title: Fear-related behaviour of dogs in veterinary practice.
abstract: To investigate further the occurrence of fear-related behaviour in dogs in veterinary practice and to evaluate associated factors, 135 dogs were observed under practice conditions within the framework of a standardised test examination and the owners interviewed using a questionnaire. Most dogs exhibited fear reactions, particularly on the examination table, with 78.5% (106/135) categorised as 'fearful' based on their behaviour. Unlike weight and castration, age, gender and previous experience were significantly (P<0.05) associated with fearful behaviour. Male dogs were significantly less 'fearful' than females and animals under <2 years were significantly less 'fearful' compared with older dogs. Those with only positive previous experiences in veterinary surgeries were significantly less 'fearful' than dogs that had a previous negative experience. Fear-related behaviour in veterinary practice is an issue of importance.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Animal Welfare, Ethology and Animal Hygiene, Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Ludwig-Maximilians University, 80637 Munich, Germany. doro.doering@tierhyg.vetmed.uni-muenchen.de
authors.forename: Dorothea
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Döring
authors.forename: Anita
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Roscher
authors.forename: Fabian
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Scheipl
authors.forename: Helmut
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Küchenhoff
authors.forename: Michael H
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Erhard
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000818:Animals; D001522:Behavior, Animal / Q000502:physiology*; D004285:Dogs / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005239:Fear; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D018634:Veterinarians / Q000523:psychology*