Table 2. Factors included in the linear mixed models with the outcome variable being the highly sensitive dog score (HSD-s).
| Factor | Unit / Options | |
|---|---|---|
| Demographic factors | Dog sex | male intact, male neutered, female intact, female neutered |
| Dog weight | kg | |
| Dog age | years | |
| Dog age at adoption | months | |
| Country of origin | same from now, different from now | |
| Previous owner | Yes, no, I don’t know | |
| Number of people in household | 1, 2, >2 | |
| Human factors | Owner age | < 18 years; 19–30 years; 31–65 years; > 65 years |
| Profession of owner | dog trainer; veterinarian; behavior specialist; university student; university employee; none of the above | |
| Type of Communication |
R+: e.g. food treats, cuddle; clicker/marker word, praise with voice, play, etc. | |
| P+ strong: e.g. turn on back, press dog to ground, tug on lead, choke collar, kick, etc. | ||
| P+ mild: voice (shout, sharp), obedience work, spray collar, hand over muzzle, noise interrupter (discs), spray with water, tap on nose | ||
| P-: withhold reward, time-out, ignore | ||
| Current degree of stimulation in surroundings | Likert scale 1–5 (5 being the highest degree of stimulation) | |
| Active time per day | < 1 hour; 1–3 hours; > 3 hours; I don’t know | |
| Random effects | Country in which the dog currently lives | Switzerland, Germany, Austria, UK, USA, Canada, other |
| Breed | Open text; post hoc categorization into Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) groups |