Early Recognition of Behaviour Problems in Shelter Dogs by Monitoring them in their Kennels after Admission to a Shelter

Abstract

Simple SummaryCanine behaviour assessments are commonly used in shelters to identify behaviour problems in dogs prior to adoption. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether kennel monitoring of dogs could identify early signs of behaviour problems. Kennel behaviour was monitored for 38 dogs in their first five days in kennels at a shelter in Brisbane, Australia. This was compared to a formal assessment of exploratory, handling, play, run/freeze, and food guarding behaviour, as well as stranger and fake toddler interactions, and behaviour when the dog was alone, conducted five days after shelter admission. Kennel behaviours associated with fear, anxiety, and arousal in dogs were significantly correlated with the same behaviours in the formal assessment. With respect to outcomes, dogs that displayed more whining, tense body posture, standing leaning forward, panting, ears forward, less barking, lowered body and balanced/relaxed body posture, standing still, and standing by the wall had increased odds of failing the behaviour assessment. The study demonstrates that monitoring kennel behaviour could detect early signs of behaviour problems.AbstractCanine behaviour assessments are commonly used in shelters to identify behaviour problems in dogs prior to adoption. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether kennel monitoring of dogs could identify early signs of behaviour problems, thereby facilitating early intervention and better management of dogs displaying behaviour problems. Kennel behaviour was monitored for dogs (n = 38) in their first five days in kennels at a shelter in Brisbane, Australia. This was compared to a formal assessment of exploratory, handling, play, run/freeze, and food guarding behaviour, as well as stranger and fake toddler interactions, and behaviour when the dog was alone, conducted five days after shelter admission. Kennel behaviours associated with fear, anxiety, and arousal in dogs were significantly correlated with the same behaviours in the formal assessment. Positional correlations were also evident. With respect to outcomes, dogs that displayed more whining, tense body posture, standing leaning forward, panting, ears forward, less barking, lowered body and balanced/relaxed body posture, standing still, and standing by the wall had increased odds of failing the behaviour assessment. Over the five days in the kennel, the frequency and duration of fear-related behaviours decreased, suggesting a reduction in arousal as the dog became accustomed to the shelter environment. The study demonstrates that monitoring kennel behaviour could detect early signs of behaviour problems.

Comparison of Canine Behaviour Scored Using a Shelter Behaviour Assessment and an Owner Completed Questionnaire, C-BARQ

“…The assessments were conducted, recorded and scored by the lead researcher (LC), who was formally trained in the assessment regimen. Reviewed behaviours included room exploration, leash manners, sociability, tolerance, play behaviour with toys, the response to unusual/unpredictable stimuli, possessive behaviours, toddler and stranger interaction, time alone and social interactions with other dogs [ 27 ] ( Appendix A ). In each test, the dog’s behaviours were scored for friendliness, socialisation, fearfulness, arousal and aggressiveness.…”

“…The equipment used was in line with the RSPCA Queensland’s protocol and included a 1.8 m leash, a tennis ball, a plush squeaky toy, rope, plastic hand on an extend pole, bowl, raw hide or bone, and the combination of wet and dry dog food. The details of the RSPCA Queensland assessment tests can be found in Clay et al [ 27 ]. All the tests were recorded by video (Go Pro Hero 4, Model: HERO4 Black, Manufacture: Hong Kong, China) and reviewed later.…”

“…The formal behaviour assessments were scored for dog behaviour during all tests, as described in Clay et al [ 27 ]. The ethogram comprised 48 behaviours, determined following the preliminary observation of dogs during the formal behaviour assessment, classified as either long duration behaviours (for which the duration was recorded) or events (for which the number of occurrences was recorded).…”

“…The behaviours focused on eight components: activities of the mouth, body, tail position, tail movement, ears, eyes, position in room, and movement ( Table 1 ). The descriptions of each behaviour were presented in a previous study [ 27 ]. Behaviour recording was assisted by coding software BORIS [ 28 ], which recorded the frequency and duration of each behaviour using continuous input from the coder.…”

Erratum: Clay, L.; Paterson, M.; Bennett, P.; Perry, G.; Phillips, C. Early Recognition of Behaviour Problems in Shelter Dogs by Monitoring Them in Their Kennels after Admission to a Shelter. Animals 2019, 9, 875

“…The authors wish to make the following corrections to their paper [1]: In Table 3, arousal was repeated as a row heading at the end-it should have read "friendliness" (see Table 3…”