Three Things to Know
Researchers aimed to understand the behavior, long-term stress, and human-dog relationships of shelter dogs, rehomed dogs, and directly-purchased dogs. They hypothesized that shelter dogs would exhibit higher stress levels, but these levels would decrease after rehoming.
The researchers confirmed that shelter dogs exhibited higher stress levels than rehomed dogs, though not directly-purchased dogs.
The researchers also found that rehomed dogs relied on their owners as much as directly-purchased dogs when faced with an unsolvable task. Additionally, owners of rehomed dogs reported stronger emotional bonds with their dogs compared to owners of directly-purchased dogs.
The Full Picture
Sweden boasts over a million registered dogs, and with frequent changes in dog ownership, abandonment or relinquishment is a common occurrence. Shelters, while necessary, can be stressful environments for dogs. Noise, isolation, and unfamiliar surroundings can elevate stress levels, manifesting in behaviors like lip-licking, paw-lifting, and body shaking. Chronic stress, as indicated by elevated cortisol levels in hair, can impair cognitive functions such as memory and problem-solving. Moreover, this stress can impact the quality of the human-dog bond, a crucial factor during the rehoming process.
Building on previous research, this study, titled ‘Behavior, long-term stress and relationship to owner in relinquished dogs,’ employs a controlled approach to investigate contact-seeking behavior, memory, and stress levels in three groups: shelter dogs, rehomed dogs, and dogs continuously living with their owners.
The study hypothesizes that shelter dogs will display higher stress levels and reduced contact-seeking behaviors, while rehomed dogs will exhibit recovery patterns, aligning more closely with non-rehomed dogs. This research aims to deepen our understanding of the rehoming process and foster more realistic expectations, potentially decreasing the likelihood of repeated relinquishment and enhancing the well-being of both dogs and their owners.
Study Methods
Dog Groups and Selection
This study recruited privately owned dogs of various breeds through social media and personal contacts. The dogs were divided into three groups:
- Control Group: Composed of 33 dogs (10 females, 23 males) with an average age of 4.67 years, these dogs were purchased directly from breeders and have remained with their original owners.
- Rehomed Group: Consisting of 30 dogs (13 females, 17 males) with an average age of 5.80 years, these dogs have been rehomed at least once after leaving their breeder. This group allowed for the assessment of long-term effects of rehoming.
- Shelter Group: Including 20 dogs (7 females, 13 males) with an average age of 3.85 years, these dogs were housed at the Hundstallet dog shelter in Stockholm, Sweden. The shelter provided separate indoor and outdoor kennels, daily cleaning, and two to three daily walks. This group enabled the study to examine the immediate stress effects associated with shelter life.
Experimental Procedures
The experiments were conducted during September and October 2021. Each dog-owner pair (or a familiar handler in the case of shelter dogs) participated in a series of tests in an empty indoor room:
- Behavioral Synchronization Test: Assessed the dog’s ability to synchronize its behavior with the owner, by alternating intervals of standing and walking.
- Unsolvable Problem Task (UPT): Evaluated the dog’s response to frustration by providing access to an unsolvable food puzzle.
- Memory Test: Measured the dog’s cognitive abilities by asking the dog to remember the location of a hidden treat,
- Eye Contact Test: Assessed the quality of the dog-owner bond by evaluating the dog’s focus on its owner.
After completing the tests, a hair sample was collected from each dog to measure long-term stress levels through cortisol analysis. Additionally, owners completed the Monash Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) to assess the perceived quality of their relationship with their dog.
By combining behavioral assessments, physiological stress markers, and relationship dynamics, this study aimed to gain a comprehensive understanding of the factors influencing the welfare of rehomed and shelter dogs.
Study Results
1. Behavioural Synchronization Test
The study examined how dogs synchronized their behavior with their owners, particularly comparing rehomed and control dogs. The owner’s activity (walking or standing) significantly influenced the dog’s behavior. During walking, dogs were more active, faced the owner more, and maintained more eye contact. During standing, dogs explored more, especially rehomed dogs.
While both groups synchronized with their owners, rehomed dogs showed slightly less alignment and more exploration, suggesting potential differences in attachment or familiarity.
2. Unsolvable Problem Test
The Unsolvable Problem Test (UPT) assessed dogs’ problem-solving skills and their interactions with humans during an unsolvable task. While all groups exhibited similar stress levels, control and rehomed dogs displayed a stronger preference for their owners, maintaining more eye contact, proximity, and physical contact. In contrast, shelter dogs showed less preference for their handlers, engaging more with an unfamiliar experimenter. These findings suggest that rehoming can influence a dog’s bond with its owner, with rehomed dogs displaying behaviors more akin to control dogs than shelter dogs.
3. Memory Test
The Memory Test assessed dogs’ cognitive abilities by measuring their ability to remember the location of a hidden treat. All groups, including control, rehomed, and shelter dogs, performed similarly well on the test, with success rates (over 75%) above chance level. This suggests that rehoming and shelter environments do not significantly impact dogs’ short-term memory abilities.
4. Eye-Contact Test
The eye-contact test compared the duration of eye contact between dogs and their owners or handlers. Shelter dogs were found to maintain significantly less eye contact than both rehomed and control dogs, while the latter two groups showed similar levels of eye contact. Age and sex did not influence eye-contact duration.
Hair Cortisol Analysis
Hair samples were collected to measure long-term stress levels. Shelter dogs exhibited significantly higher cortisol levels than rehomed dogs, indicating greater long-term stress. While control dog results varied, the overall data suggests that shelter dogs experience higher chronic stress compared to rehomed dogs.
Questionnaire on Dog-Owner Relationship
The Monash Dog-Owner Relationship Scale (MDORS) assessed the quality of the dog-owner relationship across three subscales: Dog-owner interaction, Emotional closeness, and Perceived costs. While there were no significant differences in dog-owner interaction, rehomed dogs were perceived as emotionally closer to their owners than control dogs. Male dogs tended to score higher than females on this subscale. The perceived costs of dog ownership were similar across groups.
Overall Assessment
This study sought to explore both short- and long-term effects of rehoming on dogs, comparing shelter dogs, rehomed dogs, and non-rehomed control dogs. Given the rising number of dogs relinquished and rehomed, the goal was to deepen understanding of the challenges these dogs face. Results indicate that dogs generally adapt well post-rehoming, with rehomed dogs showing the lowest levels of long-term stress (as measured by hair cortisol concentration, HCC) and the strongest emotional bond perceived by their owners.
While the study highlights the positive outcomes of rehoming, it also acknowledges the potential impact of shelter environments on dog behavior. Shelter dogs, in this study, exhibited higher HCC than rehomed dogs, although their levels were not significantly different from those of control dogs.
Future research could delve deeper into the factors influencing the successful rehoming of dogs, such as the duration of shelter stay, the quality of care provided, and the matching process between dogs and potential adopters.
Miscellaneous
Data From Study:
–
Year of Publication:
2024
External Link:
Sulonen C, Löf J, Jensen P, Lasses K, Theodorsson E, Quist H and Roth LSV (2024) Behavior, long-term stress and relationship to owner in relinquished dogs. Front. Anim. Sci. 5:1384155. doi: 10.3389/fanim.2024.1384155. https://doi.org/10.3389/fanim.2024.1384155