Effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on the behavior and physical health of dogs in Rio de Janeiro state: Reflections on the quality of life of dogs and their owners

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the routines of people, consequently changing the daily lives of their pets. Behavioral and emotional changes caused by the stress resulting from restrictions of social isolation and their consequences in the human-animal relationship have been discussed. However, there are still no studies that identify the factors that affect behavior and which are the most susceptible groups. The purpose of this study is to identify behavioral and emotional changes on dogs during the COVID-19 pandemic and their effects on the quality of life of animals and their owners. The methodology used was online questionnaires, which were posted on social networks aimed to dog owners in Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. The results showed that age, sex, dog size, type of home, and restrictions imposed differently affected the type of behavioral change. However, the most frequent type of change was the worsening of previous conditions. Neutered behaviors directly interfered in the lives of owners and their pets, as owners managed the situation and sought information without guidance from a veterinarian, with the possibly consequence of worsening the situation in the future. Veterinarians should actively investigate behavioral changes that have occurred through anamnesis to avoid abandonment and instability in the human-animal relationship.

Introduction

The COVID-19 pandemic has had repercussions in several areas, from health to economy. The influence on mental health and well-being has been one of the discussion points in the scientific community (Fiorillo and Gorwood, 2020; Homes et al., 2020). Social isolation combined with excessive information on the SARS-CoV-2 virus has had deleterious effect on people who may or may not have had pre-existing psychological diseases (Fiorillo and Gorwood, 2020). During psychotherapy, it's clear that animals have been used to relieve the anxiety generated by the pandemic (Hargrave et al., 2020; Vicent et al., 2020), with dogs and cats present in most households and being considered family members.

Sudden changes in routine may affect both humans and pets (Vicent et al., 2020), increasing stress in animals, which are vulnerable to significant behavioral changes if managed incorrectly (Hargrave et al., 2020). Generally, the classes of behavioral complaints most frequently reported by owners in consultations are aggressiveness, destructive behavior, and urination/defecation in inappropriate places (Fatjó et al., 2006; Soares et al., 2010), which may lead to euthanasia or animal abandonment (Fatjó et al., 2006; Soares et al., 2010; Hargrave et al., 2020; Vicent et al., 2020). The increase in numbers of stray animals and the risk of attacks against humans are serious public health problems (Slater, 2001; Fatjó et al., 2006). Changes in the routine of owners, and consequently of their animals, during the COVID-19 pandemic may increase the prevalence of the problems previously mentioned.

The importance of the veterinarian in this context is to intervene and advise on mental and physical diseases (Hargrave et al., 2020). Face-to-face consultations during the pandemic were challenging (Vicent et al., 2020), so epidemiological surveys are essential for the development of prevention and treatment strategies (Fatjó et al., 2006). These allow for a longer observation time to detect subtle abnormalities or behavioral changes that were not previously observed by the owners (Vicent et al., 2020). The use of questionnaires aimed at pet owners has been a useful tool to detect behavior abnormalities (Fatjó et al., 2006).

This study identifies the relationship between social isolation and the behavioral and physical health of pets, as well as the life quality of animals during COVID-19 pandemic. We also identified the extent to which dogs were important for their owners and the effects of the dogs’ behavioral changes on owners’ routine. The hypotheses are: (1) Change in routine affects the behavior of dogs, consequently interfering in the quality of life of owners; (2) Behavioral changes depend on age, lifestyle, and restrictions imposed.

Materials and Methods

The study was conducted with dog owners from Rio de Janeiro state, Brazil. First, a pilot questionnaire whose purpose was to validate the clarity, relevance, and time to complete the questionnaire elaborated on Google Forms on behavioral changes of pets during the COVID-19 pandemic (Appendix 1) was conducted. Ten individuals who were not veterinarians were selected to answer the questionnaire elaborated. This group subsequently answered some questions on the understanding of questions and time spent to answer them (Appendix 2). After necessary adaptations, the questionnaires were disseminated through social networks (WhatsApp, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram) and 300 responses were collected during the period from July to September 2020. The project was exempted from evaluation by the Human Research Ethics Committee (CONEP) through opinion 4,131,826.

