Comparison between the perceptions of dog owners from Sri Lanka and Russia about the stressful situations and behavioural signs related to stress in dogs

Some people found it hard to believe that animals have stress. When people have stress, they have found that cuddling their pet is a relief to minimize their stress. Dogs especially as a lovely loyal pet to their owners, they can help this situation more than other animals. But when they have stress will owners be able to identify and minimize stress triggers for dogs? Perceptions of dog owners about the stress in dogs influence the mental and physical wellbeing of their own dogs. Therefore, the aim of this research was to evaluate how dog owners in Sri Lanka and Russia perceive stressful situations and behavioural signs of stress in dogs. 99 dog owners from both countries participated in the study. An online questionnaire measuring dog owners’ ability to identify stressful situations to dogs and perceptions of behavioural indicators of stress in dogs were administered to participants. Data showed that dog owners from both countries easily identified stressful situations but failed to recognize behavioural indicators related to stress in dogs. Misunderstandings about canine behaviour might influence dog owners’ ability to recognize subtle stress signs in dogs. According to the experience of the researcher, the dog owners of Sri Lanka and Russia have many differences in taking care of their pets. However, both were failed to identify even main behavioural stress signs in dogs. The study was proposed to be expanded to compare the preventive measures taken by dog owners from both countries to gain more insight into why they failed to identify behavioural signs associated with stress in dogs. It was recommended to conduct additional awareness programs about canine stress which might be beneficial for dog owners.