs, dog gender, neutered vs. entire status, postcode of the

84 owner and time spent at home by the owner, were associated with increased risk for behavior problems.

86 MATERIAL AND METHODS

87 Participants in the study were dog owners who contacted a Brisbane-based companion animal behavior

88 clinic (Pethealth.com.au). A total of 9,200 questionnaire responses from the self-selecting owners of dogs

89 with behavior problemsACCEPTED were downloaded from the database of the clinic. The owners included 'clients' (n

90 = 3,171), who paid for a face-to-face consultation, 'customers' (n = 533), who purchased products, e.g.,

91 training classes or pet accessories, but not a consultation, and 'prospective clients' (n = 5,496), who

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92 completed the questionnaire but did not have a consultation. Consultations, all of which included

93 treatment, were in one of four forms: a 30 minute telephone consultation 1 , a 30 minute in-clinic

94 assessment, a 2 hour in-clinic consultation, and a 2 hour house call. The questionnaire URL was sent to

95 prospective respondents (clients, customers and prospective clients) by e-mail after they had spoken to the

96 staff of the clinic, and the questionnaire was also promoted in social media messages. In some cases

97 (approximately 60% of the respondents), the questionnaire was completed by staff of the clinic during or

98 after telephone conversations with people who called for advice, or during the face-to-face consultation.

99 Method of contact did not influence the completion of the form, as the choice of responses was determined

100 by the owners who dictated the information, not the six clinic staff who assisted with data entry. The

101 clinical consults for the dog owners were provided by a professional veterinary behaviourist.2 Data were

102 collected from 2001 to 2013, using questionnaires completed during that period for the purpose of

103 facilitating treatment. A total of 1,342 responses were discarded because of incomplete information, 104 leaving 7,858 dogs analysed in this study. Of the 6,408 respondentsMANUSCRIPT that provided postcodes, most (79%) 105 were from SE Queensland, with 85% from Queensland state, 5.9% New South Wales, 5.2% Western

106 Australia, 2.8% Victoria, 0.8% South Australia and 0.4% Tasmania.

107 The objective of the questionnaire was to record 1) the nature of the behavior problem(s), 2)

108 information about the owner and 3) information about the dog.

109 1) The behavior problem. Respondents were first asked to provide details for the animal with the

110 most significant problem, selected from a drop-down list of behaviors, but without the

111 definitions (Table 1), with the option to additionally or alternatively enter descriptions of the ACCEPTED

1Indirect contact with the client long distance by telephone (who then talks to their vet) is a legal practice in Australia 2Dr Cam Day, BSc, BVSc, MANZCVS (Veterinary Behaviour), Adjunct Associate Professor at the University of Queensland’s School of Veterinary Science, and full-time small animal veterinary behavior consultant since 1995. 5

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112 problem in their own words in a free-text field. Other behavior problems could be described in

113 the free-text field. At the time of the consultation the identification of principal and secondary

114 behavior problems was verified by the consultant veterinary behaviorist and changed if

115 necessary.

116 2) The owner’s name, postcode, location and work routine. The questionnaire database was

117 designed to accommodate one record per owner. Owner home postcode data was used as a

118 correlate of socio-economic status, using Socio-Economic Indices for Areas (Pink, 2011). The

119 Australian Bureau of Statistics (Pink, 2011) indicated that the median human population per

120 postcode at the end of our study period was 21,232 (range 165-102,259 people). The following

121 two indices were included in the logistic regression model: The Index of Relative Socio-

122 Economic Disadvantage (RSED) indicates relative disadvantage, on a continuum from most

123 disadvantaged (low values) to least disadvantaged (high values), based on income, educational 124 attainment, unemployment, and dwellings in anMANUSCRIPT area. The Index of Education and Occupation 125 (EO) indicates educational and occupational variables of relative socio-economic advantage

126 (high values) and disadvantage (low values) regarding the skills of the people in an area, from

127 both formal qualifications and the skills required to perform different occupations. The work

128 routine described their mean time away from home each day (options: mostly home, <20, 20-

129 40, 40-60 h at work or variable (shift) work routine).

130 3) The dog’s breed, purebred or mixed/crossbred status, sex, neuter status and age. Data on the

131 dog’s breed was nominated in a free-text field and in cases where no breed was entered the data

132 was classifiedACCEPTED as ‘unknown’. The animal's approximate date of birth was also entered in a free-

133 text field, which was used in combination with the date entered in the database to estimate the

134 animal's age at the time of reporting the problem behavior to the nearest half year. Breed

135 descriptions were standardised by data cleaning to allow analysis. In the minority of cases 6

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136 where a dog was listed as mixed/crossbred, one or more breeds could be listed. If more than

137 one predominant breed was provided, only the first breed description was used. We adopted the

138 breed type categorization of the Australian Kennel Club (including as a cross/mixed-breed),

139 with groups as follows: Working, Terriers, Toys, Gundogs, Non Sporting, Utility, and Hounds

140 (AKC, 2014). Separately, numbers of dogs of the different breeds that were registered with a

141 large municipal authority servicing part of the catchment area of the practice (Gold Coast City

142 Council) were obtained for 2010 in order to compare breed and breed group distribution with

143 that in our survey.

144

145 Statistical analysis

146 The data were analysed in two stages. First, descriptive statistics on the behavior problems were inspected. 147 For the purposes of maintaining adequate numbers of dogs MANUSCRIPT in the different categories, aggression to people 148 (82% of aggression cases), other dogs (16%), predatory (1%) and general (unattributed) aggression (1%)

149 were merged for regression analysis. Logistic regression models were constructed by introducing possible

150 combinations of predictor variables until those that best explained the variance in the dependent variable

151 were obtained. All variables (age, sex, neuter status, breed group and breed) were entered into the model

152 initially, with levels of variables with a binary input (neutered or entire, purebred or crossbred/mixed

153 breed, male or female) compared directly, and the nominal variables with more than two input levels 154 compared to a referenceACCEPTED level. The reference group for breed was chosen to be dogs of unknown breed 155 because this category contained a large number of dogs and did not selectively focus on one particular

156 breed. Results were discarded for individual breeds in which the number affected was less than 5, because

157 the data was believed to be too susceptible to individual influences. Similarly, the reference group for work

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158 routine and postcode were the dogs for which the level was unknown. Data were analysed by a regression

159 model with logit function to determine relationships between independent variables and dog behavior,

160 using the statistical package Minitab, version 16. Coefficients, P values, odd ratios (OR) and 95%

161 confidence intervals for the OR (CI 95) were calculated for the final risk factors associated with dogs

162 exhibiting the behavior problems. Results were considered significant when P ≤ 0.05.

