C-BARQ Assessment

I saw Maisy's results on the Shiba Inu Spirit: C-BARQ post and thought I'd give Ki a run.

I made an account on the C-BARQ website (created by the University of Pennsylvania - Veterinary Medicine Department) and I did two runs through the test. One that shows his score based on the behavior he displayed during his first year with me and one for his current behavior levels.

I've included the Score Key below for reference (and color-coded the results for ease of comparison):

• Gold Star - A score within good-normal range.
• Red Flag - A less favorable score than at least 75% of dogs tested.
• Double Red Flags - A less favorable score than at least 90% of dogs tested.

Ki's Old Score (based on behavior displayed after adoption at 1.5 years of age):

• Stranger-Directed Aggression - Red Flag - 84th Percentile
• Owner-Directed Aggression - Double Red Flags - 91st Percentile
• Dog-Directed Aggression - Gold Star - 12th Percentile
• Trainability - Red Flag - 22nd Percentile
• Chasing - Gold Star - 71st Percentile
• Stranger-Directed Fear - Double Red Flags - 95th Percentile
• Nonsocial Fear - Gold Star - 61st Percentile
• Separation-Related Problems - Double Red Flags - 96th Percentile
• Touch Sensitivity - Red Flag - 85th Percentile
• Excitability - Double Red Flags - 94th Percentile
• Attachment/Attention-Seeking - Gold Star - 72nd Percentile
• Energy - Double Red Flags - 94th Percentile

(The rest are based on single questions and may be less reliable.)

• Mounting - Double Red Flags
• Begging - Red Flag
• Food Stealing - Double Red Flags
• Pulling on Leash - Double Red Flags
• Marking with Urine - Double Red Flags
• Hyperactivity - Double Red Flags
• Tail-Chasing - Red Flag
• Barking - Red Flag
• Grooming Self - Double Red Flags

As you can see Ki needed a lot of work. I remember times when I questioned whether it was possible to change his bad behavior...times when I considered whether it would be better to let him live out his days at the rescue because he couldn't really be a good housemate. Ki had 11 Doubles and 6 Regular Red Flags (Maisy has 12 Doubles and 6 Regulars).

But it turns out that sticking with him and learning as much as I was training was worthwhile! While Ki's current scores are still far from perfect, he's made so much progress and is continuing to make even more as time goes on.

Ki's Current Score:

• Stranger-Directed Aggression - Red Flag - 79th Percentile
• Owner-Directed Aggression - Red Flag - 80th Percentile
• Dog-Directed Aggression - Gold Star - 12th Percentile
• Trainability - Gold Star - 35th Percentile
• Chasing - Gold Star - 71st Percentile
• Stranger-Directed Fear - Double Red Flags - 92nd Percentile
• Nonsocial Fear - Gold Star - 61st Percentile
• Separation-Related Problems - Double Red Flags - 94th Percentile
• Touch Sensitivity - Gold Star - 70th Percentile
• Excitability - Gold Star - 66th Percentile
• Attachment/Attention-Seeking - Gold Star - 41st Percentile
• Energy - Gold Star - 73rd Percentile

(The rest are based on single questions and may be less reliable.)

• Escaping/Roaming - Red Flag
• Mounting - Red Flag
• Hyperactivity - Red Flag
• Tail-Chasing - Red Flag
• Grooming Self - Red Flag

I want to do the test again in another year to see how the scores change, because I believe we'll see even more improvement. I do know that some dogs have problems that mean they can only really fit in certain homes and situations, but I hope that Ki's progress gives hope to those that are working with a difficult dog. Especially for people like Jen at Shiba Inu Spirit that are going into the situation with so much more knowledge and experience than I had when I started with Ki (and likely more than I have even now!).

Scary-Looking Dog

I live in the San Francisco Bay Area. It's a very diverse place and that allows for a lot of fun (and food!) but it has also allowed me to experience something that is a problem for other dogs I know.

People are afraid of me because of the way I look.

I'm a spitzy-boy...


Some people think I look like a dingo:

[photo by Ogwen on Flickr]

There are so many cultures here that I even get mistaken for a dhole (not everyone would know what those are!):

[photo by Guwashi999 on Flickr]

Whether they realize it or not, this 'wildness' in my look often makes them afraid. People have even gone so far as to bring their children inside when I walk by. They don't know that I love children and that attention is good for me. Rainy says good interactions reinforce good reactions. There are so many people that don't even give me a chance. Smaller dogs are seen as 'cute' but larger or 'primitive' looking dogs are often considered 'aggressive'...just like that! There are even laws passed that ban breeds completely! Even if a dog is a certified Canine Good Citizen they could be forced to leave their home or even euthanized if they are found to be a banned breed in an area where they aren't allowed. This kind of thinking really hurts us dogs and doesn't resolve the issues that can lead to a dog behaving aggressively.

I'd like to invite everyone to consider the dogs they might see as they are out and about. If you've ever avoided saying hello to their owner just because of they way they looked, maybe you should re-think it. I'm not saying that you should run up and hug every dog you see (I think I'll teach you about how to say hello properly in the next entry), but talk to a dog's humans and learn about them as individuals. You may be surprised at what you learn, and you could make a friend out of a dog and their human who are so often avoided.

Remember that the breed doesn't make the problem! Bad situations, bad handling, fear and stress can make a dog react aggressively. These aren't reactions that occur because of our skeletal structure, fur color, or size. Small dogs and big dogs of any breed can react aggressively without proper care, handling, and training. Small and big dogs of any breed can also make great pets, good friends, and happy members of your community.

Make understanding dogs as individuals a habit! Support owners in their quest to foster balance and happiness in their dog and report those who abuse them.

Maybe I'll give you a high-five on my next walk.

~Kitsune