Avaliação da percepção de proprietários de cães residentes em apartamentos no município de Niterói-RJ sobre os sinais da síndrome de ansiedade de separação em animais

This research is an exploratory research about the perception of the apartment dogs' owners about the Separation Anxiety Syndrome in Animals (SASA), a disease characterized by abnormal behaviors shown by the animals when they were put away from their attached subjects. The data were collected by means of an interview to evaluate the owner's perception (EAPP, from Portuguese: "Entrevista para Avaliar a Percepcao do Proprietario"); and two questionnaires: one to identify the SASA and, the other, a Support Questionnaire (QA - from Portuguese: "Questionario de Apoio"). A hundred and sixty-one dogs' owners that live in apartments in the Niteroi city (in the Rio de Janeiro state) were interviewed. It was concluded that the owners have noticed the problem, but the majority (58.70%) in a distorting way, attributing the undesirable behaviors to a kind of ‗spite' of the animal. And also the majority of the owners (75%) has mentioned that their dog showed inconvenient behaviors or behavior' troubles. But only a small part of them (15.13%) has declared that these behaviors were a consequence to the owners themselves' attitude in relation to their dogs.