Amanda farah
Improving Shelter Dog Welfare
Identifying effective stress interventions for dogs living in shelters
Dogs in shelters or shelter-like environments where they are densely housed in kennels often experience high levels of stress that manifests in their behavior. The most effective way to reduce this stress is by moving them quickly into homes, but some dogs have longer lengths of stay that necessitate behavioral interventions. Shelter staff and volunteers are tasked with finding ways to reduce that stress, often with very limited resources. It is therefore important that interventions are prescribed and delivered in ways that make them as effective as possible. This project is a review and analysis of existing research into strategies to reduce stress in dogs living in shelters.
Key notes
- Aside from leaving the shelter, interventions cannot completely eliminate shelter stress.
- A good plan will incorporate many types of enrichment delivered throughout the day to help keep stress at the lowest possible level.
- Taking notes on interventions you’ve tried and their results will help fine tune a plan.
Explore the interventions
Select an intervention to review interesting findings and suggestions.
Priority Intervention
Human contact
The best choice for most dogs when resources allow, human contact is among the best intervention strategies.
Most useful with consideration to individual needs
In-kennel Enrichment
Interventions that center around adding an object or experience to individuals kennels for a limited time.
Easy to apply to many dogs at once
Ambient Enrichment
Interventions that can be applied to many dogs in a space at once.
Great compliment to human contact time
Training and cognitive enrichment
Using reinforcement to modify behaviors or using cognitive enrichment as a behavior intervention.
Let’s talk medication!
When “Enrichment” Isn’t Enough
It’s easy to feel helpless, but how long should you wait to see if an intervention plan works?
How can we use this information to formulate a plan based on your available resources?