A room with a view what do dogs want

Putting the woof in tweet! (source)

Hi Julie,

Wow! Thanks for sharing the amazing fun tweet-week we had posting for @realscientists on Twitter. It was great to engage with so many people about so many areas of dog (and other animal!) behaviour and research. And poo. So many questions about dog poo!  Some things can be relied upon in life; it’s good to know people are always curious about dog poo.

If you want to revisit any of those posts or links we exchanged as part of the Real Scientists project, check out the amazing collection of our tweets, compiled via Storify by the fabulous Sarah, genius behind Science for Life . 365. 

This week, they have an astrophysicist/cosmologist who studies exploding stars and dark energy tweeting – so interesting! He has a beagle named Bagel who has learned to open doors on everything – the house, the fridge, the microwave – he’s keeping himself and everyone following on Twitter entertained!

Over recent weeks I have been talking to working dog industry groups and visiting a variety of kennel facilities as part of my ongoing work with the Australian Animal Welfare Strategy. It’s been great being back around the wagging tails and eager faces of working dogs again. Seeing a wide range of kennel facilities has been fantastic and has given me some good motivation to complete my PhD research in the area of kennelled working dogs.

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Kennel facilities (including shelter, boarding/breeding and working dog kennel contexts) are often built to house as many individuals as they can in the space available and to be easily cleaned (usually via chemical wash down and hosing) in order to maintain a hygienic environment. This has historically resulted in spaces formed in concrete and metal that we (as people) readily perceive as barren and sterile.

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Modern facilities are often built with different materials, and can seem more pleasing to our eye, but I wonder if they’re actually any different in meeting dogs’ behavioural needs? It’s been interesting while visiting the recent facilities to consider the dogs’ experience of living in them. 

One point of difference that I noted was that some facilities offer the dog/s a view. 

Others didn’t. 

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This view might be limited to the dog opposite their kennel run, or fairly open to many other dogs, people, surrounding scenery, traffic, animals, etc. especially in areas where dogs have a choice to be in- or outside. The limited research in this area suggests that in situations where dogs are housed singly and have the opportunity to view other dogs, they take it. 

I find it interesting that human studies have illustrated positive effects of proximity to windows with a view in hospital and workplace environments: improved recovery times and reduced job stress. A review paper by Taylor and Mills (see below) suggests that sensory overstimulation may occur in kennel environments, so what does that mean when we consider what provision should be made for dogs to see outside of their kennel?

Someone thinks its important, with a fence porthole having been launched for pet dogs a few years ago. So is this marketing to the dogs needs or the peoples perceptions? Dogs certainly seem to actively seek out visual information about the world around them. 

I understand that offering a room with a view is just one part of the whole sensory experience of dogs housed in kennel facilities - but maybe its a really important one. Especially for dogs housed in kennel facilities for extended periods of training or during their entire work life. 

Perhaps we can discuss some of the other elements of the kennel environment in coming weeks. What do you think dogs want? 

I look forward to hearing your thoughts, as ever.
Have a great weekend,

Mia

Further reading:

Wells D.L. & Hepper P.G. (1998). A note on the influence of visual conspecific contact on the behaviour of sheltered dogs, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 60 (1) 83-88. DOI: 10.1016/S0168-1591(98)00146-4

Wells D.L. (2004). A review of environmental enrichment for kennelled dogs, Canis familiaris, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 85 (3-4) 307-317. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2003.11.005

Taylor K. & Mills D. (2007). The effect of the kennel environment on canine welfare: a critical review of experimental studies, Animal Welfare, 16 (4) 435-447. Other: Link

Sop Shin W. (2007). The influence of forest view through a window on job satisfaction and job stress, Scandinavian Journal of Forest Research, 22 (3) 248-253. DOI: 10.1080/02827580701262733

Verderber S. & Reuman D. (1987). Windows, views, and health status in hospital therapeutic environments, Journal of Architectural and Planning Research, 4 (2) 120-133. Other: Link

© 2013 Mia Cobb

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Fireworks not fun for everyone or every dog

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Hi Julie,

I hope you have had a lovely Christmas, we certainly did! The sun has been shining and we’ve enjoyed seeing our friends and family over the past few days.

I’ve got my eye on New Year’s Eve now that Christmas has passed, but not because I’m planning a big night out. It’s all to do with fireworks. 

My two dogs demonstrate very different reactions to fireworks. One used to default into a shaking ball and tuck herself away into a corner somewhere (usually under my desk or next to my bed). 

