Current Attitudes to Canine Aggression!

Re: Current Attitudes to Canine Aggression!

Michelle Smith — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 16:11:29 GMT

Hi!

Huge thank-you to anyone whose looked at this survey (completed or not) i didn't expect so many responses so quickly! I'll try and answer all the questions so far.

The project was inspired by the following article in vet record: Veterinary Record 2010;166:778-781 doi:10.1136/vr.b4855 Incidence and impact of dog attacks on guide dogs in the UK. The majority of the dogs that were attacked were male (62 per cent), and one of the breeds that were over-represented (relative to their prevalence in the general guide dog population) was labradors. SBT featured highly on the attacker list so thats how i chose the two breeds. As SBT already have a reputation for aggression i put them as the constant, as i figured people would be biased to put "likely/very likely" if they were the variable.

I agree there is sparse information on each dog. My first draft was a paragraph scenario with questions below, but when i tested it people were put off by the amount of text and feedback was quite poor. Advice i had from superiors was to keep it to 1 side A4 and make the "text to tick box" ratio as small as possible. So i'm sorry if people found that frustrating. Age is certainly something i will chat to my supervisor about and see if its too late to add it in. My idea was that if it wasn't mentioned (e.g. age) it wasn't a factor that would exacerbate the situation (e.g. not a bouncy puppy or grumpy senior), but that needs to be indicated more clearly i think.

The objective of the study is just to find out vet attitudes and opinions to canine aggression. As far as i can find no-ones done a study like this with vets, but theres plenty on public opinion.

I really appreciate the constructive critism given, it's too late for me to change the survey now - but it'll come in handy when i'm writing my disscusion.

Thanks again everyone!

Shell

Re: Current Attitudes to Canine Aggression!

mariette asselbergs — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 15:13:21 GMT

I did fill it in, and the good thing was that it set me thinking about lots of circumstances for aggression; but its true that no situation can be answered confidently without knowing a lot more about the dogs and the meeting conditions and the behaviour of the respective owners.

Most labradors I have known are very easy going, but I have known one who once had a terrible fight with his playmate English Bull Terrier in a crowded room at age 1 year old, and forever after could not be off the lead because would attack other dogs if given any chance.

So yes, what is the objective of this mini survey?

Mariette

Re: Current Attitudes to Canine Aggression!

Utlendigur — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 13:11:42 GMT

I have to agree aswell, so I didn't finish it. For example there is no information on the age or temperament of the SBT - there's a big difference between one that's elderly and pottering round the park and a young bositerous playful one. Also why those two breeds only? Why bring breeds into it at all - why not just say dogs? Not really sure what it is trying to find out except maybe whether there is a prejudice towards staffies.

Re: Current Attitudes to Canine Aggression!

Andrew Mellor — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:39:18 GMT

have to agree ! not as simple as it first seems, there are just too many variables, although it may be easier if you turned it round and had the staffie as the unknown !

Re: Current Attitudes to Canine Aggression!

plantagenet — Fri, 30 Sep 2011 12:07:29 GMT

Sorry to be picky, I started to answer the questions and then decided my answers would mean nothing, in fact I couldn't decide what my answer should be.

The staffie was castrated, implying a responsible owner (or not perhaps a rescue from a home, castrated there?) so would a responsible owner let an staffie off the lead who was likely to scrap with other dogs. On the other hand my experience of many staffies is that they often don't get on with other dogs and owners are not always sensible. I was dithering between 'likely' and 'neither likely or not' before I even considered the labrador and its various conditions.

It would take me 15min and half a page to answer the first question properly and there is no point just bunging any old thing down.