Improving in-kennel presentation of shelter dogs through response - PDF document

See discussions, stats, and author profiles for this publication at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/303125895 Improving in-kennel presentation of shelter dogs through response dependent and independent treat delivery Article CITATIONS READS 3 5 2 authors , including: Alexandra Protopopova Texas Tech University 12 PUBLICATIONS 51 CITATIONS SEE PROFILE Available from: Alexandra Protopopova Retrieved on: 05 October 2016

2015, 48, 1 – 12 NUMBER 3 ( FALL ) JOURNAL OF APPLIED BEHAVIOR ANALYSIS IMPROVING IN-KENNEL PRESENTATION OF SHELTER DOGS THROUGH RESPONSE-DEPENDENT AND RESPONSE-INDEPENDENT TREAT DELIVERY A LEXANDRA P ROTOPOPOVA UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA AND C LIVE D. L. W YNNE ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY In a sequence of studies, we evaluated 2 behavioral interventions designed to decrease undesirable in-kennel behaviors of shelter dogs. In Experiment 1, we compared the efficacy of a simple pairing of person with food (response-independent treat delivery) to an increasing interval differential- reinforcement-of-other-behavior (DRO) procedure and a control condition. Both procedures decreased the median percentage of undesirable behavior from baseline (88.13%, interquartile range [IQR] ¼ 52.78% and 66.43%, IQR ¼ 89.06% respectively), and the control condition increased behavior by 15.13% (IQR ¼ 32.08%), H (2) ¼ 6.49, p ¼ .039. In Experiment 2, we assessed the efficacy of a response-independent procedure on the whole shelter population. We found a 68% decrease from baseline in the number of dogs that behaved undesirably ( U ¼ – 4.16, p < .001). Our results suggest that a response-independent procedure is equivalent in efficacy to a DRO procedure to decrease undesirable in-kennel behavior of shelter dogs. Key words: adoption, animal behavior, animal welfare, shelter dogs Millions of dogs are euthanized each year in shelters, encouraging the sterilization of pets, and animal shelters because of a lack of adoptive promoting adoption rather than buying from a homes (ASPCA, 2011). Even for those animals breeder or pet store. Improving adoption rates that are eventually adopted, the extended stay in for dogs already at the animal shelter is an an environmentally deprived kennel, often in approach that has recently received attention social isolation, may pose serious behavioral from researchers. health risks (see review by Wells, 2004). Solving Currently, several types of largely unvalidated the problem of pet overpopulation may require behavioral programs exist that are designed to several different approaches. Programs may focus promote appropriate behavior in kenneled dogs. on many aspects of the human – animal bond, The programs may be categorized broadly as such as reducing relinquishment of pet dogs into enrichment programs that mainly focus on targeting the motivation behind the inappro- priate in-kennel behaviors, such as providing additional exercise (e.g., Pooch to 5K, pooch- We thank the administration, staff, and dogs of Alachua to5k.com; Playing for Life, dogsplayingforlife. County Animal Services; Nathaniel J. Hall for assistance in graphing; and Brian A. Iwata for helpful advice. We also com). Other programs are more direct in thank Jennifer Higgins for assistance with data collection attempting to reduce behavior through operant and Brooklyn Howard and Jaclyn Haft for assistance with conditioning methods, such as training dogs to data coding. sit when a trainer approaches the kennel, or Correspondence concerning this article should be addressed to Alexandra Protopopova, Department of through encouraging appropriate approach be- Psychology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida havior, such as pairing the trainer with food (e.g., 32611 (e-mail: aprotopo@ufl.edu). Open Paw, www.openpaw.org). Luescher and doi: 10.1002/jaba.217 1

2 ALEXANDRA PROTOPOPOVA and CLIVE D. L. WYNNE Medlock (2009) encouraged the dogs in their increased by 15 days. No behaviors that study to decrease barking in the kennel by decreased length of stay were found, suggesting delivering food contingent on the absence of that adopters focus more on the undesirable barking. Furthermore, the volunteers were told behaviors than on the desirable behaviors to throw food treats into the kennel each time (Protopopova et al.). These observational find- they passed by the dogs, thus pairing the visual ings provide a starting point for a systematic stimulation of person with food in an attempt to evaluation of training programs and, subse- encourage approach behavior. The authors quently, an assessment of targeted training to found that such an intervention in conjunction affect adoption rates. Thus, in a sequence of with a variety of other out-of-kennel obedience experiments, we aimed to assess the efficacy of exercises (e.g., sitting on command, not jumping two interventions to reduce undesirable in- on visitors, and walking on a loose leash) kennel behavior of shelter dogs (where undesir- increased adoption rates. The effects of in- able means “ likely to prolong the time to kennel training on dog behavior were not clear, adoption, ” as found in Protopopova et al.). because no behavioral data were collected. More The aim of the first experiment was to recently, Herron, Kirby-Madden, and Lord compare two procedures to improve in-kennel (2014) assessed the effects of an in-kennel presentation: withholding food reinforcement training program on adoption rates. The for undesirable in-kennel behavior while re- program consisted of training the dogs to inforcing other behavior deemed to be desirable make eye contact, not to bark, to sit or lie (differential reinforcement of other behavior down, and to approach the front of the kennel. [DRO]) and simply pairing the visual presenta- All food was delivered by experimenters con- tion of a person with food (response-independ- tingent on appropriate behavior. Herron et al. ent treat delivery). A response-independent found that although the dogs ’ target behavior procedure was included in the evaluation because increased, adoption rates were unaffected. The of practical benefits to animal shelters. Response- mixed success of these training programs may be dependent procedures such as DRO require a result of the target behaviors being chosen trainers to observe the animal ’ s behavior and based on assumptions and questionnaire data on adjust their own behavior as a consequence of the what makes dogs attractive to adopters (Wells & animal ’ s behavior. However, a response-inde- Hepper, 1992) rather than on observational data. pendent procedure does not require expertise or Also, before the effects of training on adoption observation of the animal ’ s behavior. Therefore, rates are assessed, the first step must be to we explored whether simple pairing of a person evaluate which, if any, in-kennel training with food reduced undesirable behavior in programs are capable of reducing inappropriate shelter dogs as reliably as a more labor-intensive behavior. DRO procedure. Protopopova, Mehrkam, Boggess, and Wynne The aim of the second experiment was to (2014) found that leaning on the kennel walls, assess the efficacy of the response-independent increased activity, and facing away from the front pairing procedure as a whole-shelter interven- of the kennel predicted a longer time to tion. Because most animal shelters in the U.S. are adoption. Dogs that leaned or rubbed on the managed on scarce private donations or limited kennel walls had a stay at the shelter that public funds, any intervention must be efficient increased by a median of 30 days. Dogs that in decreasing inappropriate behavior in many engaged in back-and-forth motion in the kennel animals at once. This experiment assessed the had a stay increased by 24 days. Dogs that faced percentage of animals at a shelter that would away from the front of the kennel had a stay benefit from this type of intervention.