A comparison of rating and coding activity-impulsivity and inattention in dogs

The aim of the present study was to examine the links between independent rating and coding approaches to assessing activity-impulsivity and inattention in dogs. Fifty-six adult Belgian shepherd dogs were videotaped performing in behavioural tests. 17 behavioural variables were measured by coders (video-coding). Raters watched the same videotapes and then rated the activity-impulsivity and inattention of each dog (video-rating). Owners filled out the Dog ADHS-RS questionnaire measuring activity-impulsivity and inattention. Video-rating of activity-impulsivity correlated with the scale scores of the owner, but video-codings did not. The results suggest that the owner ratings and video ratings are tapping the same constructs, but behavioural variables assessed in the present study were not appropriate for mirroring the owners’ assessments. The findings suggest that if consistent individual differences in broad behavioural traits are the primary focus of analyses, then ratings seem to capture information not easily captured in coding approaches designed to assess the same constructs