rescue waggin part3 behaviorneeds
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 3 HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Successful Enrichment: • Must know what species typical behaviors are • Must know what behavioral needs are • Take into account individual differences • Must know how to recognize consequences of needs not being met • Understand stress and stressors
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Assumes physical needs have been met - including comfort
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Physical Needs • Food • Water • Shelter – Thermo-regulation
• Preventive medical care
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • More difficult to determine • Influenced by environment • Age, species, individual differences • Will need to prioritize • In stressful environments, place to hide is VERY important – Both cats and dogs HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Affected by previous history – Vick dogs – Compare to “normal” companion dog
• Preventive behavioral care – one way to look at E.E. HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Minimize fear and stress – Because can’t escape need to be more sensitive to stressors animals exposed to
• When choices are limited, needs may change HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Minimize social conflict • Mental stimulation – Ability to play – Novelty, curiosity
• Physical exercise – – Age, breed, individual differences – More for dogs than cats (?) HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs - Cats • Access to vertical space – Creates social distance – Predisposed to use to escape predators – Adds complexity
• Something to scratch – Cats do have behavior preferences HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Appropriate place for elimination – Away from other activities – Substrate – Frequency
• Social interactions with people • Something to chew – dogs – teething animals HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Social interactions with conspecifics – Other cats – Other dogs
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • In confined environments • Different functional spaces – Elimination – Eating – Sleeping
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Others you’d like to add? You’ll create list later for animals in your shelter
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 3 HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Successful Enrichment: • Must know what species typical behaviors are • Must know what behavioral needs are • Take into account individual differences • Must know how to recognize consequences of needs not being met • Understand stress and stressors
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Assumes physical needs have been met - including comfort
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Physical Needs • Food • Water • Shelter – Thermo-regulation
• Preventive medical care
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • More difficult to determine • Influenced by environment • Age, species, individual differences • Will need to prioritize • In stressful environments, place to hide is VERY important – Both cats and dogs HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Affected by previous history – Vick dogs – Compare to “normal” companion dog
• Preventive behavioral care – one way to look at E.E. HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Minimize fear and stress – Because can’t escape need to be more sensitive to stressors animals exposed to
• When choices are limited, needs may change HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Minimize social conflict • Mental stimulation – Ability to play – Novelty, curiosity
• Physical exercise – – Age, breed, individual differences – More for dogs than cats (?) HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs - Cats • Access to vertical space – Creates social distance – Predisposed to use to escape predators – Adds complexity
• Something to scratch – Cats do have behavior preferences HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Appropriate place for elimination – Away from other activities – Substrate – Frequency
• Social interactions with people • Something to chew – dogs – teething animals HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • Social interactions with conspecifics – Other cats – Other dogs
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Behavioral Needs • In confined environments • Different functional spaces – Elimination – Eating – Sleeping
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
Making the Shelter Behaviorally Friendly; Enrichment options
Others you’d like to add? You’ll create list later for animals in your shelter
HelpingFido.com HelpingFido.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com BehaviorEducationNetwork.com
HelpingKitty.com HelpingKitty.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com ©AnimalBehaviorAssociates.com
