Scented Toys as Enrichment: Exploring the Duration of Engagement with Scented Toys in Shelter Dogs

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dc.contributor.authorHoward, Skyleren
dc.contributor.authorFeuerbacher, Erica N.en
dc.contributor.authorGunter, Lisa M.en
dc.contributor.authorHekman, Jessicaen
dc.contributor.committeechairFeuerbacher, Erica N.en
dc.contributor.committeememberGunter, Lisa M.en
dc.contributor.committeememberHekman, Jessicaen
dc.contributor.departmentAnimal and Poultry Sciencesen
dc.date.accessioned2023-05-18T13:37:49Zen
dc.date.available2023-05-18T13:37:49Zen
dc.date.issued2023-05-15en
dc.description.abstractMillions of dogs enter shelters every year. Dogs being housed in shelters encounter a variety of stressors which may negatively impact their welfare. Many shelters use different forms of enrichment in an effort to mitigate the stress experienced by kennelled dogs and to improve their welfare. This study explored using scented toys as enrichment by utilizing a free operant preference assessment to investigate shelter dogs preferences of four different toys and four different scents by recording duration of engagement with each item. The preferred scent was then combined with the preferred toy and least preferred toy. The current study found that dogs spent significantly more time engaging with a plush dog toy than the other offered toys. There was no significant difference found between the duration of engagement with the different scents. Dogs spent significantly more time engaging with a scented preferred and least preferred toy than an unscented preferred and least preferred toy, indicating that adding a preferred scent to a toy may make the toy more salient to the dog and a more effective enrichment item.en
dc.description.degreeMALSen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/10919/115097en
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherVirginia Techen
dc.rightsCreative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 Internationalen
dc.rights.urihttp://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/en
dc.subject.cabtEnrichmenten
dc.subject.cabtDogen
dc.subject.cabtShelteren
dc.titleScented Toys as Enrichment: Exploring the Duration of Engagement with Scented Toys in Shelter Dogsen
dc.typeReporten
dc.type.dcmitypeTexten
thesis.degree.disciplineApplied Animal Behavior and Welfareen
thesis.degree.grantorVirginia Polytechnic Institute and State Universityen
thesis.degree.levelmastersen
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Agricultural and Life Sciencesen

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