Filter by Category: Enrichment



Let Me Sniff! Nosework Induces Positive Judgment Bias in Pet Dogs

Pet dogs can be considered “captive” insofar as they cannot choose their daily activities; nor do they generally have the opportunity to express the natural behaviors necessary for their welfare — such as olfactory foraging behaviour. In this study, we tested the effect of an olfaction-based activity on pet dogs’ emotional states.



Effects of Environmental Enrichment on the Behavior of Shelter Dogs

Herron, M.E., Kirby-Madden, T.M. & Lord, L.K. Effects of environmental enrichment on the behaviour of shelter dogs. To determine the effect of food-toy enrichment combined with cage-behavior training on desirable behaviors in shelter dogs and adoption rates. Design—Randomized controlled clinical trial. Animals—107 dogs. Procedures—Dogs placed up for adoption in a municipal shelter were randomly assigned to either an experimental group (n = 48) or control group (59). Experimental group subjects were exposed to an environmental enrichment and training protocol consisting of twice-daily cage-behavior training and daily provision of a food-filled toy.