Young dog owners tend to cope better when their pup misbehaves: Study

According to a new study published in the CABI journal Human-Animal Relations, young dog owners react well when their pet pup misbehaves. Past studies suggest that around 90 per cent of dogs display undesired behaviours such as aggression and disobedience, but little is known about the impact of this on young people’s experiences and accompanying emotions. A team of scientists interviewed young dog owners in Canada, aged 17 to 26 years, to try and determine their experiences with their pets and their coping strategies in response to bad behaviour. This included barking occasional and persistent barking and, in extreme cases, being aggressive towards other dogs and people.