Milla Salonen and colleagues (2020) conducted one of the largest behavioral surveys to date, analyzing responses from 13,700 Finnish dog owners on seven anxiety-like traits: noise sensitivity, fearfulness, fear of surfaces and heights, inattention/impulsivity, compulsive behavior, separation-related issues, and aggression.
Key Findings:
- Noise sensitivity was the most common anxiety trait, affecting 32% of dogs.
- Comorbidities were frequent—dogs fearful of noises often also showed general fearfulness, and the strongest risk ratios were seen between hyperactivity/inattention, separation-related behavior, and compulsion, as well as between fear and aggression.
- Breed differences were pronounced, suggesting a strong genetic basis for anxiety susceptibility. Some breeds were at far greater risk than others, highlighting the role of selective breeding.
The authors stress that chronic anxiety harms canine welfare and may lead to relinquishment or euthanasia. They argue that breeding policies targeting behavior could reduce the prevalence of anxiety traits and improve overall welfare for companion dogs.
Source: Salonen, M., Sulkama, S., Mikkola, S., Puurunen, J., Hakanen, E., Tiira, K., Araújo, C., & Lohi, H. (2020). Prevalence, comorbidity, and breed differences in canine anxiety in 13,700 Finnish pet dogs. Journal: Scientific Reports, Volume 10. Publication Date: March 5, 2020. Authors: Milla Salonen, Sini Sulkama, Sini Mikkola, Jenni Puurunen, Emma Hakanen, Katriina Tiira, Cátia Araújo, Hannes Lohi.