The questionnaire was divided into 4 sections. The first section consisted of questions on the characterization of the environment where the animal lived and changes in the routine of owners after COVID-19 restrictions, which directly affected the life of the pet. The second section consisted of questions with the objective of characterizing the animal and identifying chronic diseases. Animal age groups were classified as puppies (≤1 year old), young adults (1-4 years old), adults (5-7 years old), and elderly (≥8 years old). Emotional predisposition was evaluated through the PANAS method adapted by Savalli et al. (2019), in which affect is classified as negative (frightened, anxious, fearful or phobic, and indifferent to the environment and routine changes) or positive (adaptation to unknown environments, insistent on playing, little interest in the environment, has a lot of energy and/or is lazy, persistence in disobeying, and being noisy). The third section consisted of an investigation into changes in the routine and behavior of animals after the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, using a list of behaviors adapted from Fatjó et al. (2006) and Soares et al. (2010). In the last section, effects on the physical health of the pet and on the quality of life of the pet and owner were analyzed.

To evaluate behavioral changes and the perception of owners about these changes, 95% confidence intervals were used, and Spearman's correlation coefficients were applied to ordinal and quantitative variables. The relationship between qualitative data was statistically evaluated Using Chi-square tests, considering an a priori 0.05 probability significance level for closed questions with only one answer. Information about breed and dog size were divided into mixed-breed and pure-breed, and small (<15Kg), medium (15-25 Kg), and large (>25Kg), respectively. The software R (R Core Team, 2019) was used for statistical analysis. Questions with open answers or those that could indicate more than one option were evaluated descriptively.

Results

The study received 321 answers, of which 21 were excluded as the respondent was under 18 years old or did not agree with the study (n = 2); did not reside in the Rio de Janeiro state (n = 8); did not inform the city of residence for confirmation of the state (n = 1); and answered the questionnaire more than once (n = 5). Another 5 answers were removed after 4 owners indicated which dog they felt closest to. A total of 300 questionnaires were evaluated.

Demographic data

Of 300 respondents, 91% (273/300) lived in the metropolitan region of Rio de Janeiro state, where the ratio of respondents who lived in an apartment (54%, 162/300) or house (42%, 126/300) was similar. Three or more people per household was the most frequent answer and 14% (42/300) of households had children (Table 1 ). Regarding respondents, 85% (255/300) were women and 45% (135/300) were between 25 and 44 years old.

Table 1.

Relative frequency of the total number of inhabitants and children by type of home of the population under study.

Type of home	Apartment (54%)				House (42%)				Others (4%)
Inhabitants/home	0	1	2	≥3	0	1	2	≥3	0	1	2	≥3
Total (%)		13	31	56		2	22	76		9	27	64
Children (%)	86	14	0	0	84	16	0	0	100	0	0	0

A similar proportion of females (52%, 156/300) and males (48%, 144/300) was observed in the dogs evaluated, of which 69% (207/300) and 50% (150/300) were neutered, respectively. Age groups were also equally represented, except for under one year old. Data on breed, size, origin, and environment of the household in which these animals live are shown in Table 2 , 5% (15/300) of the respondents didn't answer about the breed, size and/or origin.

Table 2.

Relative frequency of size of pure-breed and mixed-breed dogs in relation to their origin and household environment.

Household environment	Internal (48%)				External (10%)				Both (42%)				Total
	PURE-BREED (%)
	HB	R	S	K	HB	R	A	C	HB	R	S	K
Small	9	0	1	10	1	0	0	0	10	2	1	6	40
Medium	1	0	0	1	0.3	0	0	0.3	2	0	0	0.3	5
Large	1	0	0	0.3	2	0	0	0	1	0.3	0.3	1	6
	MIXED-BREED (%)
	HB	R	S	K	HB	R	S	K	HB	R	S	K
Small	2	6	6	0	1	1	0.3	0	3	7	2	0	28
Medium	0.3	4	0.3	0.3	1	1	1	0.3	1	3	1	0.3	14
Large	0	0.3	0.3	0	0	0	0	0	1	0.3	0	0.3	2
Total	13	10	8	12	5	2	1	1	18	13	4	8

Origin of the dogs evaluated - homebred (HB); rescued from the street (R); shelter (S); or kennel (K).

Influence of environment on dog behavior during the COVID-19 pandemic

Type of home was related to hyperactivity (P = 0.01). All dogs that already had hyperactivity and remained hyperactive were living in apartments. On the other hand, the house dogs were the most prevalent in the group that began to exhibit hyperactivity, but these dogs comprised a minority (8.8%, 11/125) of those living in houses. The environment where the animal lived in (internal or external), the number of inhabitants in the household, and the presence of children did not influence the behavioral change of the dog population evaluated.

