Angry and disobedient dogs die sooner

Dog.Photo: Solveig Vikene / SCANPIX

Is your dog aggressive, disobedient and barks violently? Then according to a British study, it may have a shorter life.

 

One of three dogs under three years that die in Britain has, according to the study, had this so-called unwanted behavior. For these dogs, 75 percent of the cases the owners choose to go to the veterinarian to euthanize the dog. Traffic accidents are another common reason why so young dogs die.

The study contains data from about 264,000 British dogs, and the result emphasizes the importance of training dogs and educating the owners, researchers at Royal Veterinary College believe. The large number of youngsters with behavioral problems that are being killed, according to researchers, show a great need for behavioral education among veterinarians so they can better help dog owners.

Emphasis is placed on the importance of puppies socializing from week four to twelve. Additionally, it is important that owners are aware of racial typing when deciding what kind of dog one is going to acquire.

The study published in the British magazine Animal Welfare Tuesday shows that male dogs, mixed dogs and small dogs under 10 kilos are more prone to premature death due to unwanted behavior than female dogs, larger dogs and purebred dogs.

However, some dog breeds have far more behavioral problems than others. Labrador retrievers often have a calm mood while other breeds like the Cocker Spaniel and Staffordshire Bull Terrier have a higher risk of behavioral death.

 

© NTB scanpix / #Norway Today