A large-scale analysis of owner-reported data shows dogs enrolled during the COVID-19 pandemic had lower average trainability scores than dogs enrolled in 2020.

The finding comes from a multi-year study that tracked behavioral characteristics across thousands of dogs, offering one of the broadest looks yet at how routines and social environments shaped pet behavior during an unprecedented period. Researchers behind the work emphasize that while trainability declined for dogs enrolled after 2020, other domains such as aggression and fear showed different patterns across groups. This aligns with findings from past research indicating that increased human presence at home can lead to heightened attachment behaviors within pets, such as following owners more closely and seeking more attention, which likely contributed to behavioral shifts.

The dataset underpinning the study included responses from tens of thousands of U.S. dog owners collected between 2020 and 2023, enabling researchers to compare behavioral trends year to year. Those comparisons revealed that dogs enrolled early in the study — in 2020 — tended to score higher on trainability than dogs added later, a difference investigators linked to pandemic-era disruptions in training opportunities and socialization. Notably, some reports and commentaries suggested that more dogs were adopted from shelters during the pandemic amid high demand for pets, contributing to speculation about a “pandemic pet boom.”

Study authors framed the results as a starting point for long-term work tying behavior to health outcomes as animals age. “When you have a data set this big, you really do have power in numbers,” said Courtney Sexton, a postdoctoral scholar at Virginia Tech and a lead researcher on the project. “While we may not fully understand all of the factors behind behaviors, having this much information can help scientists decipher patterns that are playing out in real life.” To help dogs adjust to changing routines as owners return to typical schedules, experts recommend gradually reintroducing short periods of alone time.

Beyond trainability, the analysis found nuanced patterns tied to dogs’ life stage, sex and size. Puppies, for example, showed different profiles from adult dogs, and smaller dogs tended to score higher on fear-related measures. Male and female dogs also differed in specific traits, with sex-associated patterns emerging across the large sample.

Researchers noted that mixed-breed animals in the cohort often exhibited higher levels of fear and attention-seeking behavior compared with single-breed dogs, a pattern the team discussed in light of shelter histories and prior life experience reported by owners. At the same time, aggression scores declined from 2020 through 2023, a trend the authors linked to changes in household routines and stressors across the pandemic period.

The study used standardized owner surveys covering four behavioral domains: fear, attention/excitability, aggression and trainability. Those responses created a benchmark that investigators plan to follow over time to better understand how behavior and health interact as dogs age. “Most importantly, with these data, we’re excited to now have a starting point from which we can continue to follow changes in the behaviors of tens of thousands of dogs as they age,” Sexton said.

Veterinary and animal-welfare professionals have flagged the importance of large datasets for teasing apart subtle trends that smaller studies can’t resolve. Coverage and summaries of the research are available in outlets such as Popular Science, which placed the findings in the context of pandemic-era shifts in daily life and pet ownership.

As researchers continue to analyze the cohort, the dataset will serve both as a snapshot of behavior during a turbulent period and as a baseline for tracking how those behaviors evolve. The project team expects the longitudinal nature of the data to help clarify links between early-life experiences, training history and later health outcomes.

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Original reporting: view the original article.