Rescue dogs show few differences in behaviour, cognitive abilities, and personality compared with non-rescue dogs.
This study looked to determine any difference between behaviour and cognition of dogs from a rescue and non-rescue background. Cognitive tests were undertaken in the home of the owner and questionnaires were utilised to investigate behaviour and dog owner relationships. In total, 30 rescue dogs and 30 non rescue dogs took part in the study. Results showed differences in eye contact, with non-rescue dogs maintaining eye contact for significantly longer in the cognition test. Non rescue dogs also performed better in the simple memory test.
Rescue dogs were scored as more fearful in the behaviour questionnaire but scored lower then non-rescue dogs in excitability and activity. Rescue dogs also scored lower in the factor responsiveness to training (including the facet trainability) compared to non-rescues. This might be associated with a lack of appropriate training background and the age of adoption and further research, and a larger sample size would be required to confirm this.
Rescue dogs scored higher than non-rescues in the trait aggression toward dogs. Dogs adopted from shelters often display some form of aggressive behaviour with at least a quarter of owners reporting aggression as a behavioural problem post-adoption (Vitulova et al., 2018, Yang et al., 2020). Interestingly, there was no difference between rescue and non-rescues in any of the other aggression-related factors or facets; investigating the specific types of aggression displayed in rescue dogs could be an area for further research. This study didn’t look at why the dogs were originally handed over.
Overall there were only slight differences between the two groups, and regardless of these differences there was no difference in the scores for dog owner relationship.