Behavior in Shelter Medicine Flashcards
What are the variables that can have an impact on an animal’s response to a behavior assessment?
- Assessor = #1 –> limit to a few individuals to maintain consistency
- Facility/conditions –> noisy, overcrowded, quite, etc. \
- History –> owner surrdener, stray, etc.
- Age and reproductive status
Behavior assessment should not….
- Be done on the same days as intake as high levels of stress will results in inaccurate evaluation
- Push the animal to the point of a negative response or reaction
Animals that have other stressors should not be evaluated until
these stressors have been identified or removed (post-op, injuries, arthritis, illness, etc.)
What are some things the assessor should consider?
- always be aware of potential personal injury
- dont allow breed prejudices to influence results
- clear but not excessive signals
- able to interpret body language!! –> clear understanding of age specific normal and abnormal behaviors
Animals that demonstrate abnormal or unaccepable behaviors should always…
Receive a full veterinary assessment to determine if there may be an associated health or medical issue causing the behavior
What is the exception to always using positive reinforcement and rewards?
A dog who demonstrates aggression - negative reinforcement or correction may still be preferable to euthanasia
Describe the correlation between unwanted behavior and how long an animal is at a shelter.
The longer the animal is at the shelter, the more time it has to develop unwanted behaviors. These behaviors make them less likely to be adopted and more likely to be returned if they are adopted –> i.e. hyperarousal
_________ behaviors are the most difficult to address and often require _______________
Obsessive behaviors are the most difficult to address and often require intense behavior modification as well as pharmacotherapy (circling, pacing, bouncing off walls or doors, self-directed behaviors, etc.)
What are some unwanted behaviors that may develop in a shelter setting?
- Separation anxiety
- Barrier related barking/anxiety
- Barrier related aggression/anxiety
- House training regression
- Social hyperarousal
Separation anxiety often begins after….
a prolonged period of contact with the owner followed by an abrupt enforced separation
How can separation anxiety be addressed?
- Environmental enrichment
- Effective intervention –> pharmacotherapy, systematic desensitization
- Adoption counseling
- Dog behavior education (community)
Barrier related barking and aggression typically stem from…
barrier frustration/anxiety - the animal cannot see, smell, and interact with other dogs and people. this can begin to be manifested on leash and result in true aggression.
What are ways we can address barrier related barking and aggression?
- preventing visual access to walkways and other kennels (not ideal for enrichment)
- counterconditioning (more labor intensive) –> portion of food outside kennel door, person gives some any time they walk by
What are ways we can address house training regression?
- in shelter crate training
- prioritizing house training in shelters (labor intensive)
- post-adoption support for new owners
What are ways we can address hyperarousal?
- group housing, pair housing, regular play groups - benefits outweigh risk of increased agonistic episodes
- in kennel visits without providing stimulation (i.e. reading)
- regular training
