Trait-Level Resilience in Pet Dogs-Development of the Lincoln Canine Adaptability Resilience Scale (L-CARS)

Area of Science:

• Veterinary Behavioral Science
• Animal Psychology
• Canine Behavior Research

Background:

• Psychological resilience is extensively studied in humans as the ability to recover from adversity.
• Resilience in dogs is under-researched, despite observed individual differences in stress coping mechanisms.
• A validated tool is needed to objectively assess canine resilience.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate the first psychometric scale for assessing resilience in dogs.
• To identify key components of canine resilience based on owner-reported behaviors.

Main Methods:

• An online survey was distributed to dog owners, collecting demographic, medical, and behavioral data.
• 19 potential resilience items were assessed using a 5-point Likert scale.
• Data from 1084 initial respondents and 329 re-tested respondents were analyzed using Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for reliability and validity.

Main Results:

• A 14-item, 2-component scale, the Lincoln Canine Adaptability and Resilience Scale (L-CARS), was developed.
• The two components identified were 'Adaptability/behavioral flexibility' and 'Perseverance'.
• The L-CARS demonstrated predictive validity for correlates such as problem behaviors.

Conclusions:

• The L-CARS is the first validated instrument for measuring resilience in dogs.
• The scale provides a reliable method to assess canine adaptability and perseverance.
• This tool can advance research into canine stress coping and behavioral well-being.