Attitudes of Finnish dog-owners about programs to control canine genetic diseases

A mailed questionnaire survey was done to study dog-owners' knowledge of ca nine inherited diseases and the present screening and control programs in F inland, as well as to study the importance of health-related matters and we ll-being to dog-owners. The purpose was also to study the owners' role in p rograms and the influence of health and well-being in their decision-making process and choices when purchasing a puppy. This study showed that dog-ow ners highly valued health-related matters and well-being. The present progr ams were considered to have a positive effect on the prevention of canine i nherited diseases. Dog-owners estimated that their own knowledge could be b etter but they believed in veterinarians' and dog-breeders' ability to info rm them. inherited skeletal and ocular diseases were thought to be importan t to canine well-being; the importance of other diseases or behaviour probl ems was assessed to be lower. In choosing a suitable breed, behaviour and t emperament were the most-important factors but health-related matters were essential in actually choosing a puppy's breeder and the litter. Well-being and health were also considered very important to the image of the dog hob by. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.