title: Human interaction moderates plasma cortisol and behavioral responses of dogs to shelter housing.
abstract: Housing in an animal shelter is a stressful experience for dogs. This study examined the effects of different forms of human interaction on concentrations of circulating cortisol and stress-related behaviors of dogs within 40 h of admittance to a county animal shelter. Blood samples were collected before and after 30-min sessions in a secluded area in which dogs received one of three forms of human interaction: exposure to a passive human, petting, or play. Controls were either exposed to the secluded area alone, or remained in the general housing area. There was a substantial and near uniform reduction in plasma cortisol concentrations from pretest to post-test in all three conditions receiving human interaction, but not in control conditions. Human interaction also reduced behavioral signs of excitation/social solicitation (vocalizing) and fear (panting). Finally, pretest cortisol levels were found to predict levels of panting and another fear-related behavior (tongue protrusions) that dogs exhibited during subsequent testing. The findings suggest practical means of reducing stress, and potentially of improving the welfare, of dogs in shelters.
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, Wright State University, Dayton, OH 45435, United States.
authors.forename: Matthew D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Shiverdecker
authors.forename: Patricia A
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Schiml
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Hennessy
mesh_terms: D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000827:Animal Welfare; D000818:Animals; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D004285:Dogs; D005239:Fear / Q000523:psychology*; D005260:Female; D006798:Housing; D001841:Human-Animal Bond; D006801:Humans; D006854:Hydrocortisone / Q000097:blood*; D008297:Male; D012737:Sex Factors; D018709:Statistics, Nonparametric; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000097:blood* / Q000523:psychology*; D014828:Vocalization, Animal / Q000502:physiology
chemical_list: D006854:Hydrocortisone