Caregiver anxiety and reported dog anxiety in the context of history and acquisition factors

Abstract

Background: Prior research in human-animal interaction has documented associations between human anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors in pet dogs. However, this literature has rarely accounted for dogs’ prior adverse experiences or related contextual human factors that may influence this association. Aim: This study examined the association between caregiver anxiety and caregiver-reported anxiety-related behaviors in dogs, while accounting for dogs’ adverse experiences, caregivers’ trauma history, anxiety medication use by caregivers, veterinarian-prescribed behavioral medication use in dogs, and dog acquisition source. Methods: An online survey was administered to a national sample of US adults who were the primary caregivers of at least one dog (n = 655), recruited via Prolific, an online participant recruitment platform. Caregiver anxiety was assessed using the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7). Caregiver-reported anxiety-related behaviors in dogs were measured using selected items from the shortened Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ ^{( S )} ). Respondents reported any history of perceived adverse experiences for their dogs (e.g., abuse, neglect), any caregiver trauma history (e.g., serious accident, abuse), caregiver and/or canine medication use, and dog acquisition source. Moderation models were estimated to test whether these factors altered the association between caregiver anxiety and anxiety-related behaviors in dogs. Results: Higher caregiver anxiety was significantly associated with higher caregiver-reported anxiety-related behaviors in dogs (β = 0.14, SE = 0.07, p = 0.04). This association remained significant after adjusting for dogs’ adverse experiences, caregiver trauma history, caregiver or dog medication use, and dog acquisition source. None of the tested moderators significantly altered the strength of the association. Dog behavioral medication use was independently associated with higher anxiety-related behaviors in dogs, whereas neutered dogs had lower anxiety scores than intact dogs. Conclusions: These findings indicate that caregiver anxiety is positively associated with anxiety-related behaviors in dogs, even after adjustment for measured contextual factors. The results underscore the importance of incorporating caregiver mental health into research and practice focused on canine behavior and welfare. Caregiver-inclusive approaches may strengthen both future research and intervention development within human-animal relationships.