Dogs Trust has launched a new interactive survey to better understand the way we interpret dog behaviour.
The survey – Public Perceptions of Dog Behaviour & Emotion – is open for four weeks and whether you have a canine companion as part of the family or not, Dogs Trust is urging you to take part.
The survey takes around 20 minutes and uses video scenarios to gauge whether you know a happy dog from a worried one. The answers will be used by Dogs Trust to help us all to better understand dog behaviour in future.
Dr Lauren Samet, Canine Behaviour Research Officer at Dogs Trust, said: “Dog ownership has never been more popular than it is now, with many people seeing a dog as the perfect companion in lockdown and beyond. Latest figures suggest there are now around 12 million dogs living in the UK, so the timing of this survey couldn’t be more important. Whether you have a four-legged-friend of your own or not, with dogs occupying such a big place in society it’s vital we all understand them as well as possible.
“Being able to spot when a dog is anxious, worried or even frightened, so that we can respond to those emotions in the right way, means we can all live happier lives together. Whether you own a dog or not, your views are equally important. Men are also really underrepresented in surveys like this so we’re making a special appeal to them to take part.”
The survey can be found at https://www.smartsurvey.co.uk/s/DogBehaviourEmotion/