163 The numbers of dogs in each breed and breed group was compared with the Gold Coast City

164 Council (GCCC) registrations by chi square analysis. An over-representation coefficient was calculated by

165 dividing the % of each breed in our study by the % of each breed in the GCCC registrations. Non-linear

166 regression of over-representation of breeds, in relation to GCCC registrations, against breed % in our

167 dataset was tested with asymptotic, exponential and power functions, using a Gauss-Newton algorithm and

168 a maximum of 200 iterations. The resulting fits were compared with a Lack-of-Fit test, which produced the

169 highest P value of 0.99 for the power function after 13 iterations. 170 MANUSCRIPT

171 Results

172 Owner characteristics

173 Postcode information was obtained for 6,347 cases (81%), but the clients’ normal home/work routine was

174 mostly unreported (n=5,932, 76%). Of those responding to the query about daily routine, the most common

175 category was 20-40 h/week at work (n=647, 8.2%) or mostly home (n = 635, 8.1 %). Less commonly, 176 respondents reported a ACCEPTED variable work routine (shift-work) (n=372, 4.7%) or spending 40-60 h/week at 177 work (n=269, 3.4%). Few responders reported spending less than 20 h/week at work (n=3, <0.01%).

178

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179 Dog characteristics

180 The most common principal or secondary problem was aggression (n = 2,928, 37% of dogs), followed by

181 barking (n = 1,101, 14%) and unspecified anxious behavior (n = 919, 12%). Other categorical behavior

182 problems were reported in 5% of dogs or fewer (Table 1). A total of 34 % (n = 2,672) of the dogs were

183 mixed/crossbred breeds, 58% (n = 4,539) were purebreds and the remainder were not specified (8%,

184 n=647). The dogs in our sample were 46.9% males (n = 3,684), 40.4% females (n = 3,179) and 12.7% (n =

185 995) of unknown sex. Of the males, 24.5% were entire/intact (n = 904) and 75.5% were neutered (n =

186 2,780). Of the females, 21.4% were entire (n = 680), and 78.6% were neutered (n = 2,499). The dog’s age

187 was obtained for 7,001 cases (89.1%), with a mean age of 3.6 years (SEM 0.040) (Figure 1).

188 The most common breeds were working dogs (n = 1,581, 20%), followed by terriers (n = 1,483,

189 19%), toy dogs (n = 1,151, 15%), gundogs (n = 899, 11%), non-sporting (n = 775, 10%), utility dogs (n =

190 768, 10%), and hounds (n = 490, 6%) (Table 2). The rest of the dogs were of unknown breed (n=711, 9%). 191 The distribution of breed groups in our dog database was MANUSCRIPT broadly similar to that of the Gold Coast City 192 Council (GCCC), however, our sample had proportionately more working dogs, hounds and utility dogs

193 and fewer non-sporting, terriers and toy dogs (P< 0.001). Apart from the dogs of unknown or other breeds,

194 the most common breed in our sample was the Staffordshire bull terrier (n = 725, 9%), then the Maltese (n

195 = 493, 6%), Border collie (n = 439, 6%), Labrador (n = 366, 5%), German shepherd (n = 361, 5%) and

196 Australian cattle dog (n = 361, 5%) (Table 3). In the Gold Coast sample the most numerous breed was the

197 Maltese, then the Labrador and Border collie, with considerably smaller numbers of Australian cattle dogs

198 and German shepherds. The following breeds were most over-represented in our database, compared to the

199 GCCC registrations, inACCEPTED declining order of over-representation: Mastiff, German shorthaired pointer,

200 Belgian shepherd, Maremma sheepdog, greyhound, Weimaraner and collie. The following breeds were

201 most under-represented in our database compared to the GCCC registrations, in declining order of under-

202 representation: Fox terrier, Pomeranian, shih tzu, bichon frisé and Lhasa apso. Breeds with small numbers

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203 in our database were over-represented, relative to the Gold Coast City Council registrations (Figure 2) by

204 the following relationship:

-0.374 205 y = 1.48 (SE 0.175) B (SE 0.166) Equation 1

206 where y = over- representation coefficient, with 1 = proportion indicated for the region (Gold Coast City

207 Council), > 1 indicating overrepresentation and < 1 indicating underrepresentation and B = breed % in our

208 database

209

210 Risk factors for behavior problems

211 Table 4 shows the number of purebred and mixed/crossbred breed dogs in each of two behavior categories,

212 for example, 15 dogs with the behavior problem ‘chasing’. Purebred dogs were at greater risk of presenting 213 for chasing (P = 0.02) and boisterous behavior (P = 0.05),MANUSCRIPT compared with mixed/crossbred dogs. Breed 214 risks for each behavior problem (Table 5) include the number of dogs of each breed with each problem, the

215 percentage of dogs with the behavior problems that is attributed to each breed and the percentage of total

216 dogs of the breed that had the behavior problem. The last value is compared statistically to the percentage

217 of dogs of unknown breed that have the behavior problem and an odds ratio for over- or under-

218 representation is presented. Table 5 only shows the breeds with significant OR, hence the number indicated

219 for ‘chasing’ does not add up to the 15 identified in Table 4, in fact, only 2 are listed for specific breeds.

220 Australian cattle dogs showed less pica, (OR 0.04, P = 0.04), and German shepherds were more at 221 risk for obsessive behaviorACCEPTED (OR 7.0, P = 0.03) relative to unknown dogs. Many breeds were at low risk of 222 fear of noises, relative to unknown dogs, but this was especially true for Dobermans (OR 0.07, P = 0.01),

223 Rhodesian ridgebacks (OR 0.11, P < 0.01), Staffordshire bull terriers (OR 0.12, P < 0.001) and Australian

224 cattle dogs (OR 0.13, P < 0.001). Two breeds, Rottweilers (OR 4.9, P < 0.01) and schnauzers (OR 4.1, P =

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225 0.05), were at increased risk of house soiling. Only one breed was at increased risk of fearful behavior, bull

226 mastiffs (OR 4.6, P = 0.05), and one at less risk, Australian cattle dogs (OR 0.35, P = 0.03). Many breeds

227 were at low risk of escape behavior, but this was pronounced for cocker spaniels (OR 0.04, P < 0.01),

228 dachshunds (OR 0.06, P = 0.01) and German shepherds (OR 0.07, P < 0.01). Many breeds were at low risk

229 for destructive behavior, particularly Rhodesian ridgebacks (OR 0.05, P < 0.01) and Australian cattle dogs

230 (OR 0.09, P < 0.001). Two breeds, Australian cattle dogs (OR 0.02, P < 0.001) and Staffordshire bull

231 terriers (OR 0.04, P < 0.001), were at particularly low risk of chasing behavior, and these two breeds were

232 also at reduced risk of boisterous behavior (OR 0.28, P = 0.05) and circling behavior (OR 0.05, P = 0.05) .

