Better grasp of canine behaviour needed, sector figures state 

More needs to be done to address a widespread lack of understanding of canine behavioural signals, including legislative reform and welfare, veterinary sector figures have warned.

Dogs Trust officials estimate that around one in four of the current handover enquiries they are receiving have cited behavioural issues as a factor.

Meanwhile, separate analysis by PDSA has indicated a rise in the use of aversive training methods, which they fear may be contributing to behavioural and welfare problems.

Renewed impetus

Although there have been repeated calls for change to current breed-specific legislation, the issue has been given renewed impetus by the findings of the latest National Dog Survey.

It found that a majority of participants did not know what key body language signals indicated, with 76% not recognising rolling over when approached as a sign of discomfort and the same proportion saying their dog showed at least one form of undesirable behaviour.

More than seven in 10 (71%) believed they were more likely to be bitten by a strange dog than one they knew, despite research indicating the contrary, while around a third believed a wagging tail was a sign of happiness.

Dog bite concern

Concerns have been growing for some time about the rising level of dog bites requiring medical treatment and Dogs Trust officials say many of those incidents could be avoided through greater understanding of canine body language.

But they also fear that lack of awareness is contributing to high levels of rehoming demand, with more than 8,000 owners seeking their help to relinquish dogs on behavioural grounds in the last year.

The charity said that around a quarter of all rehoming enquiries recorded since the start of 2024 had also raised behavioural concerns and an “overhaul” of the law is now necessary.

A spokesperson told Vet Times: “We want the Government to instead tackle the root issue by introducing preventive, breed-neutral legislation to address the unscrupulous breeders, who are putting profit before welfare, and owners whose dogs are out of control. As part of taking a preventive approach, this should include interventions to change human behaviour towards dogs, with a focus on prevention of issues before they occur.”

Training methods

The survey’s concerns echo those raised in PDSA’s annual PAW report, published in June, which showed that more than one in five (22%) of participating dog owners had admitted to using at least one aversive training method. Although that figure was down on the 25% recorded in 2019, it is up by two points from 20% two years ago.

Sarah Heath, a European veterinary specialist in behavioural medicine, warned in the report of the “need for better education” of owners linked to the level of bite incidents and the connection between aversive training and behavioural issues.

She said: “More information is needed to understand the reasons for the confrontational behaviours that are reported, but the need for more effective dog bite prevention strategies and education about positive training methods is clear.”

Although a task force was set up to examine issues of responsible dog ownership under the previous Conservative administration, its findings have yet to be made public.

Shortly after Labour’s general election victory in July, Defra officials insisted that the group’s recommendations would be published “in due course”. In response to the latest analysis, a departmental spokesperson told Vet Times the position had not changed.