In a 2024 study published in Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Miranda Hitchcock and colleagues investigated the behavioral factors that most frequently lead owners to choose euthanasia for their dogs. The team developed the Behavioral Euthanasia in Pet Dogs Questionnaire to gather detailed accounts from owners who had made this difficult decision.
The survey revealed that human-directed aggression, particularly toward adults living in the same household, was the leading cause of behavioral euthanasia. The second most common reason was aggression toward other animals, especially other dogs in the home. Many of these dogs had bitten and broken skin, with multiple or severe incidents reported.
Most dogs displaying these behaviors had been living with their owners and showing problem behaviors for over a year before euthanasia. Cases spanned a wide range of ages, from under 1 year to 18 years old. The study emphasizes that understanding these behavioral patterns is essential for developing early intervention strategies, expanding public education on animal behavior, and strengthening the human-animal bond.
The authors highlight the need for further research into environmental and nonbehavioral factors, as well as the emotional and psychological impact on owners, to better address this complex and sensitive issue.
Source: Hitchcock, M., Workman, M. K., Guthrie, A. P., Ruple, A., & Feuerbacher, E. N. (2024). Factors associated with behavioral euthanasia in pet dogs. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11.
