A Rehabilitation Program for Dogs with Inter-dog
Aggression in Animal Shelters

UBC Jane Orihel, Masters candidate in Animal Science

Animal Welfare Program, University of British Columbia
Funded by: national Science and Engineering Council
Collaborators: Dr. Rebecca Ledger, AWP Post-doctoral fellow

Dr. David Fraser, AWP Professor

Zuzana Zemanova, BSc. Agroecology
The Problem:

• Aggression is the most common and dangerous behaviour problem in dogs
• Over 30% of dogs are abandoned to rescue shelters because of behaviour problems
• A large number of dogs with aggressive problems are euthanized rather than treated for aggression
• If aggression is left untreated, the long-term welfare of aggressive dogs in shelters is poor

A Solution:

• Behavioural treatment can effectively reduce inter-dog aggression and provide an alternative to euthanasia
• Shelters may be more likely to offer rehabilitation if they have access to a program that has been shown to be successful and practical to use within the shelter

The Project:

• A rehabilitation program for reducing inter-dog aggression in shelter dogs will be evaluated at the Vancouver Animal Control Shelter
• The effectiveness of increased physical activity, modeled after current dog management practice at the Vancouver Animals Control shelter, will also be evaluated for its potential benefits for reduce inter-dog aggression

What it will involve:

• Dogs in the shelter 3 days following admission will be given a behavioural assessment to identify the presence of inter-dog aggression. Note: Between June 3-14, 2 adoptable dogs (Cooper and Oliver) will be participating in the project.
• Dogs with a medium level of inter-dog aggression will participate in the study
• Participants will be divided into three groups:

Group 1: Rehabilitation
Behaviour modification (desensitizing with counter-conditioning and response prevention)

• Treated dog is given daily session where it is exposed to approaches of a second dog and rewarded for appropriate behaviour
• Distance between the two dogs is progressively decreased as long the treated dogs remains relaxed
• Dog learns new, appropriate behaviours in the presence of other dogs
• Dogs removed from kennels 4 times/day for a total of 60 minutes of activity/day

Group Two: Enriched Activity

Enriched activity schedule (modeled after current Vancouver animal Control Shelter dog management practice)

• Dogs removed from kennels 4 times/day for a total of 60 minutes of activity/day

• Dogs do not receive rehabilitation, and are exercised without other dogs

• Allows us to determine the benefits of physical activity alone in reducing inter-dog aggression

Group 3: Control

Standard activity schedule (comparable to the norm of other shelter practices)

• Subjects removed from kennels 3 times/day for a total of 30 minutes of activity/day

• To show that the treatments are effective, we need something to compare it to – the benefits of treatment will not be apparent if the control groups are treated similarly to the other groups

Overview of Project Design

Day 1 Admission

Day 4 Assessment test to select dogs with inter-dog aggression for the project

Day 5 Evaluation I

To identify the intensity of the inter-dog aggression of dogs selected for

The project

Day 5-14 Treatment (10-day period)

Day 15 Evaluation II

To detect any improvements in the dogs level of inter-dog aggression

Day 45 Evaluation III

To detect any changes in the dogs level of inter-dog aggression one month

following the project

How can this be incorporated into daily shelter practice:

• Dogs participating in the study will be clearly identified with a sign on their kennel
• Morning and evening releases performed as part of regular rotation by kennel staff
• Walks preformed by selected volunteer dog-walkers
• Time of day, and duration of activity must adhere to that specified on the dogs kennel chart
• All information (time in/out, by whom) recorded on the kennel chart
• Dogs are not to receive any other interaction or activities other than what is specified

Ensuring Ethical Standards

• All dogs will be monitored for stress using a checklist during the procedures was well as in their kennels throughout the project
• Any signs of significant distress during the procedures will result in termination of the session
• The project requires the use of a few non-participating dogs to act as assistance dogs during the assessments, evaluations and rehabilitation – stress monitoring also applies to assistance dogs
• Handlers will take measures to reduce the likelihood of stress experienced by the assistance dog (focusing attention of handler, giving treats, praise, stroking
• Control dogs will receive treatment for inter-dog aggression following completion of the project
• This protocol has been subjected to a thorough review by the UBC Animal Care Committee to justify that the project has merit, and that all animals are treated humanely

Potential Outcomes of the Rehabilitation Project

1. Provide shelters with option of using behavioural intervention rather than the alternative of euthanasia
2. Allow shelters to be confident their resources are being directed towards effective practices
3. Reduce number of inter-dog aggressive dogs adopted into new homes, thereby reducing the number subsequently returned
4. Facilitate the human-animal relationship, promoting the benefits of pet ownership