Frustration in dogs is an emotional response that arises when expectations are not met, often manifesting in aggression, anxiety, or stress-related behaviors. Despite its importance in canine welfare and behavior problems, frustration has historically lacked a structured way of assessment. To address this gap, McPeake and colleagues (2019) developed the Canine Frustration Questionnaire (CFQ).
The tool was created through an online survey distributed to over 2,300 dog owners, who rated their dogs on 33 frustration-related items using a Likert scale. Reliability was confirmed through repeated testing at six weeks, one year, and paired responses from multiple caregivers evaluating the same dog. Principal component analysis reduced the questionnaire to 21 validated items grouped into five key components of frustration.
The results showed strong correlations between CFQ scores and owners’ perceptions of their dogs’ frustration tendencies, supporting the tool’s reliability. Importantly, the CFQ offers a structured way to link emotional states with observable behavior, paving the way for better diagnosis and treatment of frustration-related behavior problems in dogs.
This work represents a significant step forward in canine behavioral assessment. Ongoing validation using physiological and behavioral measures will further strengthen the CFQ’s value as a practical tool for trainers, veterinarians, and researchers.
Source: McPeake, K., Collins, L., Zulch, H., & Mills, D. (2019). The Canine Frustration Questionnaire—Development of a New Psychometric Tool for Measuring Frustration in Domestic Dogs (Canis familiaris). Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 6.
