When a dog enters a shelter, understanding their behavioral profile is crucial for successful adoption. The ASPCA emphasizes the importance of gathering comprehensive information to expedite the placement of these animals into loving homes or relocation programs. However, the method and extent of behavior assessment should not unnecessarily prolong a dog’s stay in a shelter.
The accuracy and predictive power of behavior assessments for future aggression in a home environment remain areas of ongoing scientific inquiry. It is important to note that a dog exhibiting aggression during an assessment may not display the same behavior post-adoption. Consequently, the ASPCA advises against euthanasia decisions based solely on a single assessment, unless the aggression is extreme. In such serious cases, euthanasia decisions should only be made when the behavior is corroborated by multiple sources. Shelters must balance the need for information with the urgency of finding homes, using their best judgment and available resources to guide their assessment strategies.
Understanding Information Sources for Behavioral Assessment
Shelters can glean valuable insights from various sources, each with its own strengths and limitations:
Previous Owner Information
Contrary to assumptions, previous owners often provide honest and valuable behavioral information when a dog is relinquished. Standardized questionnaires, such as a shortened version of the Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), may elicit more truthful responses than in-person interviews. However, research indicates that owner responses on C-BARQ only correlate with adopter reports for specific behaviors like aggression towards strangers, urination when left alone, and destructive chewing.
Information from Finders
Individuals who find a stray dog may offer helpful details, even with limited experience. If they have housed the dog temporarily or handled it, their observations can be beneficial. The weight given to this information should correspond to the duration of contact and the circumstances of the observation.
Medical Intake Examination
While every dog should receive a medical intake exam, behavioral observations during this process may not reflect the dog’s typical demeanor. Discomfort with procedures, pain, or past experiences can influence a dog’s behavior, potentially leading to defensive aggression or fearfulness. Stress levels are often highest upon arrival, further impacting behavior.
Daily Care Staff and Volunteer Observations
These individuals typically have the most frequent and natural interactions with shelter dogs. However, there can be a bias towards positive feedback, as staff and volunteers may be reluctant to report negative behaviors for fear of jeopardizing a dog’s adoption chances. Untrained personnel might also misinterpret behaviors.
Socialization Sessions
One-on-one interactions with staff, volunteers, or potential adopters provide insights into how a dog engages with people, including unfamiliar individuals. Key questions include assessing the dog’s motivation for interaction, enjoyment of petting and play, responsiveness to commands, and eagerness to earn treats. However, these sessions can be influenced by the observer’s expertise and desire to present the dog positively.
Walks
Walks offer a dynamic view of a dog’s behavior, including their enthusiasm for leaving their kennel, comfort with leashes, reactions to other dogs, engagement with their handler versus the environment, confidence in new surroundings, leash-pulling tendencies, and willingness to return to the kennel. Observations can also extend to reactions to external stimuli like passersby, children, or cyclists, depending on the walk’s location.
Playgroups
Playgroups are excellent for both enrichment and behavioral assessment for dog-friendly dogs. They reveal how a dog interacts off-leash with people and other dogs, their playfulness, energy levels, and responses to corrections. This is particularly valuable as it mitigates leash-induced frustration or barrier aggression. However, a dog’s strong motivation to play with other dogs might overshadow their interest in people. Anxiety in playgroup settings can also inhibit a dog’s behavior.
Foster Home Stays
A foster home stay offers one of the most accurate reflections of a dog’s behavior in an adoptive setting. Even short stays can improve a dog’s well-being and provide invaluable data for behaviorally challenging dogs. While resource-intensive, it can reduce shelter stress and increase adoption prospects, especially for dogs exhibiting undesirable behaviors in kennels or those with extended stays.
Standardized Behavior Assessments
These assessments are designed to gather information within a short timeframe by exposing dogs to simulated everyday experiences, some of which may be provocative. Despite being administered by trained personnel, inconsistencies in assessment and interpretation can occur. Research suggests that behaviors like food aggression during assessments do not reliably predict post-adoption behavior. [cite:0, cite:7] Studies on using fake dogs or dolls have also shown limited predictive validity. Mathematical analyses indicate that behavior assessments may lead to a disproportionate number of false positives – dogs deemed aggressive during assessment but not in a home. Therefore, unless the aggression is egregious, shelters should seek corroboration from other environments. Shelters should choose assessments, such as SAFER, Match-Up II, or Assess-a-Pet, that align with their community’s needs, considering factors like family dynamics, urban environments, or dog park sociability.
A dog’s personality is a complex blend of genetics, developmental circumstances, and life experiences. Behavior is a manifestation of personality, but it is also significantly influenced by the dog’s current emotional state, stress level, and environment. Each piece of information gathered is a part of a larger puzzle, and the more pieces available, the more complete the picture of the dog’s behavioral profile.
“Egregious” aggression is defined by individual shelters but may include bites requiring medical treatment, injurious bites delivered without obvious warning, or repeated injurious bites.
References
- Barnard S., Siracusa C., Reisner I., Valsecchi P. & Serpell J.A. (2012). Validity of model devices used to assess canine temperament in behavioral tests. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 138, 79-87.
- Bennett S.L., Litster A., Weng H-Y., Walker S.L. Luescher A. U. (2012). Investigating behavior assessment instruments to predict aggression in dogs. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 141, 139–148.
- Christensen E., Scarlett J., Campagna M. & Houpt K.A. (2007). Aggressive behavior in adopted dogs that passed a temperament test. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 106, 85-95.
- Duffy DL, Kruger KA & Serpell JA (2014). Evaluation of a behavioral assessment tool for dogs relinquished to shelters. Preventive Veterinary Medicine, 117, 601-609.
- Kroll T.L., Houpt K.A. & Erb H.N. (2004). The use of novel stimuli as indicators of aggressive behavior in dogs. Journal of the American Animal Hospital Association, 40, 13-19.
- Marder A.R., Shebelansky A., Patronek G.J., Dowling-Guyer S. & D’Arpino S. (2013). Food-related aggression in shelter dogs: A comparison of behavior identified by a behavior evaluation in the shelter and owner reports after adoption. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 148, 150-156.
- Mohan-Gibbons H., Weiss E. & Slater M. (2012). Preliminary investigation of food guarding in shelter dogs in the United States. Animals, 2, 331-346.
- Patronek G.J. & Bradley J. (2016). No better than flipping a coin: Reconsidering canine behavior evaluations in animal shelters. Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 15, 66-77.
- Shebelansky A., Dowling-Guyer S., Quist H., D’Arpino S.S. & McCobb E. (2015). Consistency of shelter dogs’ behavior toward a fake versus real stimulus dog during a behavior evaluation. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 163, 158-166.
- Van der Borg J.A.M., Netto W. & Planta J.U. (1991). Behavioural testing of dogs in animal shelters to predict problem behaviour. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 32, 237-251.
