Keepers Report Application of Delayed and Not Necessarily Effective Corrections to Undesired Behaviors of Dogs

Abstract This study investigated how keepers report correcting their dogs’ undesired behaviors by using what they consider to be aversive to them. Over 60,000 dog keepers responded to an online questionnaire addressing this issue. The questionnaire included the frequencies of delayed corrections of perceived signs of previously occurring undesired behaviors, the type of aversive actions applied (independently of correction timing), and the frequencies of specific canine behaviors that the keepers sought to correct. Based on results, correcting undesired behaviors of dogs that occurred some time ago is frequently reported, and the most common corrections are not necessarily effective in reducing these undesired behaviors. Moreover, keepers commonly use aversive actions to correct dogs’ urination/defecation in inappropriate places or destruction of objects, but they do not commonly do so for excessive barking or incorrectly responding to a cue.