PPG Summit 2020 Sessions: Enrichment in the Shelter – Using Science to Guide Us to the Most Efficacious Practices

Jan 13, 2020 | Education, PPG Summit, Shelter & Rescue, Training

BARKS presents session details from PPG’s 2020 Summit and Workshops in Phoenix, Arizona
*Early bird discount available if you register before January 31, 2020!

Dr. Lisa Gunter with her 11-year-old rescued boarder collie Sonya © Charlie Leight/ASU Now

Session Details:
Presenter: Dr. Lisa Gunter
Session Title: Enrichment in the Shelter – Using Science to Guide Us to the Most Efficacious Practices
Session Type: General Session Lecture (1.5 Hours)

The use of behavioral interventions designed to improve the welfare of shelter dogs has become much more commonplace today, yet many such interventions have not been empirically tested. Within the literature, animal scientists have explored the use of a wide range of enrichment strategies with sheltered dogs and tested their impacts on physiology and behavior with the goal of improving welfare.

This session will examine the aforementioned interventions, which can be broadly categorized as either social interaction with a human or conspecific; object enrichment; or sensory stimulation. It will also discuss the implications of available studies, including which additive interventions show the greatest potential for positively impacting dogs’ lives in the shelter.

Learning Objectives:

  • Identify what types of enrichment have been empirically tested with dogs in animal shelters.
    Compare the outcome measures used and impacts of these interventions within and across enrichment categories.
  • Differentiate their effects, considering cost of intervention and time to administer.
  • Develop an implementation strategy for dogs in your shelter, focusing on interventions with the greatest likelihood of impact on behavior and welfare.

PPG Summit 2020 will take place in Phoenix, Arizona and offer two unique programs:

Program 1: The Four-Day Summit
Program 2: The Four-Day Summit + Daily Off-Site Workshops at the Arizona Humane Society

Dates: Friday, September 18 – Tuesday, September 22, 2020

Event theme: Collaborative Care and Enrichment – Creating Partnerships for Positive Results

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