The Emotional Lives of Shelter Dogs, Part One

There is an ever growing amount of scientific evidence demonstrating that non human animals experience rich cognitive and emotional lives. Those from ethologists, to behaviorists, to training and behavior consultants, to canine cognition experts and renowned authors are coming to increasing agreement on the subject. Scientists are exploring emotions and cognition in near every species you can think of including primates, elephants, birds, fish and of course, in dogs. Historically, this has not always been something humans have wanted to acknowledge, to the point of asserting that not only do animals not feel emotion, they also lack the capacity to feel physical pain. A quote from renowned ethologist, primatologist, and author Frans de Waal suggests the reaction many of us may have to that idea…

Sometimes I read about someone saying with great authority that animals have no intentions and no feelings, and I wonder, ‘Doesn't this guy have a dog?'– Frans De Waal, quoted in The New York Times June 26, 2001

Some in the professional fields may have been inhibited by the historical derision towards anthropomorphism but denying the existence of emotion in non human animal species is bad, and thankfully increasingly outdated, science. For the most part, dog lovers have known always, what science has been a bit slower to conclusively show or earnestly investigate; of course animals feel. They feel pain and they feel a spectrum of emotion that’s clear in the myriad everyday experiences we have with our companion animals.

Over the past decade, exploration of the emotional lives of shelter dogs has finally entered the more mainstream discourse. However, we are yet to see it propel the necessary action on quality of life that it should. During the struggles of the last few years, we have even seen some backsliding. In most shelters, dogs spend far too much of their time alone, with little to do. Their lives are more stressful and frustrating than is natural, acceptable, or necessary. To ignore the effects life in a shelter have on the well-being, health, and behavior of these dogs is to do them a great injustice. These effects have been documented (more, more) for years across shelter, laboratory, and captive animal settings but they are yet to become a catalyst for the type of widespread shelter behavior, enrichment, and welfare programming that is needed to address them.

In this wonderful presentation , Kelley Bollen stresses that, “Keeping them behaviorally healthy is just as important as keeping them medically healthy.” We could not agree with her more strongly. A shelter is never going to mirror the individual attention and support of a home, but it doesn't have to be a scary or lonely place either. Innovative programs and proactive support can prevent dogs from deteriorating, help them find their homes faster, keep those new homes more successfully, and make time spent at the shelter safer and more positive both for the animals and for those caring for them. In short, quality of life matters and it matters a lot.

In this two-part series, we examine strategies to positively impact the shelter experience for our sentient friends on four legs.

Enrichment Saves Lives

Enrichment means regular access to appropriate cognitive, sensory, social, and physical stimulation that enhances quality of life. It can provide an outlet for stress and physical/mental energy, a chance to engage in species appropriate behaviors, social connection, and time for fun. Providing adequate in and out of kennel enrichment is one of the single most valuable things a shelter can do to prevent dogs' behavior from deteriorating due to boredom, stress, and frustration. Done properly, it can create an easier to manage, market, and place shelter population, a better experience for fosters and adopters, greater community buy-in and goodwill, and happier and more engaged staff and volunteers.

Create a Positive Kennel Environment

Even in a shelter with a fully developed behavior and enrichment program, dogs are going to be spending a large amount of time in their kennels. So let’s make those kennels a positive place to be! Ensure dogs have appropriate beds/comfy bedding, dependable access to clean water and meals, and access to varied in-kennel enrichment items like food puzzles, chews, and varied types and textures of toys. Utilize strategic kennel placement and visual barriers as needed to minimize stress, limit barrier reactivity, and promote safe handling. Consider your shelter acoustics. Implement olfactory and auditory enrichment like a scent of the day or music for downtime program. Spend time in kennel with dogs playing interactive games, working on training exercises, engaging in affection for dogs who enjoy it, or just sitting with them doing something as simple as reading a book.

Make Feeding Time Count

Feed dogs regularly and frequently enough that they are not stressed or frantic due to hunger and can develop the sense of security and safety that comes from dependable satiation. Integrate feeding partly from interactive toys, taking into account the needs of shy/fearful dogs and dogs who need durable items. Implement a Treat for Calm program that staff, volunteers, and visitors can engage in with the dogs using healthy snacks stocked for that purpose.

Make Dog Walking (or Jogging!) a Priority

Dogs in homes go for walks. It's a favorite pastime for pups and their people. But it is often not made a priority at shelters due to perceived lack of resources. That is a mistake. Get the dogs out & about! We strongly advocate for twice daily bathroom breaks as a part of basic standards of care (along with regular in-kennel enrichment – these things are NOT extras). That means morning and evening out of kennel potty breaks should be staffed and part of the daily routine. However, regular walks are also an excellent opportunity to get volunteers involved! Walks (or jogs or hikes or exercise in a play yard!) can double as training and social outings but don’t forget to let dogs sniff, engage socially with their handler, and meet their physical exercise needs.

Create Social Opportunities That Work for All Dogs

While some dogs enjoy attending play groups, others do better on 1:1 playdates, while others still prefer a group class setting, group walks, or walks with a familiar canine buddy. Dogs with varying levels of sociability to other dogs should be given interaction opportunities that work for them. Not only is this good enrichment, it's important for their social skills and as a tool to combat barrier frustration and reactivity and it gives us valuable information on dogs’ different social preferences that can help with successful home placement.