233 Many dogs were at increased risk of barking, especially German shorthaired pointers (OR 7.6, P = 0.02),

234 Rottweilers (OR 4.5, P < 0.01), great Danes (OR 4.1, P = 0.03), Jack Russell (OR 3.9, P < 0.01) and

235 Staffordshire bull terriers (OR 3.4, P < 0.01). Breeds at low risk for anxious behavior included Alaskan

236 malamutes (OR 0.12, P = 0.01), pugs (OR 0.16, P = 0.04), and Australian cattle dogs (OR 0.18, P < 0.001). 237 Aggression was at particularly low risk in Weimaraners (ORMANUSCRIPT 0.16, P < 0.01), Dalmatians (OR 0.19, P = 238 0.01), Alaskan malamutes (OR 0.25, P = 0.01), Australian cattle dogs (OR 0.28, P < 0.001) and

239 dachshunds (OR 0.29, P < 0.01).

240 Males (M) were generally at greater risk than females (F) for a number of behavior problems, in

241 particular coprophagia (M 0.5%, F 0.2%, OR 0.36, P = 0.03), house soiling (M 5.8%, F 3.1%, OR 0.40, P

242 < 0.01) and boisterous behavior (M 2.9%, F 1.7%, OR 0.44, P < 0.01) (Table 6). Neutered dogs (N) were

243 generally at higher risk of developing many behavior problems compared with entire dogs (E): integration

244 into the household (N 0.5%, E 0.2%, OR 0.15, P <0.01), obsessive behavior (N 0.5%, E 0.2%, OR 0.18, P

245 = 0.01), digging (N 0.4%,ACCEPTED E 0.2%, OR 0.21, P = 0.01), attention seeking (N 1.1%, E 0.5%, OR 0.22, P <

246 0.001) and grieving (N 0.5%, E 0.3%, OR 0.22, P = 0.01) (Table 7). Neutered dogs were at slightly lower

247 risk of developing aggression (N 37.3%, E 37.9%, OR 0.47, P < 0.01) The dog’s age was not associated

248 with any reported behavior problems. 11

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249

250 Seven behavior problems had associations with the socioeconomic indices (Table 8).

251 Socioeconomic disadvantage (low RSED) of the owner was associated with high levels of house soiling

252 (OR 0.97, P< 0.01), escape behavior (OR 0.97, P=0.03), anxious behavior (OR 0.97, P< 0.01), destructive

253 behavior (OR 0.96, P< 0.01), barking (OR 0.97, P< 0.01) and aggression (OR 0.97, P< 0.01). In the case of

254 the last four this was accompanied by evidence of disadvantage in terms of educational and occupational

255 variables (low E-O).

256 For work routine, numbers returning < 20 h at work were too few for meaningful analysis (Table

257 9). Of the other options, several behaviors – house soiling, destructive behavior, coprophagia, chasing,

258 boisterous behavior, barking, anxiety-related and aggression – showed similar patterns with work routine.

259 Risks were greatest for dogs whose owners spent 20-40 h and 40-60 h at work, reduced for dogs with

260 owners ‘mostly home’, with ‘variable attendance’ intermediate or similar to ‘mostly home’. Of the other 261 behaviors with significant connections to owners’ work routine, MANUSCRIPT pica was particularly likely if owners were 262 in variable attendance (OR 11.0, P = 0.01), obsessive behavior was particularly likely if owners were at

263 work 20-40 h (OR 9.9, P < 0.01) or in variable attendance (OR 6.6, P = 0.03), fearful behavior was most

264 likely for dogs whose owners were at work 20-40 h (OR 4.9, P < 0.01) or with variable attendance (OR

265 4.5, P <0.01), escape behavior was most likely for dogs with owners at work 40-60 h (OR 12.8, P < 0.001),

266 and attention seeking was most likely for dogs with owners reporting variable attendance (OR 4.3, P =

267 0.04).

268 ACCEPTED 269 DISCUSSION

270 Dogs exhibit a range of behaviors related to their emotional state (Beaver, 1982). Experience, genetics and

271 environment are the three dominant influences on most aspects of behavior (Gottesman and Hanson,

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272 2005). In this study, the dog’s breed, sex, neuter status and the owners’ socioeconomic status and work

273 routine were all associated with some of the listed behavior problems assayed through an Australian

274 behavior clinic. In this population, behavior problems were most affected by neutering status (18 behavior

275 problems affected), work routine (14 behavior problems), breed (13 behavior problems), gender (10

276 behavior problems), and socioeconomic status (7 behavior problems). Effects of work routine may be

277 particularly important for future study since even though few respondents completed this section in our

278 questionnaire, it was still clearly related to behavior problems. Our study did not compare the clinic

279 population to a general one, so there may be effects of other animal-related factors (e.g., number of dogs in

280 the household, exercise schedule, indoors vs. outdoor housing, enrichment) on behavior problems as

281 reported by other authors (Kubinyi et al., 2009, Herron et al., 2014; Westgarth et al., 2015).

282 Most dog owners in suburban Australia have their animal neutered, but in our study and that of

283 Kobelt et al. (2003) there were fewer neutered males than bitches. Neutered dogs were over-represented for 284 integration into the household, obsessive behavior, digging, MANUSCRIPT attention-seeking and grieving. Although 285 neutered dogs were generally at higher risk than entire/intact dogs of developing these behaviour problems,

286 the latter were slightly more prone to aggressive behavior in our study, supporting Blackshaw’s (1991)

287 study. The logistic regression model that we created, with several thousands of dogs, is capable of

288 detecting significant differences that are small and potentially of little practical significance. In other

289 studies aggressiveness has been reported to be more frequent in neutered than entire females (Borchelt,

290 1983; Wright and Nesselrote, 1987; Wright 1991), at similar levels in both (van den Berg et al., 2006;

291 Bennett and Rohlf, 2007; Martınez et al., 2011) and equally common in neutered males and females (Guy

292 et al., 2001). ACCEPTED

293 Breed-associated risk for behavior problems may be associated with the breed distribution in the

294 geographic area (Overall, 1997; Reisner et al., 2005), the popularity of the breed (Svartberg, 2006), and

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295 with the reasons the owners selected the dog. Different behaviour problems have been observed in surveys

296 in Australia (Kobelt et al., 2003) and United States (Beaver, 1994).