Characteristics and emotional predispositions of dogs related to behavioral changes

In the evaluation of factors intrinsic to the animal regarding behavioral changes, it was observed that intact (P <0.01) males (P <0.01) were more prevalent in the group of dogs that began to urinate in inappropriate places, and in the group where there was a change in the frequency of this behavioral problem (60%, 180/300). Females expressed “fear of people” more intensely (P = 0.01), when this condition previously existed (89%, 14/157). Adult and elderly dogs were the ones that most exhibited changes in urination behavior (P = 0.03) and defecation (P = 0.02) in inappropriate places. This increase in house soiling occurred in 64.5% (20/31) of these animals for urination and 70% (17/24) for defecation. Young and elderly dogs presented destructive behaviors (P <0.01) and hyperactivity (P = 0.01), respectively, more frequently than other groups. Approximately 75% of small-sized dogs, regardless of being of mixed-breed or pure-breed, showed changes (increase, decrease or begin) in hyperactivity (P = 0.03) or vocalization (P = 0.03). These 2 behaviors (P = 0.01 and 0.04, respectively) were less observed in animals with chronic diseases, however this group represented only 24.6% (74/300) of the population studied.

In the evaluation of emotional predispositions, the mean frequency of negative and positive affects was similar, but not significantly correlated with the behavioral changes of the dogs evaluated.

Investigation of changes in the routine and behavior of dogs after COVID-19 pandemic restrictions

With respect to changes in routine after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic (Table 3 ), dogs spent less time alone since in 46% (138/300) of homes there was always someone present and in 49% (147/300) of homes the time people spent at home increased. In addition, the human being who felt closest to the dog was usually always present. Most respondents were at home almost all of the time, 67% (201/300) of owners claimed to be staying only at home and 21% (63/300) leaving only to work, with reduced workload. Changes in people's routine did not correlate with any specific reported behavior.

Table 3.

Relative frequency of changes in routine presented by families and particularly by owners and their dogs during the COVID-19 pandemic in the population evaluated.

CHANGE IN ROUTINE (%)	Family	Time people spend at home
		Decreased	Unchanged				Increased			Constant
		1	4				49			46
	Owner	Unchanged	Goes out only to work							Remains only at home
			WL ↓		Normal WL			WL ↑
		5	2		5			21		67
	Dog*	Unchanged	Walks			Time of contact with
		Ø	↓	↑	Cohabiting humans			Non-cohabiting humans	Non-cohabiting animals
	6	15	34	14	79			47	28

Workload (WL); decreased (↓); increased (↑); and suspended (Ø).

^⁎It was possible to select more than one alternative.

The most notable change in the routine of dogs (Table 3) was the intensified coexistence with people who lived in the same home. In the owner comments at the end of the questionnaire, the relationship between increased time spent together and the joy and affection of these individuals, whether human or dogs, was frequently identified. However, signs of anxiety including vocalization when alone, agitation to go for walks, not leaving the side of his owner and increased solicitation of affection and attention were the most prevalent reported behaviors. Owners reported the fear that both humans and dogs, but especially dogs, would suffer when the routine returned to normal. In addition, the opportunity for socialization and environmental enrichment decreased with more restricted walks and reduced contact with other animals and non-cohabiting people.

The mean response rate for questions about each behavior after the beginning of COVID-19 restrictions was 96% (288/300) (Table 4 ). The most frequent statistically significant response (Figure 1 ) for behavior studied was the lack of observation of the behavior. Just for excessive vocalization the most prevalent response was the previous existence without changes in frequency, although not differing statistically from lack of behavior observation.

Table 4.

Behavioral problems of dogs (n = 300) and changes that occurred during restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic according to the perception of owners.

Categories of behavioral problems	Behavior characteristics after COVID-19 (%)
	Never observed	Existed before isolation			Developed
		Improved	Unchanged	Worsened
Aggressiveness	60	5	19	9	3
Compulsive behavior	67	3	14	8	4
Destructive behavior	50	9	27	7	3
Defecation in inappropriate places	62	5	15	8	6
Hyperactivity	43	7	27	15	4
Fear of noises	47	4	32	10	2
Fear of other animals	68	3	19	4	1
Fear of people	70	3	15	5	1
Urination in inappropriate places	51	6	21	10	8
Excessive vocalization	32	5	40	16	4

Figure 1.

