rescue waggin part2 dogs
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Environmental Enrichment or Making the Shelter a Behaviorally Friendly Place for Animals
Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D., CAAB AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com Part 2 HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Dog Behavior 101+
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Dog Behavior 101+
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs
• Extremely social • Consequences of social isolation HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Social involves hierarchies – Wolves exist in closed social group – Dogs open social group – Significant individual variation
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Predispositions to assume dominant or subordinate roles
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • “Dominance” isn’t a personality trait – Ashley and Coral – Coral acquiesces except --
• Who is in the dominant role is context specific and social partner specific • Can change over time • Relationships are often dynamic, not static HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Dogs don’t have the “dominance chart” Lucy • They know what works, and doesn’t work, with whom and in what Fred context • “Rules” between dogs sometimes aren’t clear Joe HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Individual variation – Some dogs benefit from social playtime – Others may be stressed by it – How can you tell? Predict? • Surrender information • Evaluation HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • How important is physical exercise? – Physical health, behavioral health
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • “Denning” animals
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dog • Dens are used to whelp and raise young • Adult wolves spend very little time in a den • No evidence that canids choose to spend 8-10 hours a day in a ‘den’ HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Crates and dens are not synonymous – Pups become familiar with dens at birth – Dogs are often not introduced till much older – Dens are not socially isolating, crates are – Animal can choose when to leave the den, crates take away choice HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Patronek et al.’s (1996) study found that dogs that spent most of their time during the day confined in crates were at increased risk of relinquishment • Crating may mask problems HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • BUT- used appropriately a crate can be an enrichment tool
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Naturally curious • Less neophobic than cats • Vocal communication much more important than in cats – – – –
Alarm and alerting Threat Fear Cats use vocalizations to communicate with people more than to other cats
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Patterns of elimination – Tend to move away from resting and sleeping areas to relieve themselves – This does NOT mean won’t soil the crate – Develop surface and location preferences at early age HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Environmental Enrichment or Making the Shelter a Behaviorally Friendly Place for Animals
Suzanne Hetts, Ph.D., CAAB AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com Part 2 HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Dog Behavior 101+
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Dog Behavior 101+
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs
• Extremely social • Consequences of social isolation HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Social involves hierarchies – Wolves exist in closed social group – Dogs open social group – Significant individual variation
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Predispositions to assume dominant or subordinate roles
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • “Dominance” isn’t a personality trait – Ashley and Coral – Coral acquiesces except --
• Who is in the dominant role is context specific and social partner specific • Can change over time • Relationships are often dynamic, not static HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Dogs don’t have the “dominance chart” Lucy • They know what works, and doesn’t work, with whom and in what Fred context • “Rules” between dogs sometimes aren’t clear Joe HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Individual variation – Some dogs benefit from social playtime – Others may be stressed by it – How can you tell? Predict? • Surrender information • Evaluation HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • How important is physical exercise? – Physical health, behavioral health
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • “Denning” animals
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dog • Dens are used to whelp and raise young • Adult wolves spend very little time in a den • No evidence that canids choose to spend 8-10 hours a day in a ‘den’ HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Crates and dens are not synonymous – Pups become familiar with dens at birth – Dogs are often not introduced till much older – Dens are not socially isolating, crates are – Animal can choose when to leave the den, crates take away choice HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Patronek et al.’s (1996) study found that dogs that spent most of their time during the day confined in crates were at increased risk of relinquishment • Crating may mask problems HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • BUT- used appropriately a crate can be an enrichment tool
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Naturally curious • Less neophobic than cats • Vocal communication much more important than in cats – – – –
Alarm and alerting Threat Fear Cats use vocalizations to communicate with people more than to other cats
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly: Enrichment options
Understanding Dogs • Patterns of elimination – Tend to move away from resting and sleeping areas to relieve themselves – This does NOT mean won’t soil the crate – Develop surface and location preferences at early age HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