297 Our study found that males in this consulting and survey population had a greater risk of several

298 behavior problems – house soiling, fearful and anxious behavior, destructive and boisterous behavior,

299 coprophagia, barking and attention seeking. Some studies have shown males at a greater risk for many

300 behavior problems than females (Borchelt, 1983; Wright and Nesselrote, 1987; Landsberg, 1991; Hsu and

301 Serpell, 2003; Fatjó et al., 2007; Perez-Guisado and Munoz-Serrano, 2009). One study reported that

302 phobias were more common in female dogs (Bamberger and Houpt, 2006).

303 We found no significant effects of age, but some of the younger dogs exhibiting behavior problems

304 may have been relinquished to shelters or put down, which may bias our results. Because people may try to

305 cope with a dog’s behavior problems for some time before seeking help, the time at which behavior

306 problems are reported may not represent when the behaviour started or was at its most extreme. 307 Low activity levels during separation and repeated, MANUSCRIPT long term absence of both physical and mental 308 stimulation when owners are away (Norling and Keeling, 2010) may be associated with separation-related

309 behavior problems (Svartberg, 2006; Rehn and Keeling 2011). Our results suggest if time spent at home is

310 an important factor in minimizing the risk of behavior problems. Breed, low socioeconomic status and

311 work routine away from the house were correlated in our study. There is a positive relationship between

312 low-income and working long hours (Mehdikarimi et al., 2015). Low socioeconomic status may increase

313 hours spent away from the home, hence these two factors were correlated. 314 Our second mostACCEPTED common behavior problems was barking, which is commonly reported to 315 veterinary behaviorists (Cross et al., 2009; Hassan et al., 2009; Rafie et al., 2011). Barking comprised 32%

316 of behavior problems in one survey (Kobelt et al., 2003) and is especially common in juveniles, rather than

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317 puppies or adults (Wells and Hepper, 2000). Vocalization can be a normal response to stressors in dogs

318 (Casey, 2002), and has been reported in hospitalized dogs who are left alone (Vaisanen et al., 2005).

319 Elimination (house soiling) was our fifth most common behavior problem and breed (Rottweiler

320 and Schnauzer), male sex, socioeconomic disadvantage and work routines away from the house were risk

321 factors.

322 We had a group of less common behavior problems that were apparently related: destructive,

323 boisterous behavior and escape behavior can be associated with excessive activity. In this study, breed and

324 limited time spent at home were related to all three behavior problems. Expectations of the owners are

325 clearly important to consider before dogs are adopted or purchased.

326

327 Limitations of the study

328 We made an assumption that the breed identification MANUSCRIPT by the owner was accurate. This was not able 329 to be verified in all cases. Inaccuracies were most likely to have been in the mixed/crossbreed dogs (34%

330 of our dogs), which we treated as a separate group. We assumed that the first listed breed was dominant in

331 the cross. Regardless, whether a dog was a purebred vs. a crossbred was not a significant risk factor for

332 most behavior problems (20 out of 22) discussed. We also made assumptions that breed groups were

333 relevant categories that can be judged according to the Australian Kennel Club classification. Caution is

334 warranted as the behavior problem data were largely self-reported, with the assistance of a trained

335 professional.

336 Our comparisonACCEPTED group was the Gold Coast sample, but our sample was from a broader

337 geographical range. The Gold Coast data was for registered dogs only, with registration being compulsory

338 in the area but compliance not accurately known.

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

339 The choice of referent population for determination of risk factors for breeds in this study was

340 problematic, since no single breed appeared suitable for this purpose. Thus we chose dogs for whom no

341 breed had been entered, “unknown dogs”, since this was a numerous category. We acknowledge that some

342 known breeds were likely included in this category

343 Respondents’ interpretation of the range of options for behavior problems may also have varied,

344 and distinguishing similar or related behaviours (e.g., fearful vs. anxious behaviours) may have been

345 difficult. Where possible, assistance was provided during consultations.

346

347 Conclusions

348 An analysis of dog and owner characteristics of cases at a dog behavior clinic has revealed the principal 349 behavior problems in this region, in declining order, aggression, MANUSCRIPT barking and anxious behavior. Breed 350 information identified that more owners of working dogs, hounds and utility dogs, and fewer owners of

351 terriers, toy dogs and non-sporting queried the clinic about their dogs’ behaviors. Breeds that were

352 uncommon in our database were over-represented, compared to Gold Coast City Council registrations.

353 Other risk factors included dog sex, with males being at greater risk for several behaviors, low

354 socioeconomic status of owners and a short period spent at home each week. A greater understanding of

355 the risk factors associated with behavior problems will enable them to be addressed and the relationship 356 between dogs and humansACCEPTED improved. 357

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

358 Acknowledgements

359 No external funding was provided for this study. R. Col received a scholarship from Council of Higher

360 Education of Turkey to study at the University of Queensland.

361

362 Conflict of Interest statement

363 Dr. Cam Day manages the pet behavior consultancy company, Pethealth.com.au, which generated the data

364 for this study. There are no other conflicts of interest.

365

366 Authorship statement

367 The idea for the study was conceived by Cam Day and it was designed by Clive Phillips. MANUSCRIPT 368 The study was performed by Ramazan Col and Clive Phillips.

369 The data were collected by Cam Day.

370 The data were analyzed by Clive Phillips and Ramazan Col.

371 The paper was written by Ramazan Col and Clive Phillips, in consultation with Cam Day.

372 ACCEPTED

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

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559

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560 Table 1. Primary nominated behavior problems in 7,858 dogs from the Brisbane-based behavior clinic,

561 with definitions used by the clinic, but not presented to respondents

562 Behavior Problem Definition Number of dogs

563 Aggression Wanting to cause harm, and especially physical injury, 2,928

564 to another dog, a person or another animal other than a dog.

