Canine Nosework as an Intervention for Behavior Change in Shelter Dogs

Millions of dogs enter the shelter annually in the United States. Dogs living in shelters experience a variety of stressors that can contribute to impaired welfare. Shelter enrichment programs are one way to mitigate these stressors and improve the welfare of kenneled dogs. This study compared the effects of nosework activities and positive human social contact via petting on the behavior of kenneled shelter dogs in response to an unknown person approaching the kennel. The present study found that dogs exhibited three behaviors most often in response to an unknown person approaching the kennel, 1) barking, 2) standing, and 3) jumping on the kennel. There were no effects found in either intervention on the proportion of time spent jumping on the kennel. Dogs exhibited increased standing behavior in their kennels after both interventions. There were no significant effects of the petting intervention on the proportion of time spent barking. The nosework intervention demonstrated an increase in the proportion of time spent barking the day-after the intervention, indicating a possible frustration response.