How you raise, train, and socialize your dog, and how well you meet her behavioral needs all have a huge impact on her behavioral health. All dogs, regardless of breed, have the potential to be behaviorally healthy. It may be more difficult with some dogs, than others, depending on their natural tendencies.
Use this quiz as a guide to tell you what you need to work on, and don’t be discouraged or judgmental if your dog’s behavior isn’t everything you want it to be.
If your dog is in peak behavioral health, you answered always to every question. Congratulations – you and your dog have a great relationship, your dog is sure to be a joy to be around and a welcome addition to your community.
If you answered Always to more than half the questions you likely have a good dog whose behavior needs a little tweaking.
If you answered Always to less than half the questions, your dog’s behavioral health needs some attention.
Not all questions are of equal importance. If your dog is not friendly, and has snapped or bitten people, even if you answered Always to all the other questions, your dog’s behavior definitely needs immediate help.
The other behaviors may be more or less important to you, depending on your expectations and lifestyle. For example, if you have children, it’s important that your dog not guard his possessions, but you may be willing to tolerate too much barking if your neighbors are not complaining.
