Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris)
Although social enrichment can be considered beneficial in helping dogs cope with the kennel environment, when taking individual needs into account, it places a large demand on the carers and may not be appropriate in under-resourced kennels. Some kennels are also designed in such a way that there i...
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Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 |
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ftmdpi:oai:mdpi.com:/2076-2615/7/4/27/ 2023-08-20T04:05:48+02:00 Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) Jenna Kiddie Anna Bodymore Alex Dittrich agris 2017-03-23 application/pdf https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 EN eng Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute Animal Welfare https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ Animals; Volume 7; Issue 4; Pages: 27 dog behaviour dog welfare environmental enrichment Pit Bull Terrier shelter welfare Text 2017 ftmdpi https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 2023-07-31T21:04:45Z Although social enrichment can be considered beneficial in helping dogs cope with the kennel environment, when taking individual needs into account, it places a large demand on the carers and may not be appropriate in under-resourced kennels. Some kennels are also designed in such a way that there is too much social interaction, in that individuals cannot choose to distance themselves from conspecifics. This study therefore aimed to assess the effects of easily accessible enrichment on the behaviour of kennelled Pit Bull Terrier type dogs rescued from a dog-fighting ring in the Philippines. Thirty-six dogs were allocated to one of three treatment groups following a matched-subject design: (i) cardboard bed provision; (ii) coconut provision; and (iii) visual contact with dogs housed in adjacent cages obstructed with cardboard partitions. Behavioural diversity and the duration and frequency of individual behaviours were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Yawning frequencies and time spent lying down and sitting decreased during treatment. No particular treatment was more influential in these behavioural changes. In conclusion, enrichment, regardless of type, affected the dogs’ behaviour, with some effects depending on the sex of the dogs. Therefore, it is possible to cheaply and sustainably enrich the lives of dogs living in highly constrained environments, however, further research is required to refine the methods used. Text Canis lupus MDPI Open Access Publishing Animals 7 12 27 |
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MDPI Open Access Publishing |
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ftmdpi |
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English |
topic |
dog behaviour dog welfare environmental enrichment Pit Bull Terrier shelter welfare |
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dog behaviour dog welfare environmental enrichment Pit Bull Terrier shelter welfare Jenna Kiddie Anna Bodymore Alex Dittrich Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) |
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dog behaviour dog welfare environmental enrichment Pit Bull Terrier shelter welfare |
description |
Although social enrichment can be considered beneficial in helping dogs cope with the kennel environment, when taking individual needs into account, it places a large demand on the carers and may not be appropriate in under-resourced kennels. Some kennels are also designed in such a way that there is too much social interaction, in that individuals cannot choose to distance themselves from conspecifics. This study therefore aimed to assess the effects of easily accessible enrichment on the behaviour of kennelled Pit Bull Terrier type dogs rescued from a dog-fighting ring in the Philippines. Thirty-six dogs were allocated to one of three treatment groups following a matched-subject design: (i) cardboard bed provision; (ii) coconut provision; and (iii) visual contact with dogs housed in adjacent cages obstructed with cardboard partitions. Behavioural diversity and the duration and frequency of individual behaviours were analysed using linear mixed-effect models. Yawning frequencies and time spent lying down and sitting decreased during treatment. No particular treatment was more influential in these behavioural changes. In conclusion, enrichment, regardless of type, affected the dogs’ behaviour, with some effects depending on the sex of the dogs. Therefore, it is possible to cheaply and sustainably enrich the lives of dogs living in highly constrained environments, however, further research is required to refine the methods used. |
format |
Text |
author |
Jenna Kiddie Anna Bodymore Alex Dittrich |
author_facet |
Jenna Kiddie Anna Bodymore Alex Dittrich |
author_sort |
Jenna Kiddie |
title |
Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) |
title_short |
Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) |
title_full |
Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) |
title_fullStr |
Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) |
title_full_unstemmed |
Environmental Enrichment in Kennelled Pit Bull Terriers (Canis lupus familiaris) |
title_sort |
environmental enrichment in kennelled pit bull terriers (canis lupus familiaris) |
publisher |
Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute |
publishDate |
2017 |
url |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 |
op_coverage |
agris |
genre |
Canis lupus |
genre_facet |
Canis lupus |
op_source |
Animals; Volume 7; Issue 4; Pages: 27 |
op_relation |
Animal Welfare https://dx.doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 |
op_rights |
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ |
op_doi |
https://doi.org/10.3390/ani7040027 |
container_title |
Animals |
container_volume |
7 |
container_issue |
12 |
container_start_page |
27 |
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1774716537962233856 |