Applied Animal Behavior Analysis

Applied Animal Behaviour Science 148 (2013) 150–156

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Applied Animal Behaviour Science journal homepage: www.elsevier.com/locate/applanim

Food-related aggression in shelter dogs: A comparison of behavior identified by a behavior evaluation in the shelter and owner reports after adoption
Amy R. Marder ∗ , Anastasia Shabelansky, Gary J. Patronek,
Seana Dowling-Guyer, Sheila Segurson D’Arpino
Center for Shelter Dogs, Animal Rescue League of Boston, 10 Chandler Street, Boston, MA 02116, USA

a r t i c l e

i n f o

Article history:
Accepted 22 July 2013
Available online 6 August 2013
Keywords:
Food aggression
Shelter dog
Behavior evaluation
Temperament test

a b s t r a c t
In order to assess the relationship
Van der Borg et al. (1991), in their study of the predictability of a behavior evaluation used on 72 dogs in a shelter in the Netherlands, found that aggression over bones and food was the most poorly predicted behavior in the new home, compared with other behaviors evaluated, 1–2 months after adoption. They also reported that 25% of the adoptive owners never interacted with the dog while eating food or a bone. More importantly, even when FA was present, it was of little concern to the owners in that study. Mohan-Gibbons et al. (2012) followed 96 dogs that displayed FA on a behavior evaluation and were part of a behavior modification program for
FA in the shelter and after adoption. Pit bull type dogs and
Rottweilers were excluded from that study. The dogs were followed up with an open-ended questionnaire administered by phone to their adopters at 3 days, 3 weeks and
3 months after adoption. Of the 60 adopters who were reached at least once, only six reported food aggression at

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3 weeks, but by 3 months the adopters reported no FA at all. The objectives of the present study were to determine the relationship of both the presence or absence of FA identified by a standardized behavior evaluation, a part of
In fact, a higher proportion of adopters of dogs identified as FA+ in the home considered the food aggression to be not a challenge than adopters of FA− dogs.
This study has several strengths. The first is that dogs were followed for longer time periods after adoption (minimum 3 months), in contrast to other studies that used shorter time frames of between 3 days and 3 months
(Mohan-Gibbons et al., 2012; Van der Borg et al., 1991).
Thus, there was more time for FA+ behaviors to occur and be detected. Another strength of this study is that the sample included dogs of all types, including Pit Bull type dogs and Rottweilers, both which are common in current American shelter populations. In addition, this study followed both dogs that were food aggressive and those that were not, allowing for comparison between the two groups.
The weak relationship between being FA+ on the behavior evaluation in the shelter and subsequently being reported to be FA+ after adoption in this population of shelter dogs is particularly noteworthy for shelters, as