565 Includes appropriate body language, such as piloerection,

566 raised ears, barking and territorial marking †

567 Barking In this context, taken to mean excessive vocalization, 1,101

568 usually of a high amplitude and pitch and for protracted

569 periods of time that are sufficient to cause a nuisance to people 570 Anxious Emotional response to stimuliMANUSCRIPT associated with danger. 919 571 Shown in otherwise healthy animals but evidenced by arousal

572 and, where relevant, observation and cautious assessment

573 of a threat.†

574 Fear of noises Emotional response to unpleasant sounds, such as 388

575 thunder, fireworks or explosions

576 House soiling Depositing of urine or faeces in unwanted locations 337

577 in the home, including urine marking.

578 Fearful ACCEPTED Emotional response to stimuli associated with 313

579 potential danger †

580 Destructive Unwanted damage to household or garden items 295

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

581 including boundary fences

582 Boisterous Excessive hyperkinetic or unruly behaviors 186

583 Escaping Escaping from the house or garden 178

584 Disobedient Lack of response to owner’s training efforts 146

585 Attention seeking Excessive seeking of attention or comfort from the 80

586 owners. Includes comfort seeking.

587 Tail/shadow chasing Spinning in tight circles with attention directed 73

588 towards the animals tail. Chasing of shadows around

589 the home or garden.

590 Integration into house A calm response of dogs that have moved to a new 38

591 home. Can include integration of a new dog with 592 established dogs, cats andMANUSCRIPT other pets. 593 Obsessive Compulsive behaviors 37

594 Hyperactive Hyperkinetic and restless behaviors. 31

595 Grieving Emotional response to the loss of an owner or other 30

in-contact dog or (rarely) cat.

Circling Repetitive compulsive circling other than tail chasing. 30

Digging Excessive or unwanted digging of holes in the garden 29 ACCEPTEDand sometimes at the boundary fence. Chewing Unwanted chewing of objects. Could include self- 28

harming chewing.

Coprophagia Eating own faeces or those of another animal/pet 27

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Pica Tendency to ingest non-nutritive items † 24

Howling Excessive vocalizing of a distressed nature 19

Unknown Behavior not specified 621

Total 11,521

596

597 † Source: Mills et al. (2010)

598

599

600

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601 Table 2 Breed groups for the dogs presented to the Brisbane-based behavior clinic, compared with that of a

602 local city council (Gold Coast) and probability of significant difference between the two populations

603789 (Overall Chi 2 value 5783, P < 0.001)

790604

Group Number Number (%) of registrations in P value (%) in Gold Coast City Council database

Gundogs 899 (11.4) 7,100 (11.8) 0.41

Hounds 490 (6.2) 2,867 (4.8) < 0.001

Non Sporting 775 (9.9) 7,643 (12.7) < 0.001

Terriers 1,483 (18.9) 14,181 (23.6) < 0.001

Toys 1,151 (14.6) 12,787 (21.2) < 0.001

Utility 768 (9.8) 4,755 (7.9) < 0.001 Working 1,581 (20.1) 10,859 (18.0) MANUSCRIPT < 0.001 Unknown 711 (9.0) 0 -

605

606

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607 Table 3. Distribution of individual breeds in our study for all behavior problems combined and in Gold

608 Coast City Council 793 registrations, with an over-representation coefficient and probability of significant

609 difference between the two populations. Breeds with significant differences are emboldened.

610

611 Breed Our study Gold Coast Over-representation P value 612 City Council coefficient 1 613 ------Number % Number %

Alaskan malamute 33 0.43 174 0.29 1.48 0.05

American 42 0.54 224 0.37 1.46 0.03 staffordshire terrier

Australian cattle dog 360 4.59 2867 4.74 0.97 0.54

Australian kelpie 232 2.96 1794 2.97 1.00 0.94

Australian silky 86 1.10 1047 1.73 0.64 < 0.001 terrier MANUSCRIPT Australian terrier 34 0.44 238 0.39 1.13 0.61

Beagle 99 1.27 611 1.01 1.26 0.04

Belgian shepherd 35 0.47 85 0.14 3.36 < 0.001

bichon frisé 75 0.96 991 1.64 0.59 < 0.001

Border collie 439 5.69 3259 5.39 1.06 0.50

Boxer 93 1.19 815 1.36 0.88 0.24

Bull arab 33 0.43 132 0.22 1.95 0.001

Bull mastiff ACCEPTED60 0.77 385 0.64 1.20 0.19 Bull terrier 96 1.23 370 0.61 2.01 < 0.001

1 % of each breed in our study/% of each breed in the GCCC registrations. 1.00 = equal representation in our database and Gold Coast City Council registrations 33

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Bulldog 31 0.40 123 0.20 2.00 0.001

Cavalier King Charles 164 2.10 1426 2.36 0.89 0.14 Spaniel

Chihuahua 103 1.31 1567 2.59 0.51 < 0.001

Cocker spaniel 202 2.57 1083 1.79 1.44 < 0.001

Collie 49 0.62 183 0.30 2.07 < 0.001

Dachshund 103 1.31 812 1.34 0.98 0.82

Dalmatian 51 0.65 311 0.51 1.27 0.12

Doberman 69 0.88 305 0.50 1.76 < 0.001

Dog breed unknown 647 8.23 - - - -

Fox Terrier 186 2.37 2901 4.80 0.49 < 0.001

German shepherd 361 4.59 2048 3.39 1.35 < 0.001 MANUSCRIPT German shorthaired 52 0.66 105 0.17 3.88 < 0.001 Pointer

Golden retriever 161 2.05 1500 2.48 0.83 0.03 great Dane 71 0.90 273 0.45 2.00 < 0.001 greyhound 52 0.66 158 0.26 2.54 < 0.001

Jack russell terrier 269 3.42 3102 5.13 0.67 < 0.001

Labrador 366 4.66 3910 6.47 0.72 < 0.001 Lhasa apso ACCEPTED50 0.63 604 1.00 0.63 0.002 Maltese 493 6.27 5579 9.23 0.68 < 0.001

Maremma sheepdog 34 0.43 92 0.15 2.87 < 0.001

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Mastiff 52 0.66 50 0.08 8.25 < 0.001

