Results of Behavioral Evaluations Predict Length of Stay for Shelter Dogs.

ABSTRACT: Most animal shelters conduct behavioral evaluations before making dogs available for adoption. However, little information exists on whether behaviors displayed during these assessments predict a dog's length of stay at the shelter. We reviewed nearly 5 years of records from 975 dogs released for adoption at a New York shelter to see whether behaviors shown during their evaluation predicted length of stay. For most tests and subtests, the prevalence of concerning and especially dangerous behaviors was low. Nevertheless, dogs' scores on some tests or subtests-food guarding and meeting another dog-predicted length of stay at the shelter. Dogs evaluated as showing dangerous behavior had longer lengths of stay than dogs evaluated as showing either concerning behavior or no concerning behavior;

SUBMITTER: McGuire B 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8614362 | biostudies-literature | 2021 Nov

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature