Intraspecific Interactions Decrease Stress Affecting Welfare in Shelter Dogs: A Comparison of Four Different Housing Conditions
2023
Sara Corsetti | Eugenia Natoli | Rupert Palme | Emanuela Viggiano
Shelters are stressful environments for domestic dogs (Canis familiaris). Evaluating dogs&rsquo: welfare is crucial to improve their life condition and to promote a better management of shelters. We aimed at verifying which variables improved welfare in 10 shelter dogs ((hosted in the shelter &ldquo:Centro cinofilo Caerite&rdquo: in Bracciano (Rome)) by analysing their behavioural responses in different environmental conditions. Furthermore, faecal samples were taken to measure cortisol metabolites (CM), a non-invasive method to evaluate adrenocortical activity in dogs. Dogs were observed for a total of 400 h in 4 different cage conditions: (i) alone in a cage: ii) alone in an enriched cage: (iii) in cage with conspecifics: (iv) in cage with regular interaction with humans outside the cage. Alone in the cage situation showed highest frequencies of displacement activities (Friedman test: &chi:2 = 13.32: p = 0.004). In contrast, being in the cage with conspecifics seems to reduce displacement activity frequency, as well as the level of faecal cortisol metabolites (Friedman test: &chi:2 = 8.04: p = 0.045). Our results suggest that conspecifics&rsquo: presence is the best way to reduce stress in shelter dogs. This research could provide some useful guidelines for managing shelters and improving dogs&rsquo: life condition.
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