Other breeds1 570 7.25 3965 6.56 1.10 0.03

Pomeranian 63 0.80 884 1.46 0.55 < 0.001

Poodle 294 3.74 3363 5.56 0.67 < 0.001

Pug 42 0.53 361 0.60 0.88 0.50

Rhodesian ridgeback 133 1.69 725 1.20 1.41 < 0.001

Rottweiler 194 2.47 1354 2.24 1.10 0.21

Schnauzer 79 1.00 503 0.83 1.20 0.12

Shar pei 58 0.74 360 0.60 1.23 0.13

shih tzu 163 2.07 2110 3.49 0.59 < 0.001

Siberian husky 110 1.40 620 1.03 1.36 0.002

725 9.23 5982 9.90 0.93 0.09 Staffordshire bull MANUSCRIPT terrier Tenterfield terrier 32 0.41 161 0.27 1.50 0.03

Tibetan spaniel 37 0.47 396 0.66 0.71 0.05

Weimaraner 35 0.46 132 0.22 2.09 < 0.001

West highland terrier 40 0.51 409 0.68 0.75 0.09 Total 7858 100 60449 100 614

615 ACCEPTED

1 Breeds with less than 25 dogs 35

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

796

Table 4. Significant (P< 0.05) pure Vs. mixed/crossbred risk factors for behavior problems, with the % of total pure and mixed/crossbred dogs, regression coefficient, Odds ratio, confidence interval and probability of a significant difference between the two populations

797 % of total % of total number number Purebred, Mixed/crossbred, P Odds Behavior problem of of Coefficient 95% CI no. dogs no. dogs Values ratio 798 purebred mixed/crossbred dogs dogs Chasing 49 0.011 15 0.006 -0.72 0.02 0.49 0.27- 799

0.89 MANUSCRIPT Boisterous 120 0.026 53 0.020 -0.35 0.05 0.70 0.49-

Behavior 1.01

ACCEPTED

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Table 5. Breeds with significant (P< 0.05) Odds Ratios for behavior problems, showing the number of dogs of each breed with each problem, the % of dogs with the behavior problems that is attributed to each breed and the % of total dogs of the breed that have the behavior problems. The last value is compared statistically to the % of dogs of unknown breed that have the behavior problems and an

Odds Ratio for over or under-representation is presented.

Behavior/breed No. % % of Regression P- Odds 95% CI dogs dogs total Co-efficient Value ratio with dogs of behavior breed problems Pica

Unknown-Dog 4 16.7 0.6

Australian cattle dog 1 4.2 0.3 -3.30 0.04 0.04 0.00-0.90 Obsessive behavior MANUSCRIPT Unknown 3 8.1 0.4

German shepherd 6 16.2 1.7 1.94 0.03 7.03 1.26-39.17

Fear of noises

Unknown 63 16.2 9.7

Australian cattle dog 17 4.4 4.7 -2.05 <0.001 0.13 0.05-0.31

Australian kelpie 10 2.6 4.3 -1.06 0.05 0.35 0.12-1.00 Border collie ACCEPTED 16 4.1 3.6 -1.23 <0.01 0.29 0.12-0.72 Cocker spaniel 7 1.8 3.5 -1.75 <0.01 0.17 0.06-0.51

Doberman 1 0.3 1.4 -2.71 0.01 0.07 0.01-0.59

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Fox terrier 11 2.8 5.9 -1.18 0.02 0.31 0.11-0.85

Golden retriever 5 1.3 3.1 -1.46 0.02 0.23 0.07-0.81

Other 14 3.6 2.5 -1.71 <0.001 0.18 0.07-0.45

Poodle 9 2.3 3.1 -1.20 0.03 0.30 0.10-0.87

Rhodesian ridgeback 3 0.8 2.3 -2.23 <0.01 0.11 0.03-0.44

Staffordshire bull terrier 11 2.8 1.5 -2.09 <0.001 0.12 0.05-0.32

House soiling

Unknown 12 3.6 1.9

Rottweiler 26 7.7 13.4 1.57 <0.01 4.85 1.58-14.90

Schnauzer 10 3.0 12.7 1.40 0.05 4.09 1.01-16.60

Fearful Unknown 26 8.3 4.0 MANUSCRIPT Australian cattle dog 12 3.8 3.3 -1.05 0.03 0.35 0.14-0.90

Bull mastiff 6 1.9 10.0 1.51 0.05 4.55 1.04-19.94

Escape behavior

Unknown 41 23.0 6.3

Australian cattle dog 10 5.6 2.8 -2.15 <0.001 0.12 0.04-0.34

Australian kelpie 3 1.7 1.3 -1.86 0.02 0.15 0.03-0.70

Cocker spaniel 1 2.6 0.5 -3.26 <0.01 0.04 0.00-0.34

Dachshund ACCEPTED 1 0.6 1.0 -2.83 0.01 0.06 0.01-0.53

Fox terrier 1 0.6 0.5 -3.16 <0.01 0.20 0.03-1.20

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

German shepherd 2 1.1 0.6 -2.69 <0.01 0.07 0.01-0.36

Other 11 6.2 1.9 -1.48 <0.01 0.23 0.08-0.66

Poodle 3 1.7 1.0 -1.87 0.01 0.15 0.03-0.68

Rhodesian ridgeback 2 1.1 1.5 -2.21 0.01 0.11 0.02-0.61

Staffordshire bull terrier 9 5.1 1.2 -1.84 <0.01 0.16 0.05-0.48

Destructive behavior

Unknown 43 14.6 6.6

Australian cattle dog 9 3.1 2.5 -2.43 <0.001 0.09 0.03-0.25

Australian kelpie 3 1.0 1.3 -2.03 <0.01 0.13 0.03-0.56

Bull terrier 2 0.8 2.1 -1.89 0.03 0.15 0.03-0.81

Chihuahua 2 0.8 1.9 -1.90 0.03 0.15 0.03-0.79 Fox terrier 8 2.4 4.3 MANUSCRIPT-1.25 0.03 0.29 0.09-0.88 German shepherd 8 2.7 2.2 -1.48 <0.01 0.23 0.08-0.68

Other 19 6.4 3.3 -1.11 0.02 0.33 0.13-0.83

Rhodesian ridgeback 1 0.3 0.8 -3.08 <0.01 0.05 0.01-0.40

Staffordshire bull terrier 26 8.8 3.6 -0.95 0.04 0.38 0.16-0.95

Chasing

Unknown 9 12.3 1.4 Australian cattleACCEPTED dog 1 1.4 0.3 -3.69 <0.01 0.02 0.00-0.29 Staffordshire bull terrier 1 1.4 0.1 -3.27 <0.01 0.04 0.00-0.44

