Dogs can be seen as the happiest animals on the planet. A simple gesture could easily make them wag their tails and jump for joy. But dogs are not happy all the time. Like us humans, they can have other emotions, too — they can be sad, angry, and anxious. Yes, dogs can also feel anxious.
… results of a recent survey suggest that anxious behaviors may be more widespread amongst the world’s most popular pets than previously thought.
The findings, published last week in Scientific Reports, evaluated nearly 14,000 dogs—the largest-ever study on canine temperaments—and showed that nearly three-quarters of the pets showed at least one anxiety-related behavior, with some variation across breeds. A better understanding of these differences could help pet owners and vets better care for their pups, and perhaps even reduce the number of animals that end up in shelters or optioned for euthanasia, reports Michael Price at Science magazine.
More details about this over at Smithsonian.com.
(Image Credit: Fran_/ Pixabay)
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