Assessment of Behavior: C-BARQ

The C-BARQ (or Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire) is designed to provide dog owners and professionals with standardized evaluations of canine temperament and behavior. The Fe-BARQ is a new behavioral survey instrument for cat owners. The current versions each consist of 100 questions describing the different ways in which dogs and cats typically respond to common events, situations, and stimuli in their environment. They are simple to use, and can be completed by anyone who is reasonably familiar with their pet's typical, day-to-day behavior. On average, they take about 15-20 minutes to complete.

The aim of this project is to collect behavioral data on pet dogs and cats from citizen scientists all over the world. To date, we have collected more than 40,000 records for more than 290 different breeds and mixed breeds of dog and about 5,000 records for cats, but the more owners who contribute to the project, the better. The main goal is to understand variation in temperament and behavior dogs and cats, and the causes of canine and feline behavior problems.

The C-BARQ and Fe-BARQ are also available to veterinarians, behavior counselors, researchers, shelters, breeders, and working dog organizations with an interest in evaluating dog and cat behavior.