Circling

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Unknown 5 16.7 0.8

Staffordshire bull terrier 1 3.3 0.1 -3.00 0.05 0.05 0.00-0.94

Boisterous behavior

Unknown 13 7.0 2.0

Australian cattle dog 1 0.5 0.3 -1.25 0.05 0.28 0.08-0.97

Barking

Unknown 25 2.3 3.9

Australian kelpie 42 3.8 18.1 1.08 0.02 2.97 1.21-7.29

Australian silky terrier 16 1.5 18.6 1.71 0.02 5.55 1.36-22.61

Beagle 14 1.3 14.1 MANUSCRIPT 1.46 0.03 4.32 1.17-15.91

Border collie 67 6.1 15.2 0.95 0.02 2.61 1.18-5.76

German shepherd 56 5.1 15.5 0.91 0.03 2.50 1.11-5.65

German shorthaired pointer 13 1.2 25.0 2.02 0.02 7.57 1.46-39.17 great Dane 14 1.3 19.7 1.40 0.03 4.08 1.11-14.97

Jack russell terrierACCEPTED 55 5.0 20.4 1.35 <0.01 3.87 1.62-9.26

Labrador 47 4.3 12.8 0.97 0.02 2.66 1.14-6.20

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Maltese 61 5.5 12.4 1.00 0.02 2.73 1.20-6.21

Other 7 0.6 1.2 0.92 0.02 2.53 1.19-5.39

Poodle 42 3.8 14.3 1.07 0.02 2.92 1.21-7.04

Rottweiler 43 3.9 22.2 1.49 <0.01 4.47 1.77-11.26 shih tzu 34 3.1 20.9 1.54 <0.01 2.73 0.83-8.91

Siberian husky 17 1.5 15.5 1.12 0.05 3.07 1.01-9.31

Staffordshire bull terrier 142 12.9 19.6 1.20 <0.01 3.35 1.59-7.07

Unknown 105 11.4 16.2

Alaskan malamute 2 0.2 6.1 -2.15 0.01 0.12 0.02-0.62 Australian cattle dog 34 3.7 9.4 MANUSCRIPT-1.71 <0.001 0.18 0.09-0.37 Boxer 10 1.1 10.8 -1.09 0.04 0.34 0.12-0.93

Bull terrier 8 1.2 8.3 -1.18 0.03 0.31 0.11-0.89

Cocker spaniel 22 2.6 10.9 -0.96 0.02 0.38 0.17-0.87

Dachshund 8 0.9 7.8 -1.57 <0.01 0.21 0.07-0.58

Doberman 6 0.7 8.7 -1.28 0.04 0.28 0.08-0.93

German shepherd 29 3.2 8.0 -0.83 0.04 0.43 0.20-0.95

Golden retriever 11 1.2 6.8 -1.00 0.05 0.36 0.13-1.00 Pug ACCEPTED 2 0.2 4.8 -1.80 0.04 0.16 0.03-0.94 Weimaraner 8 0.9 8.6 -1.63 0.03 0.19 0.04-0.87

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Aggression

Unknown 237 8.1 36.6

Alaskan malamute 12 0.4 36.3 -1.37 0.01 0.25 0.09-0.73

Australian cattle dog 148 5.1 41.1 -1.27 <0.001 0.28 0.15-0.51

Cocker spaniel 67 2.3 33.1 -0.87 0.02 0.42 0.21-0.84

Dachshund 32 1.1 31.1 -1.22 <0.01 0.29 0.13-0.65

Dalmatian 9 0.3 17.6 -1.63 0.01 0.19 0.06-0.62

Doberman 21 0.7 30.4 -1.05 0.03 0.35 0.13-0.92

Rhodesian ridgeback 41 1.4 30.8 -1.00 0.02 0.37 0.17-0.81

Weimaraner 11 0.4 31.4 -1.81 <0.01 0.16 0.05-0.55

800

801 MANUSCRIPT 802

803

804

805

ACCEPTED

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Table 6. Significant (P < 0.05) differences between female (n = 3,179) and male (n = 3,684) dogs in behavior problems, with the % of male and female dogs, regression coefficient, Odds ratio, confidence interval and probability of a significant difference between the two population

Behavior problems Male, % of Female, % of Coefficient P Values Odds

no. males no. females ratio 95% CI dogs dogs

House soiling 214 5.8 99 3.1 -0.92 <0.001 0.40 0.30-0.53

Fearful 160 4.3 104 3.3 -0.57 <0.001 0.56 0.42-0.76

Destructive behavior 142 3.9 100 3.1 -0.49 <0.01 0.61 0.45-0.83 MANUSCRIPT Coprophagia 17 0.5 7 0.2 -1.02 0.03 0.36 0.15-0.88

Boisterous behavior 107 2.9 54 1.7 -0.82 <0.001 0.44 0.30-0.63

Barking 571 15.5 458 14.4 -0.37 <0.001 0.69 0.56-0.85

Anxious 439 11.9 328 10.3 -0.44 <0.001 0.64 0.51-0.80

Attention seeking 41 1.1 27 0.8 -0.55 0.04 0.58 0.34-0.96

Aggression 1316 35.7 1252 39.4 -0.20 0.03 0.82 0.68-0.98 ACCEPTED

808

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Table 7. Significant (P < 0.05) differences between neutered (n = 5,279) and entire dogs (n = 1,584) in behavior problems, with the % of neutered and entire dogs, regression coefficient, Odds ratio, confidence interval and probability of a significant difference between the two populations

Behavior problems Neutered, no. % of Entire, % of total Regression P Value Odds 95%CI dogs total no. entire Co-efficient ratio neutered dogs

Obsessive Behavior 26 0.5 3 0.2 -1.71 0.01 0.18 0.05-0.61

Fear of Noises 222 4.2 89 5.6 -0.53 <0.01 0.58 0.43-0.79

House soiling 239 4.5 74 4.7 MANUSCRIPT-0.71 <0.001 0.49 0.36-0.67

Hyperactive 23 0.4 5 0.3 -1.01 0.05 0.36 0.13-0.98

Grieving 26 0.5 4 0.3 -1.49 0.01 0.22 0.08-0.66

Fearful 213 4.0 51 3.2 -1.06 <0.001 0.35 0.24-0.49

Escape Behavior 110 2.1 21 1.3 -1.28 <0.001 0.28 0.17-0.46

Disobedient 107 2.0 27 1.7 -0.96 <0.001 0.38 0.24-0.60

Digging 21 0.4ACCEPTED 3 0.2 -1.54 0.01 0.21 0.06-0.73

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Destructive Behavior 200 3.8 42 2.7 -1.15 <0.001 0.31 0.21-0.46

