This year, in the United States alone, approximately three to six million cats and dogs will be euthanized as a result of behavioral problems (Beerda, Bosch, Hendriks, Vander Poel and Verstegen, 2007). Unwanted behavior is cited as the primary reason dogs are abandoned to shelters (Beerda et al., 2007). Individuals who abandon their dogs rarely pursue an active intervention strategy to correct problem behaviors, often claiming that time and financial constraints prohibit further intercession (Marston & Bennet, 2003). It is important to understand how canine behavior problems develop and what interactions can contribute to or deter their negative impacts. Awareness of the progression of these behavioral deficits could help us provide accessible interventions to encourage individuals to alleviate these problems before they become larger problems. Researchers Andrew Jagoe and James Serpell are interested in the implications of how owners' characteristics interact with their dogs and how they contribute to the prevalence of canine behavior problems. Jagoe and Serpell designed a questionnaire to be administered to four different sources including: animal behavior advisors, veterinarians, Cambridge University Veterinary School Teaching Hospital, and a random door-to-door survey ( Jagoe and Serpell, 1996). The survey required detailed information regarding the reason for acquiring the dog, any previous ownership of a dog, participation in obedience training classes, approximate times the dog was fed, sleeping habits of the dog, the types of games the owners reported playing. with their dogs and a checklist of problem behaviors ...... middle of paper ...... this would allow shelters to become a first resource, not just a final solution. Works Cited Beerda, B.; Bosch, G.; Hendriks, W.H.; Vander Poel, AFB; & Verstegan, W.A. (2007). Impact of nutrition on canine behavior: current status and possible mechanisms. Nutrition Research Reviews (Vol. 20, Issue 2, pp. 180-94). Elmes, David G; Kantowitz, Barry H.; & Roediger III, Henry L. (2008). Research methods (pp.183). Mason, OH: Cengage Learning. Hepper, Peter G. and Deborah L. Wells (2000). Prevalence of behavioral problems reported by owners of dogs purchased from an animal shelter. Applied Science of Animal Behavior (Vol. 69, Issue 1, pp. 55-65). doi:10.1016/S0168-1591(00)00118-0Jagoe, Andrew and Serpell, James (1996). Owner characteristics and interactions and prevalence of canine behavior problems. Applied science of animal behavior, 47, 31-42.