Table 2 Responses to canine aggression and anxiety screens by owners of 103 dogs presented to a veterinary behavior clinic with a history of biting children.
| Stimulus category | Positive (aggressive or anxious) | Negative (not aggressive or anxious) | Situation does not apply |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aggression screen | |||
| Remove dog food, special food, toys (resource guarding) | 48 (61) | 31 (39) | 24 |
| Punish (verbally scold, correct with leash, hit) | 24 (59) | 17 (41) | 62 |
| Disturb while sleeping or resting; push or pull off furniture | 38 (49) | 40 (51) | 25 |
| Reach over or toward dog | 34 (38) | 56 (62) | 13 |
| Bathe, groom, or towel | 21 (26) | 59 (74) | 23 |
| Anxiety screen | |||
| Anxiety related to separation from owner(s) while owner is absent | 34 (35) | 62 (65) | |
| Anxiety related to separation from owner(s) while owner is present but inaccessible | 49 (51) | 47 (49) | |
| Anxiety or fear related to thunderstorms/fireworks | 47 (50) | 47 (50) | |
| Any anxiety (either separation or storm/noise‐related anxiety, or both) | 78 (77) | 23 (23) |
Values are number (%) or number. Aggression was directed to children, adults, or both. “Situation does not apply” refers to situations or provocations that do not occur for the particular dog. For example, resource guarding cannot be assessed if owners have not attempted to remove food or toys. In the aggression screen, positive responses refer to growling, baring teeth, lunging, snapping, or biting a person in response to the listed stimulus. In the anxiety screen, positive responses refer to trembling, panting, pacing, vocalization, destructiveness, urination, or defecation. Anxiety screen rows may not add up to 103 because of missing values.