Is there something dog owners can do to keep other people’s dogs from ending up in shelters due to behavior problems? Yes, says board-certified veterinary behaviorist Dr. Nicholas Dodman, Director of the Animal Behavior Department of Clinical Sciences at Tufts University’s Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine.

He’s spearheading a two-year, crowdsourced study of dog behavior and its effect on the bond between people and their canine pets, and is asking dog owners to sign up as participants. Participation is anonymous and is intended to discover how owner personality and psychology affects a pet’s behavior and may contribute to a lack of bond between owner and dog, as well as the development of unacceptable canine behavior.

For more information and to sign up, visit the Center for Canine Behavior Studies website.