Improving the Welfare of Shelter Dogs

When you walk through an animal shelter and pass the rows of dogs in kennels you may see dogs that are pacing, jumping at the kennel walls, barking, spinning, or just hiding in the back of their kennels. All of these things are outward expressions of stress due to the shelter environment. Dogs in the shelter are isolated, restless, and often mentally under stimulated. In most shelter arrangements the dogs watch other dogs walk past their kennels any time another dog is taken out of their kennel. This becomes their main source of entertainment and stimulation throughout the day and eventually the dogs start to exhibit signs of over arousal or barrier frustration every time another dog walks past their kennel. The same behaviors are often seen when people walk past the dog’s kennels. These behaviors are indicative of dogs that are experiencing a high level of stress with little to no relief and dogs that are desperate for mental stimulation. 

Unfortunately shelters are often under staffed, underfunded, and over crowded, leaving the existing shelter staff struggling to meet the needs of every animal in their care. It’s an impossible task and they rarely, if ever, get any relief. Shelter staff often experience “ burn out” very quickly which can take a huge toll on their mental health. They need help just as much as the dogs in their care do.

There have been several studies that show the benefits of how human interaction and mental enrichment can decrease stress, reduce undesirable behaviors, and reduce fear based aggression. The majority of these studies examined levels of cortisol, a hormone involved in regulating the body’s response to stress, in samples taken from saliva, urine, blood, or feces. In one study involving Dr. Temple Grandin [1], it was found that within the first 3 days after intake, dogs in shelters experienced almost 3 times the cortisol levels of household dogs. In that same study, it was found that dogs that received 45 minutes of interaction with a human during the 2nd day had lower cortisol levels on the 3rd day then dogs that received no such interaction. A similar study performed in 2013 in Montgomery County [3] showed similar results with dogs that were given 30 minutes of interaction with volunteers. They also found that human interaction not only caused a decrease in cortisol levels, but also decreased the appearance of behaviors often associated with stress such as pacing and vocalization. A more recent study in 2017 [4] showed that just 15 minutes of human interaction appeared to reduce cortisol levels with the same efficacy as 30 minutes of human interaction.

In one study from Italy [2], dogs were transported to a local prison to participate in an “Animal Assisted Intervention” program to interact with inmates. The dogs that participated in the study had much lower cortisol levels immediately after their interactions with the inmates. They also saw that the cortisol levels recorded at the shelter before transportation to the prison were lower than when the dogs were living in the shelter and not receiving regular human interaction. The results from this study indicate that there may be long term positive effects of the interactions with humans in addition to short term immediate stress relief.

The benefits of human interaction are not limited to dogs that are eager to actively engage with humans. A study performed in Dayton, Ohio in 2019[5] showed that dogs exhibiting fear-based aggression that were provided enrichment focused around human engagement developed more confidence and exhibited fewer signs of aggression. The majority of these dogs that interacted with humans passed an aggression evaluation they would have failed previously. By passing the aggression evaluation, the dogs were deemed adoptable instead of euthanized as they may have been had they failed the evaluation.

While the benefits of human interaction on stress and behavior are clear, it isn’t feasible for shelter staff to interact with every single animal in their care. Volunteers are incredibly important for improving the welfare of shelter animals. Volunteers have the benefit of being able to devote larger amounts of time to providing mental enrichment and human interaction without the other responsibilities that shelter staff must tend to. This allows volunteers to interact with and improve the welfare of multiple dogs in a single day. This engagement can be as simple as taking a walk around the property, playing in an enclosed yard, petting and cuddling, or just sharing space with the dog. A study out of Italy in 2014 [6] showed that just walking the dogs once a day was enough to lower stress levels and decrease the frequency of displacement behaviors associated with stress.

To further provide mental enrichment, volunteers can teach the dogs easy skills such as “sit”, “down”, “shake”, or other tricks the volunteer may be able to train. Even tossing treats in the grass for the dogs to scavenge for can be incredibly mentally enriching. At some shelters, volunteers may be able to prepare interactive toys such as lick mats or KONG toys that can be frozen and given to the dogs at a later date for enrichment in their kennels.

By decreasing stress levels and providing mental enrichment, we can decrease the risk of behavior changes that may make it more difficult for the dog to get adopted or stay in a home. Reach out to your local shelter and ask about becoming a volunteer.

Sources

Coppola, C. L., Grandin, T., & Enns, R. M. (2006). Human interaction and cortisol: can human contact reduce stress for shelter dogs?. Physiology & behavior, 87(3), 537–541. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.physbeh.2005.12.001

d’Angelo D, d’Ingeo S, Ciani F, Visone M, Sacchettino L, Avallone L, Quaranta A. (2021) Cortisol Levels of Shelter Dogs in Animal Assisted Interventions in a Prison: An Exploratory Study. Animals. 11(2):345. https://doi.org/10.3390/ani11020345

Shiverdecker, M. D., Schiml, P.A., Hennessy, M.B. (2013) Human interaction moderates plasma cortisol and behavioral responses of dogs to shelter housing, Physiology & Behavior, 109, 75-79. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938412004088

Willen, R.M., Mutwill, A., MacDonald, L.J., Schiml, P.A., Hennessy, M.B. (2017) Factors determining the effects of human interaction on the cortisol levels of shelter dogs, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 186,  41-48. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159116303185

Willen, R.M., Schiml, P.A., Hennessy, M.B.(2019) Enrichment centered on human interaction moderates fear-induced aggression and increases positive expectancy in fearful shelter dogs, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 217, 57-62. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159118306269

Cafazzo, S., Maragliano, L., Bonanni, R., Scholl, F., Guarducci, M., Scarcella, R., Di Paolo, M., Pontier, D., Lai, O., Carlevaro, F., Bucci, E., Cerini, N., Carlevaro, L., Alfieri, L., Fantini, C., Natoli, E. (2014), Behavioural and physiological indicators of shelter dogs' welfare: Reflections on the no-kill policy on free-ranging dogs in Italy revisited on the basis of 15years of implementation, Physiology & Behavior, 133, 223-229. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0031938414003369