Overview

• In PLOS One, scientists report analysis of owner-reported behavior from 47,444 dogs enrolled in the Dog Aging Project from 2020 to 2023.
• Across fear, attention/excitability, aggression, and trainability, average behavioral profiles were largely stable year to year.
• Dogs enrolled after 2020 showed lower average trainability than those enrolled in 2020, with 2023 scores moving back toward earlier levels.
• Age, sex, body size, and mixed-breed status were associated with differences in reported behaviors across the cohort.
• The authors caution that causes for the trainability dip are unproven and plan longitudinal analyses to examine geographic and health influences over time.