Chasing 51 1.0 12 0.8 -1.03 <0.01 0.35 0.18-0.69

Circling 22 0.4 3 0.2 -1.49 0.02 0.22 0.07-0.77

Boisterous Behavior 138 2.6 23 1.5 -1.36 <0.001 0.26 0.16-0.41

Barking 812 15.4 217 13.6 -0.87 <0.001 0.42 0.33-0.53

Anxious 605 11.5 162 10.2 -0.87 <0.001 0.42 0.33-0.53

Integration 29 0.5 3 0.2 -1.87 <0.01 0.15 0.05-0.52

Attention Seeking 59 1.1 9 0.5 -1.51 <0.001 0.22 0.11-0.46

Aggression 1,967 37.3 600 37.9 -0.75 <0.001 0.47 0.38-0.57 MANUSCRIPT

ACCEPTED

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Table 8. Significant (P < 0.05) relationships between behavior problems and social parameters, with reference to dogs of unknown postcode and dogs whose owners had not reported postcodes. RSED=Index of Relative Socio-economic Disadvantage; E-O= Index of Education and Occupation.

Regression Behavior/index Coefficient P-Value Odds ratio 95%CI House soiling

RSED -0.03 <0.01 0.97 0.94-.097

Grieving

RSED -0.05 0.04 0.95 0.90-1.00

Escape Behavior

RSED -0.03 0.03 0.97 0.94-1.00

E-O -0.01 0.02 0.99 0.97-1.00 MANUSCRIPT Destructive Behavior

RSED -0.03 <0.01 0.96 0.94-.99

E-O -0.01 0.02 0.99 0.98-1.00

Barking

RSED -0.02 <0.01 0.97 0.95-0.99

ACCEPTEDAnxious RSED -0.02 <0.01 0.97 0.95-0.99

Aggression

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

RSED -0.02 <0.01 0.97 0.95-0.99

MANUSCRIPT

ACCEPTED

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Table 9. Significant (P < 0.05) relationships between behavior problems and owner’s presence at the home, with reference to dogs of unknown postcode. MH = Mostly Home; VA=Variable attendance (Shifts). <20,

20-40, 40-60 h at work.

Work Routine Regression P -Value Odds ratio 95%CI Coefficient

Pica

MH 1.54 0.05 4.70 0.99-22.23

VA 2.39 0.01 10.96 2.07-58.10

Obsessive Behavior

20-40 2.28 <0.01 9.87 2.35-41.38

VA 1.88 0.03 6.58 1.27-33.97

Fear of noises 20-40 1.94 <0.001 MANUSCRIPT6.98 2.81-17.32 40-60 1.89 <0.001 6.68 1.85-24.11

MH 0.73 0.05 2.08 1.00-4.32

VA 1.29 0.01 3.64 1.35-9.80

House soiling

20-40 2.08 <0.001 8.04 3.22-20.05

40-60 1.76 0.01 5.85 1.54-22.21

MH 1.44 <0.001 4.23 2.18-8.19

VA ACCEPTED1.29 0.01 3.65 1.31-10.16

Fearful

20-40 1.59 <0.01 4.91 1.85-13.07

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

MH 1.31 <0.001 3.73 1.89-7.36

VA 1.51 <0.01 4.54 1.68-12.22

Escape Behavior

40-60 2.55 <0.001 12.81 3.48-47.13

Destructive Behavior

20-40 3.38 <0.001 29.66 12.44-70.74

40-60 3.68 <0.001 39.98 12.06-132.5

MH 2.17 <0.001 8.84 4.60-16.99

VA 3.05 <0.001 21.28 8.76-51.71

Coprophagia 20-40 2.69 <0.001 MANUSCRIPT14.80 3.45-63.46 40-60 2.28 0.05 9.87 0.98-99.07

MH 1.84 0.01 6.34 1.69-23.84

Chasing

20-40 2.43 <0.001 11.38 3.55-36.55

40-60 2.43 <0.01 11.38 2.24-57.83

MH 1.87 <0.001 6.51 2.61-16.22

VA 2.02 <0.01 7.59 2.08-27.75

ACCEPTED Boisterous Behavior

20-40 2.96 <0.001 19.38 7.69-48.88

40-60 3.13 <0.001 22.90 6.42-81.68

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

Aggression

20-40 2.61 <0.001 13.73 6.09-30.98

40-60 2.11 <0.001 8.32 2.62-26.37

MH 2.35 <0.001 10.57 5.40-20.71

VA 2.27 <0.001 9.69 3.51-26.74

Barking

20-40 2.61 <0.001 13.67 5.96-31.34

40-60 2.63 <0.001 13.93 4.33-44.77

MH 1.81 <0.001 6.14 3.48-10.81

VA 2.11 <0.001 8.25 3.55-19.19 MANUSCRIPT Anxious 20-40 2.63 <0.001 13.88 6.04-31.93

40-60 2.42 <0.001 11.34 3.48-36.94

MH 1.66 <0.001 5.31 2.98-9.46

VA 1.85 <0.001 6.42 2.71-15.19

Attention Seeking

MH 1.11 0.04 3.06 1.07-8.77 VA ACCEPTED 1.45 0.04 4.29 1.05-17.54

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT

MH 1.69 <0.001 5.43 3.15-9.36

VA 2.02 <0.001 7.57 3.33-17.18

MANUSCRIPT

ACCEPTED

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MANUSCRIPT 827 Figure 1 Distribution of dog ages to the nearest year, with half years rounded down

828

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830 Figure 2. Over-representation coefficient, related to MANUSCRIPTbreed proportion in our database

831

ACCEPTED

ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT • We model 11521 behavior problems recorded over 12 years in a dog

behavior clinic

• We examine risk factors for the behavior problems from demographic

information provided

• Aggression towards people, barking and anxiety were the most common

problems recorded

• Working dogs, hounds and utility dogs were over-represented in

submissions to the clinic

• Male dogs and those with owners of low socioeconomic status who

spent little time at home had a high risk of behavior problems

MANUSCRIPT

ACCEPTED