Relinquishing dog owners’ ability to predict behavioural problems in shelter dogs post adoption

The aim of this paper is to investigate whether relinquishing owners’ reports of their dogs’ behaviour corresponds with how these dogs behave in their new homes 2 and 6 weeks post-adoption. In this longitudinal study, information on dog behaviour was collected using a 20-item questionnaire. The first questionnaire (QA) was completed by owners relinquishing their dogs to one of five shelters in the UK. Second and third questionnaires were completed by new owners of these dogs 2 weeks (QB) and 6 weeks (QC) after adoption, allowing 56 QA and QB, 40 QA and QC and 191 QB and QC comparisons to be undertaken. Behaviour was rated using 5-point rating scales for each of the questionnaire items: the degree to which the dog was aggressive, excitable, anxious, fearful and attentive in specific situations and how often it would chew furniture and vocalise, steal food and mount people. Test–re-test reliability coefficients between QB and QC data revealed that reliability of new owner reports was moderate to good for all 20 items. Only 9/20 behaviour ratings correlated significantly between the relinquishing and new homes: fear of the veterinarian (2 and 6 weeks), anxiety at the vets (2 weeks) and when left alone (2 and 6 weeks), chewing furniture (2 weeks), sexual mounting (2 weeks), stealing food (6 weeks) aggression towards unfamiliar dogs (2 and 6 weeks), unfamiliar people (2 and 6 weeks), and the veterinarian (2 and 6 weeks). The remaining behaviours were not correlated between successive homes at either 2 or 6 weeks. Discrepancies are discussed in terms of the reliability of owner reports, the kennel experience, and differences in owner and household characteristics. The implications for shelters are that whilst some of the information provided by relinquishing dog owners is useful in determining the training and rehabilitation needs of dogs post-adoption, some reports are not predictive and should not be relied upon.