Confidence intervals of frequencies of behavioral changes in dogs (n = 300) after the COVID-19 pandemic in Rio de Janeiro state.

Intervals that are not overlapped are significantly different (P <0.05). (A) Already existed and remained equal; (B) Already existed and the intensity increased; (C) Already existed and the intensity decreased; (D) Behavior developed during the COVID-19 pandemic; (E) Not observed.

Out of 300 questionnaires, 260 (87%) showed a change in frequency (increased or decreased), or development of behaviors, for at least 1 behavior during the pandemic. Data analysis (Figures 2 and 3 ) showed that 74.2% (193/260) of dogs showed up to 5 altered behaviors and 10% (26/260) demonstrated some change for all behaviors questioned in the study. The most frequent behaviors that were altered (either increased or decreased) excessive vocalization (71.1%, 185/260), followed by hyperactivity (56.1%, 146/260), and fear of noises (53%, 138/260). The most frequent type of change was the worsening of pre-existing conditions, except for destructive behavior, which decreased in intensity, but was not statistically significant (Figure 3 Confidence intervals, P < 0.05). A statistically significant difference in the frequency of behavioral change was observed only for compulsive behavior, hyperactivity, fear of noise, and excessive vocalization.

Figure 2.

Quantification of neutered behavior in dogs (n = 260) in Rio de Janeiro state.

Figure 3.

Confidence intervals of frequencies of dogs with behavioral alterations caused by the COVID-19 pandemic (n = 260).

Intervals that are not overlapped are significantly different (P <0.05). (B) Already existed and the intensity increased; (C) Already existed and the intensity decreased; (D) Behavior developed during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Effects on the physical health of pets and on the life quality of pets and their owners

When the development of diseases during the COVID-19 period was observed, approximately 32% (95/300) of respondents reported that their dog had some physical alteration. Of these, 47.3% (45/95) mentioned variation in weight, in which 37 dogs gained weight (38.9%), 2 had an increase in weight with subsequent decrease (2.1%), and 6 lost weight (6.3%).

The need to take the dog to the veterinarian's office was reported for 120 respondents (40%), showing a positive and statistically significant correlation (Chi-square tests, P < 0.001) with the presence of physical alterations reported by the owners. The primary reason for seeking veterinary care was that vaccines were due, and only one owner indicated weight-control follow-up. Among owners who mentioned behavioral problems, only an increase in libido was considered a reason for veterinary consultation.

An average 33% (99/300) of respondents answered each item. The most frequent response was being indifferent to the behaviors listed. However, for compulsive behavior, defecation or urination in inappropriate places, and excessive vocalization, no statistical difference was observed between being indifferent and having a negative effect on the owner's life (Figure 4 ). Of all respondents, 97% (291/300) considered the dog to be a companion and 66% (198/300) considered dogs as a way to relax. However, 64% (192/300) of respondents stated that the dog was a distraction and 10% (30/300) considered dogs as an extra job.

Figure 4.

Confidence intervals of frequencies regarding the repercussion of behavioral changes in dogs caused by the COVID-19 pandemic in the lives of owners.

Intervals that are not overlapped are significantly different (P <0.05).

Owners managed behavioral changes in their dogs by reprimanding them in 55% (165/300) and implementing measures of environmental enrichment in 53% (159/300) of the cases. Other owners sought help with an acquaintance (1%, 3/300), trainer (4%, 12/300), general practice veterinarian (8.3%, 26/300) or veterinarian specialized in animal behavior (1%, 3/300). Others also mentioned increasing walking time, daycare centers, internet research, and reinforcement of behavior, with more attention and affection.

Discussion

Concerns, difficulties, and stressors of pet owners during the COVID-19 pandemic were mostly related to their animals and were reported more often than difficulties related to the person and household (Applebaum et al., 2020). In the present study, the main concern reported by owners was the potential suffering of both humans and dogs when the time of coexistence decreases after the return to normal activities at the end of the pandemic. This response was also frequent in a questionnaire conducted in England (Ratschen et al., 2020), and was likely associated with the fear of the dogs developing separation anxiety syndrome (Applebaum et al., 2020; Hargrave, 2020), since some dogs already vocalized when being alone, as was also observed by Applebaum et al. (2020).

