Long-Lasting Chews Elicit Positive Emotional States in Dogs during Short Periods of Social Isolation

Authors

Hannah E Flint
Megan Atkinson
James Lush
Alysia B G Hunt
Tammie King

Publication Date

2-4-2023

Journal

Animals

DOI

10.3390/ani13040552

PMID

36830339

PMCID

PMC9951671

PubMedCentral® Posted Date

2-4-2023

PubMedCentral® Full Text Version

Post-print

Published Open-Access

yes

Keywords

dog, food-based enrichment, emotional wellbeing, behavior

Abstract

Dogs may experience negative emotional states when isolated from human caregivers and conspecifics. This study aimed to evaluate how dogs interact with different enrichments during a short period of social isolation, as a first step towards identifying methods for improving their emotional wellbeing. Using a cross-over design, dogs (n = 20) at the Waltham Petcare Science Institute were exposed to four different food-based enrichments while left alone in a familiar room for 20 min: long-lasting chew (Chew), kibble in a treat-dispensing toy (Toy), and kibble dispensed through a smart treat-dispensing device with (Device + Voice) and without (Device) a person talking to the dog. Time spent engaging with each enrichment item and emotional valence and arousal (7-point scale collected every 5-min) were scored from videos. The results of linear mixed models indicated Chew was the most successful enrichment, with dogs having lower arousal scores (p < 0.05 vs. Device and Toy) during the first five minutes of isolation, higher positive valence scores (p < 0.05 vs. all) during the second five minutes of isolation, and spending the most total time engaged (p < 0.01 vs. all). Based on these findings, long-lasting chews should be further explored to assess their impact on dog emotional wellbeing.

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