And don’t forget the importance of social interactions with humans! In addition to the evidence that positive interaction with humans reduces stress for sheltered dogs and the plentiful research on the importance and evolution of the human/canine bond, it’s key to remember that a primary goal of an animal shelter is placing dogs successfully in homes - with humans. For dogs to succeed with foster/adopter meet and greets, the transition to life in a new home, and to thrive long-term in the community, positive social relationships with people are a big deal. When we neglect to provide dogs with opportunities to reinforce their positive associations with humans and practice successful human interactions, we fail to set them up to succeed with a stated goal of shelter operations.

Agility Rocks

An onsite agility course provides opportunities for enrichment, training, physical exercise, and confidence building. It is a super fun way to work on a variety of skills all in one session and the work you do can be adapted for dogs of different skill, energy, and ability levels. You can often get used regulation agility equipment donated and there are plenty of ways to build your own course on a budget!

Training for Safety, Quality of Care, & Adoption Success

Consistent, ongoing training of staff and volunteers does several very good things.

One of the factors that contributes to making shelters so stressful is the lack of consistency. When volunteers and staff all use the same handling techniques and cues and follow the same protocols and procedures, it helps the dogs feel more secure and enables them to learn and carry out desired behaviors more quickly by virtue of having them reinforced by all of their handlers.

It also gives volunteers and staff a knowledge base that enables them to relate to and handle dogs more effectively (and often, more compassionately) because they better understand their behaviors and how to respond to them. That knowledge can also help them communicate to fosters and adopters about a dog's needs and personality in order to make successful adoption matches. And those consistent cues and behaviors a dog has learned while in-shelter will transfer more easily to a home setting when the dog has already been practicing generalizing them during in-shelter interactions.

Providing training support and behavior intervention for shelter dogs can boost adoptions and help save lives.

Not only are behavior programs a great dual purpose source of enrichment, they can also help the dogs develop and practice social skills and interaction friendly behaviors that allow them to show well in the shelter and get adopted more quickly. Beyond the fun basics to help dogs market themselves to adopters and go on to thrive in homes, behavior modification can be the intervention that means the difference between escalating behavior and a long-stay or difficult to place dog and a dog with improving behavior that makes it out of the shelter and into a loving home.

Methods matter when it comes to training and behavior modification.

When building an in-shelter behavior and enrichment program, it’s imperative that shelters and rescues rely on ethical, evidence based best practices grounded in both behavioral science and compassion. That means using positive reinforcement based training. While misinformation still proliferates, positive reinforcement based training is promoted by experts and leadership bodies including AVSAB, AAHA, APDT, IAABC, PPG, Fear Free Pets, and more. There are literature reviews, an ever growing body of evidence, and behavioral science knowledge across species that support its use.

It is sometimes asserted that the use of aversives saves lives. That they’re the method of last resort, standing between dogs and euthanasia. This could not be further from the truth and in fact, the opposite is often true. Most often, the missing piece of the puzzle when it comes to successful behavior modification, both in shelter and out, is knowledge. Shelters with the budget to have qualified, appropriately credentialed veterinary staff should prioritize qualified, appropriately credentialed behavior staff with the same level of importance. And for smaller shelters who may not be able to afford a staffed behavior program, there are freely accessible resources including Fear Free Shelters, The Pet Rescue Resource, and Center for Shelter Dogs. Partnerships with local behavior professionals and consulting with qualified professionals as you develop and implement your programming can also be an invaluable source of expertise and resources.

Opportunities for Downtime within the Shelter

This means getting creative. We are big fans of “real life rooms” within the shelter grounds. This means rooms set-up to simulate real rooms in a home. It not only provides an amazing opportunity for downtime for the dogs living in the shelter, it is an excellent way to integrate house-training and home skills for dogs who may never have lived in a real home before or those who just need to brush up on their house manners. For dogs who struggle to cope with the stress of the shelter environment, the more peaceful setting of a real life room can provide an invaluable space on campus to relax, work on behavior modification goals, and engage in enrichment that they may otherwise be too stressed for.

Many shelters also make use of office dogs and even kitchen or laundry room dogs. This allows dogs to spend time away from their kennels with consistent human interaction, and in a space that is much quieter than the shelter at large. For dogs who enjoy car rides, even just driving around campus or the surrounding area can allow a dog a break from the shelter setting and in some cases, a chance for a much needed nap. When resources allow, specially designed kennels and detached tiny home style living spaces can be game changers for dogs who struggle in the shelter environment. Finally, remember that section above about creating a positive kennel environment? We give you our word it’s an attainable goal and even just working towards that goal and starting to implement strategies from that section enables you to create downtime right there in the kennels and kennel rows themselves.

Feeling overwhelmed at the idea of making this stuff happen at your shelter?

Just take it one step at a time. Pick the idea you like best and start there. Once it's established, move on to another. Enlist the help of colleagues and the community. Remember that building new programming and an engaged staff and volunteer team takes time. Set goals you can reach and celebrate successes, no matter their size. Start from a mindset of what you can do and be ready to say yes.

Continue to the second half of this series, where we delve into how off-site field trips, strategic use of foster homes, and effective engagement of volunteers and staff can positively impact the emotional lives of shelter dogs.