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Are you a vet who uses PETscan? In this registration and information system for diagnoses in dogs and cats, you can now also enter behavioral diagnoses of dog and check for additional information.  The new module was developed by behavioral experts from the Center for Veterinary Genetics at Utrecht ľ�ϸ���Ӱ��.

A dog goes to the vet...

If a dog with unwanted behavior comes for a consultation, you can easily click on the diagnosis at any appropriate level in the diagnosis tree in PETscan. For example, you can select “bite incident” and stop after naming the type of victim (e.g., “other dog”) if you have no further information. But if you do have more information, you can click through to “damage done” and possibly even select a specific diagnosis, such as “fear aggression” or “possession aggression.” You can also fill in that the dog has no further behavioral problems and behaves socially towards other dogs or people.

Behavior is complex

The different levels are in place because behavior is complex. A precise diagnosis requires a comprehensive behavioral analysis. Behavioral veterinarian Marjan van Hagen explains, “Behavior is a combination of several causal factors, such as hereditary predisposition, bitch-pup bonding, socialisation and learning processes. But, for example, the environment of the dog can also make a difference in the extent to which a dog expresses undesired or problematic behavior. For example, a busy environment will be more challenging for the dog than a quiet environment. To gain more insight especially on the hereditary factors, PETscan is the perfect tool. So we hope everyone will join in to enter behavioral traits into this national system.”

Socially bred

There is a great need from science for information on undesirable behavior. Van Hagen: “There is still very little data on behavioral traits, while behavioral problems have a lot of impact on the relationship between the animal and the owner.” The information that veterinarians input into PETscan enables research into desired and undesired behavioral traits in dogs. Through this and other avenues, scientists are working towards healthy and socially bred dogs.