On the other hand, the need for constant attention from animals, caused by home confinement, is a limiting factor for work at home and other activities (Applebaum et al., 2020). Thus, the prevalence of responses in the questionnaire indicating signs of attention-seeking and anxiety in dogs may explain why more than half of respondents considered the dog to be a distraction. In the United States of America, this was the most highlighted stressor (Applebaum et al., 2020). In Spain, where the main behavior observed in the dogs was the demand for excessive attention, 5.8% of participants considered that the relationship with their dog worsened during isolation (Bowen et al., 2020). Therefore, intervention of a veterinarian is essential to prevent abandonment caused by behavioral problems (Hargrave, 2020), especially given the reported favorable scenario, in which the perception of owners in the population studied regarding their animals is mostly of being a companion and a way to relax. Dogs were also considered emotional supporters during restrictions and anxieties resulting from COVID-19 (Bowen et al., 2020; Ratschen et al., 2020). The window of opportunity to offer help and guidance is restricted since dog owners relinquish dogs with behavioral problems sooner than they relinquish cats with behavioral problems (Salmam et al., 2010).

Yet owners do not consider these behavioral changes to be a reason for veterinary consultation and often sought help from inadequate sources, leading to incorrect management and reinforcement of negative behaviors. This pattern may result in the worsening of behavioral changes over time (Bowen et al., 2020). In addition, punishment can also cause incidents of aggression against humans (Hargrave, 2020), which is a public health problem and a burden on the health system (Slater, 2001; Fatjó et al., 2006).

Altered behavior was not observed by the owners for most of the dogs of the population under study. When it was observed, it had worsened from a previous (pre-existing) condition. Our analysis was conducted in the short term (7 months of COVID-19 pandemic), which may have favored observation of the worsening of pre-existing alterations rather than the appearance of new alterations (Applebaum et al., 2020; Bowen et al., 2020).

Some changes may become evident only when the routine returns to normal (Applebaum et al., 2020; Bowen et al., 2020). However, as active search is necessary during anamnesis, the identification of the current context helps to identify the most frequent problems, as well as predisposing factors. The present survey found that compulsiveness, excessive vocalization, hyperactivity, and fear of noise were statistically significant changed in the population under study. These results corroborate the study conducted in Spain, in which excessive vocalization and fear of noise also worsened with the pandemic situation (Bowen et al., 2020). These changes are among the ten main reasons for abandonment (Salmam et al., 2010), suggesting that professional evaluation and intervention are warranted.

Among the changes observed, only compulsiveness and urination and defecation in inappropriate places were considered negative by the owners. These are common reasons to relinquish pets (Salmam et al., 2010). Bowen et al. reported that, regardless of type of behavioral change, the chance that animals exhibiting problem behaviors were considered a difficulty to the owner increased 1.9-fold (Bowen et al., 2020).

The main change in the routine of the dogs evaluated was the greater time spent in contact with people, which differs from other studies that showed the main change was a decrease in the time or frequency of walks (Applebaum et al., 2020; Bowen et al., 2020). Constant contact with humans was associated with greater joy for the owners and affection from their animals. On the other hand, this isolation with restricted contact with other people and animals may have masked the fear of people and animals, seeing that these 2 were the least frequently observed behaviors, with 30% (90/300) and 32% (96/300) of frequency, respectively. Combined with the reduction or absence of walks, these concerns may be impairing socialization and environmental enrichment, which may lead to future behavioral problems.

Hyperactivity was most observed in dogs living in apartments and was pre-existing. Dogs which began to exhibit this behavior mostly lived in houses. Possibly as COVID-19 restrictions prevent access to essential elements of well-being (Hargrave, 2020), leading to insufficient stimuli and environmental enrichments (Applebaumet al., 2020), the number of people at home and the presence of children did not interfere in the behavior of pets, corroborating the literature (Bowen et al., 2020). However, it was noticed that 86% (258/300) of the houses had no child, and that even with this scenario there was a report that a dog was aggressive against a child for not having its space respected. This was observed in another study, in which even without statistical significance, there was a report that children did not know how to deal with animals (Applebaum et al., 2020). Thus, veterinarians must be kind enough to instruct adult on how to manage this situation in order to avoid damage to any individual, such as accidents followed by abandonment.

