Does adolescent and adult training affect canine behavior problems?

This study examined whether adolescent and adult training is associated with differences in owner-reported behavior problems in dogs, and whether these effects interact with pre-adolescent training history or age of acquisition. Using a self-reported online survey, owners provided information on their dogs’ training experiences and the presence or absence of 11 commonly reported behavior problems. Behavior problems examined included aggression, fear and/or anxiety, excessive barking, coprophagia, repetitive behavior, house soiling, rolling in repulsive material, hyperactivity, destructive behavior, escaping, and mounting. The effect of dog age, dog sex, acquisition in pre-adolescence, pre-adolescent dog training (“puppy training”), and the interactions between pre-adolescent and adolescent/adult training and between acquisition in pre-adolescence and pre-adolescent training were also examined. Adolescent and/or adult training alone was not significantly associated with most owner-reported behaviors. An exception was problematic jumping, which was more frequently reported among dogs that had received adolescent/adult training. However, the odds of an owner reporting this behavior decreased with age. Dogs that were both acquired during pre-adolescence and received pre-adolescent training had significantly lower odds of owner-reported coprophagia. Fear and anxiety were also less likely to be reported in dogs that received a combination of pre-adolescent and adult training. The total number of owner-reported behavior problems was lower among dogs acquired in pre-adolescence that has also attended pre-adolescent training. Training style (R + vs. non-R + ) and training location (group classes vs. private trainer/other) were not significantly associated with owner-reported behavioral outcomes. • Adult training, when combined with prior pre-adolescent training, was associated with lower odds of owner-reported fear and/or anxiety. • Dogs that received adolescent/adult training were more likely to have owner-reported problematic jumping. • The total number of owner-reported behavior concerns was lower among dogs acquired during pre-adolescence that also received pre-adolescent training. • Training style (R+ vs. non-R+) and training location (group classes vs. private/other) were not significantly associated with owner-reported behavioral outcomes.