Self-reported comprehension ratings of dog behavior by owners of adult dogs

Previous research has focused on dog owners actual comprehension of dog behavior, while ignoring the importance of perceived comprehension. However, perceived comprehension is important to study as it is more important than actual comprehension in decision making. The current study examined the responses of 140 participants to a questionnaire asking about demographic details, experience with dogs, and their understanding of dog behavior. The responses were analyzed using ordinal logistic regression, comparing their reported comprehension of dog behavior with reported experience, demographic variables, and the number of behaviors which the owners reported their dogs showing. Most respondents reported comprehension ratings of somewhat well to very well, which were at the top end of the scale. The only variable found to be related to perceived comprehension was self-reported experience with dogs, despite previous research suggesting that simple experience with dogs does not improve comprehension of dog behavior.