Saving normal: A new look at behavioral incompatibilities and dog relinquishment to shelters

• Published in: Journal of veterinary behavior 2022-03, Vol.49, p.36-45
• Main Authors: Patronek, Gary J., Bradley, Janis, Arps, Elizabeth
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Animal shelter; Dog behavior; Relinquishment
• ISSN: 1558-7878
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2021.11.007

In this review, we challenge the perception that behavioral incompatibilities are an important factor driving relinquishment of dogs to shelters. This belief dates at least to the 1970’s, when, in response to pet overpopulation, shelters and researchers began to collect reasons for relinquishment. We review studies on reported reasons for relinquishment, the prevalence of corresponding behaviors among owned dogs, and epidemiological analyses to determine the extent to which this perception is supported by data. With respect to analyzing reasons for relinquishment, when trying to get a handle on a new and complex problem, it is common to begin by reducing the data into categories of presumably similar items (“lumping”). However, lumping is prone to unconscious bias, and inevitably discounts differences among reasons. Additionally, we found that lumped-together behavioral incompatibilities were often compared to other reasons for relinquishment which had been split into smaller categories, giving a distorted impression of the relative weight of the behavioral reasons. This would tend to reinforce any impression relinquished dogs are behaviorally different from the owned population they are drawn from. We found only 2 epidemiological studies that compared a probability sample (control group) of owned dogs with relinquished dogs to assess risk associated with various behaviors. Neither study provides compelling evidence that particular behavioral incompatibilities are a strong determining factor in the decision to relinquish most dogs. Our review of studies of behaviors in owned dogs, moreover, reinforces what we already know from daily life – that dogs can and do live successfully in homes without expressing some ideal of canine behavior. Behavioral assessment and modification, along with restricting the potential adopter pool, can delay or limit adoption, and is often justified by shelters, in part, to prevent returns, despite the small proportion of all adopted dogs being returned for behavioral reasons (∼6%–9%). Delays in adoption extend dogs’ exposure to the stress of a shelter environment where their behavior may deteriorate, reduce the capacity of the shelter, and consume scarce staff time. A comprehensive view of the relinquishment data may help shelters reconsider the value of behavior evaluations relative to the welfare of the entire shelter population and better tailor their investment in behavior modification to their particular circumstances.