Effects of two types of environmental enrichment on the behavior of dogs in shelters

Abstract

The domestic dog, Canis lupus familiaris, is commonly kept in shelters. In these locations, features such as confinement, forced intraspecific and interspecific contact, and lack of environmental stimulation can diminish the welfare of dogs. One way to avoid poor welfare is to implement an environmental enrichment program for dogs in shelters, however, environmental enrichment items should be tested to evaluate their effectiveness and their ease of implementation and safety. Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of two environmental enrichment items designed to improve the welfare of dogs kept in a shelter. Fifteen dogs, housed in trios, were studied. Two environmental enrichment items were offered to the dogs: nutritional-related (perforated plastic bottles filled with canine treats) and sensory-related (lavender oil). Behavioral data were collected before, during, and after the items were offered, using focal sampling and instantaneous recording methods, with a sampling interval of 1 min. The effectiveness of the items was evaluated using Generalized Linear Mixed Models (GLMMs). Food enrichment increased foraging and activity behaviors in the dogs, but not positive social behaviors. On the other hand, olfactory enrichment decreased jumping and vocalizing and increased the display of climbing on the pen’s door. Both items proved to be safe for the dogs. It is of utmost importance for shelters to enhance animal welfare by constructing larger and more stimulating bays and implementing environmental enrichment programs for the animals. The results of this study show that an enrichment program can assist in improving the welfare of dogs kept in shelters.