Measuring The Stress Of Kenneled Dogs
For as long as there have been issues with companion animal populations, people have shown concern for the welfare of animals in shelters. The welfare of kenneled dogs is a particular concern because dogs are a social species and can be stressed by noise, disrupted routines, and other common features of kennel life. More recently, research has tried to measure the stress of kenneled dogs by examining different behavioral or physiological indicators, often in isolation.
Some studies have tried to combine physiological measures as a way of “triangulating” the stress response with mixed results. The quicker and more accurately stress can be measured, the more likely it can be addressed. But to measure stress, we must first identify a baseline stress level. In other words, knowing a dog’s cortisol (i.e., stress hormone) level does not help us understand how it relates to stress unless we also know the dog’s baseline or “unstressed” cortisol level. There are few studies that follow the same cohort of dogs in both home and kennel environments and assess a combination of physiological measures as indicators of stress.
This study tested the validity of a range of “physiological, physical and behavioural parameters as indicators of acute, kenneling-induced, stress in dogs.” The researchers wanted to establish baseline values for different stress parameters and test whether or not there is a relationship between welfare indicators that could help make quick and robust stress assessments. The authors used stress levels in the home environment as a baseline. They predicted that dogs’ stress levels would increase when they entered the kennel and that this change would be reflected in physiological, physical and behavioral measurements. It’s worth mentioning that the dogs selected for the study did not have chronic health problems or any history of aggression.
Interestingly, the study found that both urinary cortisol and surface nose temperature provided strong measures of psychological arousal in dogs. However, they also noted that these measures can be easily misinterpreted and do not provide “unequivocal indicators” of stress. Perhaps even more interesting, they did not find a stress response in dogs being admitted to kennels at first. The results suggest that the dogs “may see it as an exciting change of scene, at least in the short-term.” Since this was an unexpected result, they urge further study using the baseline values they established. For dog advocates, the results of this study are inconclusive, but it will be interesting to see how future studies build on these results.