Factors associated with pet dog behavior in Thailand

Research (Published online: 09-05-2023)

8. Factors associated with pet dog behavior in Thailand

Worakan Boonhoh, Tuempong Wongtawan, Prarom Sriphavatsarakom, Natalie Waran, and Chaiwat Boonkaewwan

Veterinary World, 16(5): 957-964

Worakan Boonhoh: College of Graduate Studies, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; Small Animal Research Group, Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; Center of Excellence in Innovation on Essential Oil and Bioactive Compounds, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand.

Tuempong Wongtawan: College of Graduate Studies, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; Small Animal Research Group, Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand.

Prarom Sriphavatsarakom: Department of Preclinic and Applied Animal Science, Faculty of Veterinary Science, Mahidol University, Nakhon Pathom, 73170, Thailand.

Natalie Waran: Faculty of Education, Humanities and Health Science, Eastern Institute of Technology, Hawke’s Bay, 4142, New Zealand.

Chaiwat Boonkaewwan: College of Graduate Studies, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; Small Animal Research Group, Akkhraratchakumari Veterinary College, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand; One Health Research Center, Walailak University, Nakhon Si Thammarat, 80160, Thailand.

doi: 10.14202/vetworld.2023.957-964

Article history: Received: 28-12-2022, Accepted: 27-03-2023, Published online: 09-05-2023

Corresponding authors: Chaiwat Boonkaewwan

E-mail: chaiwat.bo@wu.ac.th

Citation: Boonhoh W, Wongtawan T, Sriphavatsarakom P, Waran N, and Boonkaewwan C (2023) Factors associated with pet dog behavior in Thailand, Veterinary World, 16(5): 957-964.

Abstract

Background and Aim: Dog behavior problems pose serious public health and economic and animal welfare concerns. There are many factors influencing dog behavior. This study aims to explore factors associated with pet dog behavior in Thailand using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ).

Materials and Methods: The Thai version of the C-BARQ was validated in 2022. The online C-BARQ survey (Google Forms) was advertised and distributed on social media for 3 months. There were a total of 1827 respondents to the survey. The relationship among 12 subscales and variables was analyzed using Spearman’s correlation.

Results: “Excitability,” “attachment- and attention-seeking,” and “chasing” were the three most reported behavior problems. “Trainability,” a favored dog behavior, also had a high score in the study. These behaviors were associated with the owner’s age, house type, the dog’s historical background, the number of dogs and the presence of other species in the household, the dog’s training, diet types, and the daily number of meals. The lowest mean score was for “owner-directed aggression,” and it was associated with the dog’s gender and size, the number of dogs and the presence of other species in the household, the dog’s training, and the number of daily meals.

Conclusion: This is the first empirical study demonstrating factors related to dog behavior in Thailand. It provides an in-depth understanding of the prevalence and factors associated with Thai pet dog behavior and important knowledge for further studies to advocate for dog–human relationships and contribute to a reduction in dog abandonment in Thailand.

Keywords: canine behavioral assessment and research questionnaire, dog behavior, questionnaire, dog-human relationships, Thai dogs.