A study published in Animals by Amaya, Paterson, and Phillips (2020) evaluated the impact of auditory and olfactory enrichment on shelter dog behavior. Shelters are known to be highly stressful for dogs due to the lack of control over their environment, leading to increased arousal and stress-related behaviors.
Researchers assigned 60 shelter dogs to four groups: lavender scent, dog appeasing pheromone (DAP), music, and a control. Stimuli were applied for three hours per day across five consecutive days. Dogs exposed to music and DAP showed significantly more resting behaviors—especially lying with their heads down—compared to the control group. These behaviors are indicators of reduced arousal and increased relaxation.
Conversely, dogs in the control group showed elevated stress markers, such as standing with forelegs on the kennel door, panting, and frequent vocalizations—patterns that persisted into the night. Enriched dogs vocalized less and were generally calmer, even after the stimuli were removed.
The findings suggest that even simple, non-invasive sensory interventions can improve shelter dog welfare. Calming music or scent enrichment could easily be adopted in animal shelters and even home environments to support emotional regulation in dogs during periods of stress or transition.
Source: Veronica Amaya, M. B. A. Paterson, and Clive Phillips, Animals, Volume 10, March 30, 2020.
