Shelters are inherently stressful environments for domestic dogs. Finding ways to reduce stress is critical for improving animal welfare and supporting successful adoption. Corsetti et al. (2023) investigated how different housing conditions affect dogs’ physiological and behavioral stress responses.
Ten male shelter dogs were studied in four different conditions: (i) alone in a cage, (ii) alone in an enriched cage, (iii) housed with conspecifics, and (iv) housed alone but with regular human interaction outside the cage. Behavioral observations were conducted over 400 hours, and stress levels were measured via faecal cortisol metabolites.
Dogs housed alone in a cage showed the highest frequency of displacement behaviors, such as pacing or self-directed actions, indicating stress. While enrichment and human interaction reduced some stress, the most effective condition was housing dogs with conspecifics. This setup not only lowered displacement activity but also reduced cortisol metabolite levels, a physiological marker of stress.
The study suggests that shelters should prioritize housing arrangements that allow for dog companionship whenever possible. While human interaction remains valuable, the findings highlight that for social species like dogs, companionship with conspecifics offers the strongest stress-buffering effect.
Source: Corsetti, S., Natoli, E., Palme, R., & Viggiano, E. (2023). Intraspecific Interactions Decrease Stress Affecting Welfare in Shelter Dogs: A Comparison of Four Different Housing Conditions. Animals, 13. Published May 31, 2023.
