Characteristics and Adoption Success of Shelter Dogs Assessed as Resource Guarders.

ABSTRACT: Some domestic dogs aggressively guard resources. Canine resource guarding impacts public health through dog bites and affects dog welfare through adoption and euthanasia policies at animal shelters. However, little is known about the demographic characteristics and adoption success of dogs assessed as resource guarders during shelter behavioral evaluations. I reviewed nearly five years of records from a New York (NY) SPCA and categorized 1016 dogs by sex; age; size; reproductive status; and resource guarding. I then examined how these characteristics influenced the returns of dogs by adopters. The prevalence of resource guarding in this shelter dog population was 15%. Resource guarding was more common in adult and senior dogs than in juvenile dogs; and it was more common in small and large

SUBMITTER: McGuire B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6912206 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature