[Kirska]

It is easy to assume that most dogs in resuce etc experence abuse and neglect and is the cause of the behavior wen in actually it is their behavior that landed then in rescue and shelters. Behavioral issue is the nimber one reason why dog are released by owner to shelters in survey after survey.

I have never heard this before and would be interested to see a source. I wouldn't find it terribly surprising but I find in my first hand experience there are more dogs that end up in shelters because their owners were moving, couldn't afford them anymore (including for illness), or even died. Some reasons that I see just plain don't make sense, like one dog that was brought in with the reason "doesnt love enough".

That said the VAST majority of dogs in shelters around here at least were picked up as strays and never claimed. So the reason of the owner for not finding them is unknown.

You must also consider that the shelter environment is very stressful for a dog, and dogs often develop behavior problems while in the shelter that they didn't have before. This is why most decent no-kill shelters will eventually send a dog to a foster home or to a less stressful rescue environment if they aren't adopted after a certain amount of time in the shelter, also freeing up a spot for another dog.

Anyway 9/10 dogs in the shelters that I work with have no noticeable behavior problems. Most of them are well behaved, though perhaps too energetic for me personally.

 

[Kirska]

I work with a no-kill shelter so there is no fear of euthanasia.

Also we shouldn't underestimate behavior problems that are the direct result of an inexperienced, lazy, or otherwise "bad" owner. The 3rd reason listed on the study you give is "escapes". Was the dog not neutered and roaming? Was there a hole in the fence that they didn't bother to patch? The next 2 are "destructive". Destructive behavior is often the result of dogs being under stimulated or under exercised. If you don't exercise your 10 month old boxer, yeah he's going to get into something because he's bursting with energy.

You'll also find with more research that the vast majority of dogs relinquished for behavior, over 90%, never had any obedience training. I'd be more inclined to say that the #1 reason they end up shelters is that owners don't make the effort to fix or prevent a behavior problem.

Also it's worth noting that the data from the study you linked was collected in 1994-1997 (http://www.petpopulation.org/research.html). Dog education and training has come a long way in 15 years. Just about anyone living in a decent sized town can go down the street to their local Petsmart or Petco for basic puppy or obedience training.