Chiang Mai, Thailand, 20.07.2025
New research reveals that dogs participating in prison-based training programs show improved social and obedience skills without signs of stress, suggesting welfare benefits for the animals involved.
In a preprint published on bioRxiv, Baria-Unwalla et al. (2024) explored how dogs fare in Prison-Based Dog Training Programs (PBDTPs), which are typically praised for rehabilitating inmates. This study focused instead on the welfare and behavioral outcomes for the dogs involved in such programs.
The researchers followed 42 shelter dogs who participated in a 12-week program, receiving training twice a week from inmates. The dogs’ skills were evaluated using temperament and education tests, while welfare was measured using behavior assessments, salivary cortisol levels, and cognitive bias testing.
The results showed that dogs in the program displayed increased sociability, better leash manners, improved response to commands, and greater playfulness. Stress-related behaviors were rare during training sessions, and physiological tests—including cortisol and emotional state assessments—showed no evidence of distress.
These findings highlight that, beyond benefiting inmates, PBDTPs may enhance shelter dogs’ adoptability without compromising their welfare. By improving dogs’ behavior and keeping stress low, such programs may help more animals transition successfully into new homes.
What’s in it for the dogs? Assessing the outcomes of a prison-based dog training program from an animal behavior and welfare perspective