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The other prefers to charge around, barking at the sky as though the sound is an intruder and will continue racing and barking until the noise stops. I’m sure that in his mind, he is convinced that he (once again) successfully saved us ALL by scaring off the weird sky-noises. To his credit – it works every time. Bark long enough and the noises do go away! 

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Over the years, we’ve developed strategies to help them both cope better with less anxiety and fear in these situations. Most of the time, these strategies work (or maybe they are just going deaf as they get older?!).

However, lots of dogs have a really rough time on New Year’s Eve. 

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When I worked in a shelter, it was by far our busiest 24 hour period of the entire year. One year, we had more dogs enter the shelter than we physically had room to kennel (on average, we had 5-10 dogs admitted per day; on NYE, we could receive 100+!). They would end up in offices and leashed to anchor points in various locations. It was also a peak period for the associated vet clinic in treating emergencies, generally dogs hit by cars. Other dogs needed injured paws treated after running panicked along rough roads. Fortunately most dogs we reclaimed by their owners, but sadly, some were not so lucky and never made it home again.

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Research conducted by the University of Bristol (UK) in 2005, showed that nearly half of the owners surveyed reported their dogs were frightened of loud noises. Of these dogs, fireworks were reported (in 83% of dogs) to cause fearful behaviours more than any other loud noise (e.g. thunderstorms). These figures are consistent with a later study conducted in New Zealand, published in 2010.

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What behavioural signs indicate fear in dogs?

•     Trembling/Shaking
•     Barking/Howling
•     Hiding
•     Destructive behaviour
•     Seeking out people
•     Scratch door/Escape
•     Toilet/defecate

Interestingly, This study suggested a link between the time of year dogs were born and fearful behaviour to loud noises (i.e. if they were likely to have heard fireworks when puppies, they were reportedly less likely to show a fearful response).

Most owners of dogs exhibiting fear behaviour to loud noises report they were unaware that professional help (from animal behaviourists or their vet) was available to assist in helping their dog, or had not pursued such help.

Several types of treatment have been researched with various levels of success reported:

•   homeopathic remedies (was not shown to be significantly effective);
•   dog appeasing pheromone (DAP) (has been shown to help);
•   desensitisation/counter-conditioning CDs (has been shown to help); and
•   vet-only dispensed medication, such as clomipramine (has been shown to help)

Some of these treatments can be used in conjunction with each other.

I couldnt find any research about the success of ear muffs! (source)

If you have any friends facing their first New Year’s Eve with a new pet dog, it might be worth warning them that their dog might be one of the many that are sensitive to loud noises like fireworks.

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The RSPCA and ASPCA have some extremely helpful resources and tips to help dogs cope better. 

RSPCA Victoria also have a great set of information that gives advice based on whether you will be home or not - its even available in a handy printout. 

Tell your friends!

I dont mind fireworks, but Im keeping very conscious of the fact my dogs dont.
Wishing you a fabulous close to 2012 and and exciting start to 2013!

Mia

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Further reading:

Blackwell E., Casey R. & Bradshaw J. (2005). Firework fears and phobias in the domestic dog., RSPCA / University of Bristol, Report: Link to full report here 

Dale A., Walker J., Farnworth M., Morrissey S. & Waran N. (2010). A survey of owners perceptions of fear of fireworks in a sample of dogs and cats in New Zealand, New Zealand Veterinary Journal, 58 (6) 286-291. DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2010.69403

Bowen J. (2008). Behaviour: Firework fears and phobias, Companion Animal, 13 (8) 59-63. DOI: 10.1111/j.2044-3862.2008.tb00529.x

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Dreschel N.A. & Granger D.A. (2005). Physiological and behavioral reactivity to stress in thunderstorm-phobic dogs and their caregivers, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 95 (3-4) 153-168. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2005.04.009

Levine E.D., Ramos D. & Mills D.S. (2007). A prospective study of two self-help CD based desensitization and counter-conditioning programmes with the use of Dog Appeasing Pheromone for the treatment of firework fears in dogs (Canis familiaris), Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 105 (4) 311-329. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2006.11.006

Cracknell N.R. & Mills D.S. (2008). A double-blind placebo-controlled study into the efficacy of a homeopathic remedy for fear of firework noises in the dog (Canis familiaris), The Veterinary Journal, 177 (1) 80-88. DOI: 10.1016/j.tvjl.2007.04.007

Bolster C. (2012). Fireworks are no fun for pets, Veterinary Nursing Journal, 27 (10) 387-390. DOI: 10.1111/j.2045-0648.2012.00224.x

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© Mia Cobb 2012

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