Sensory Processing Sensitivity and the Importance of Individuality and Personality in Veterinary Medicine.

Sensory processing sensitivity (SPS) is a personality trait described in humans and dogs that mediates how individuals are affected by experiences. It involves being aware of subtle stimuli, high emotional intensity and empathy, and deeper processing of information. Recognizing individuals scoring higher in SPS is likely to help better diagnose, treat, and prevent both psychological (behavioral) and physical problems, leading to increased welfare and quality of life of the animal and its surroundings.

Development of the "Highly Sensitive Dog" questionnaire to evaluate the personality dimension "Sensory Processing Sensitivity" in dogs.

In humans, the personality dimension 'sensory processing sensitivity (SPS)', also referred to as "high sensitivity", involves deeper processing of sensory information, which can be associated with physiological and behavioral overarousal. However, it has not been studied up to now whether this dimension also exists in other species. SPS can influence how people perceive the environment and how this affects them, thus a similar dimension in animals would be highly relevant with respect to animal welfare.