Small dogs were the most predisposed to hyperactivity and excessive vocalization, probably for increased anxiety and fear, as owners of small dogs tend to have less time for consistent interaction, training, and games, associated with higher frequency of punishments (Arhant et al., 2010). In contrast, the hyperactivity and excessive vocalization were less observed in animals with chronic diseases, which are related to lower levels of activity (Fatjó and Bowen et al., 2020). Interestingly, walks also decreased excessive vocalization (Bowen et al., 2020), which highlights the importance of correct management with environmental enrichment for the treatment and prevention of behavioral problems.

Adult and elderly animals were the ones that most exhibited changes in the behavior of urinating and defecation in inappropriate places, although this behavior had been expected especially in puppies before the age of maturity and without training (Martínez et al., 2011). One explanation for this result is related to behavioral changes and cognitive decline during aging (Chapagain et al., 2020) associated with a reduced flexibility (Wallis et al., 2016) that predisposes them to emotional distress, caused by even a mild social challenge (Mongillo et al., 2013). These changes may be clinical signs of the cognitive dysfunction syndrome in aged dogs (Dewey et al., 2019). Stress can disturb dogs’ abilities to inhibit elimination (Chung et al., 2016), so social isolation may have been the stressor. More males may have marked associated with perceived stress (Martínez et al., 2011).

Elderly dogs and young adults experienced changes in destructive behavior and hyperactivity. These may be associated to an absence of daily dog social exposure (Chung et al., 2016), or to separation anxiety syndrome (Soares et al., 2009). Female dogs worsened with respect to pre-existing fear of people, and female dogs have been reported to have more phobias (Bamberger et al., 2006).

Access to the veterinarian is one of the concerns of owners during the COVID-19 pandemic (Applebaum et al., 2020; Bowen et al., 2020). Weight gain was the most reported physical condition and may have been associated with an increase in snacks and decreased physical activity (Applebaum et al., 2020). Obesity has been reported as a pandemic-related concern of owners (Bowen et al., 2020). However, like behavioral changes, this condition is not considered a reason for consultation.

Limitations and future research

Although Brazil presented non-standardization of restrictive measures against COVID-19 (Ortega and Orsini, 2020), when the change in the routine of families during the research period was evaluated, social distancing and isolation were observed in the population under study. In addition, social isolation was positively associated with the routine of owners, who reported being alone at home or leaving only to work with reduced workload.

Another issue is that 85% of the participants were women, who are 1.72-fold more likely to have the pet as an emotional support (Bowen et al., 2020). This population may not represent that as a whole, although this sample profile is frequent (Bowen et al., 2020; Ratschen et al., 2020), as women are more likely to answer online questionnaires (Smith, 2008). The elderly people, like men, were underrepresented, and the elderly may not have had access to the internet (Deursen and Helpsper, 2015). Future research needs to consider adaptations for the inclusion of these individuals, especially in the context of a pandemic in which distancing measures recommended for prevention require this methodology, as used in studies on COVID-19 (Applebaum et al., 2020; Bowen et al., 2020; Ratschen et al., 2020).

The results shown in this study reflect the perception of owners, not necessarily indicating the presence of behavioral disorders, which can only be diagnosed by veterinarians during consultation. However, these data are important for veterinarians to recognize behavioral changes and their effects on the quality of life of owners and their dogs. Finally, only domestic dogs were evaluated, which does not necessarily reflect behavioral changes and effects on the quality of life of other species or even of their owners. Therefore, even if dogs are currently suffering more with restrictions (Bowen et al., 2020), the recognition of behavioral changes and their effects on other species must be evaluated in future studies, especially as the relationship between man and animal does not depend on species (Ratschen et al., 2020).

Conclusion

Restrictions of the COVID-19 pandemic affected the behavior and emotions of dogs. Restrictions affected the quality of life of these animals and their owners by different degrees. The type of behavioral change depends on age, sex, dog size, type of home, and restrictions imposed, with the most prevalent changes being the worsening of pre-existing of compulsiveness, excessive vocalization, hyperactivity, and fear of noises. The data collected provide substantial information for the veterinarian to actively intervene in the behavioral and physical consequences of dogs resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic. The need for measures to prevent future abandonment and the development of aggressiveness, which are public health problems, is highlighted.

Conflict of Interest

The authors declare no conflict of interest.