Using an owner-based questionnaire to phenotype dogs with separation-related distress: do owners know what their dogs do when they are absent?

Accurate phenotyping is a critical component of any behavioral research. We compared owner responses to the C-BARQ section on separation-related behaviors with video footage of their dogs (n=31). A focal animal continuous recording method was used to describe the behavior of dogs during the first 25 minutes after owners ’ departure. Nine dogs were recorded in the presence of one or two conspecifics, whereas 23 other dogs were alone. There was a significant moderate positive correlation between the separation-related behavior questionnaire score and the percentage of time exhibiting behaviors suggestive of anxiety (rs = 0.438, P = 0.003).
Source: Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research - Category: Veterinary Research Authors: Source Type: research