Behavioural disorders are common in domestic dogs and often have severe consequences for welfare and human–dog relationships. Rachel Malkani and colleagues (2024) analyzed 177 AWAG assessments across 129 dogs diagnosed with behavioural problems and compared their scores with those of 117 healthy dogs. The study evaluated physical, procedural, psychological, and environmental factors.
The results revealed that nearly all AWAG categories, from mobility and eating/drinking to reaction to stressors and enrichment use, were scored significantly poorer in dogs with behaviour disorders compared to healthy counterparts. Importantly, the analysis identified three factors as significant predictors of behavioural disorders: aggression towards the caregiver, frequency of fears and anxieties, and lack of choice, control, and predictability in daily life.
Further correlations demonstrated the interdependent nature of welfare. For example, procedural impacts on a dog’s daily routine correlated with aggression towards unfamiliar people and procedure-related pain. Similarly, poor behavioural responses during assessment correlated with both fear frequency and clinical assessment scores.
The study emphasizes the AWAG’s potential as a valuable welfare monitoring tool for veterinary, behaviour, and animal welfare professionals. By tracking aggression, fear, and environmental predictability, practitioners can detect early signs of emotional health decline and implement proactive strategies to improve dog welfare.
Source: Malkani, R., Paramasivam, S., & Wolfensohn, S. (2024). A Multidimensional Evaluation of the Factors in the Animal Welfare Assessment Grid (AWAG) That Are Associated with, and Predictive of, Behaviour Disorders in Dogs. Animals, 14. Published February 1, 2024.
