Christy Hoffman | University of Chicago (original) (raw)
Papers by Christy Hoffman
Animal Cognition, Apr 18, 2017
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Dec 16, 2021
Strong bonds commonly form between companion animals and people of all socio-demographic backgrou... more Strong bonds commonly form between companion animals and people of all socio-demographic backgrounds, yet many pet owners face numerous barriers to accessing veterinary care for their companion animals. For example, they may have difficulties paying for care; they may lack veterinary practices in their community; and they may experience language barriers that impede their ability to utilize veterinary services. Various strategies exist that can help veterinarians address the diverse needs of pet owners in their communities, but these techniques are not commonly covered in the veterinary school curriculum. This study explored how including in-depth, purposefully curated information about access to veterinary care issues within a required shelter medicine rotation impacted fourth-year veterinary students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding the problems clients commonly face when seeking access to veterinary care. Students participated either in a control group of a virtual, four-week rotation delivered via Zoom meetings and self-study, or in an experimental group that additionally completed an interactive online learning module. The online module heavily featured issues surrounding access to veterinary care. Irrespective of which version of the rotation students enrolled, their opinions grew more favorable from pretest to post-test regarding the role of not-for-profit veterinary clinics in communities, as did their expectations that veterinarians should provide affordable treatment options. Additionally, students in the experimental group demonstrated from pretest to post-test increased awareness of the potential for implicit bias toward pet owners within veterinary practice and showed a reduction in their tendency to be judgmental of veterinary clients. By the end of the study, students in the experimental group also expressed greater confidence in their ability to offer incremental care treatment options to veterinary clients. These findings suggest that providing content that focuses on increasing access to veterinary care enhances students' awareness of the need to offer a variety of treatment and payment options to clients. Findings from this study can inform curriculum design in veterinary schools and continuing education programs for veterinary professionals.
Anthrozoos, Dec 1, 2012
There is growing evidence that pet ownership and human-animal interaction (HAI) have benefits for... more There is growing evidence that pet ownership and human-animal interaction (HAI) have benefits for human physical and psychological well-being. However, there may be pre-existing characteristics related to patterns of pet ownership and interactions with pets that could potentially bias results of research on HAI. The present study uses a behavioral genetic design to estimate the degree to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in frequency of play with pets among adult men. Participants were from the ongoing longitudinal Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA), a population-based sample of 1,237 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins aged 51-60 years. Results demonstrate that MZ twins have higher correlations than DZ twins on frequency of pet play, suggesting that genetic factors play a role in individual differences in interactions with pets. Structural equation modeling revealed that, according to the best model, genetic factors accounted for as much as 37% of the variance in pet play, although the majority of variance (63-71%) was due to environmental factors that are unique to each twin. Shared environmental factors, which would include childhood exposure to pets, overall accounted for <10% of the variance in adult frequency of pet play, and were not statistically significant. These results suggest that the effects of childhood exposure to pets on pet ownership and interaction patterns in adulthood may be mediated primarily by geneticallyinfluenced characteristics.
Springer eBooks, Sep 28, 2011
Reproduction is energetically costly for mammalian females during the periods of gestation and la... more Reproduction is energetically costly for mammalian females during the periods of gestation and lactation and, consequently, is likely to be associated with reduced survival (Stearns 1989, 1992 ; Roff 2002) , particularly when maternal condition is poor. Higher mortality may be associated with birth-related complications, but it also may be the consequence of elevated circulating levels of cortisol suppressing immune function (see McEwen et al. 1997 , for a review). If the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is hyperactivated in post-partum females during prolonged periods as a result of either the energetic demands of lactation or the associated psychosocial stressors, immune function may become impaired, potentially making females more vulnerable to diseases and to increased risk of mortality. Survival costs of reproduction have been documented for a few mammalian species. Among seasonally breeding Columbian and Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus and Spermophilus richardsonii), adult female mortality is highest in the birth season and during the period of lactation (Michener and Locklear 1990 ; Michener 1998 ; Neuhaus and Pelletier 2001). Among baboons (Papio spp .), mortality rates are highest among lactating and pregnant females (e.g., Cheney et al. 2004). The terminal investment and senescence hypotheses both predict that the costs of reproduction should increase with age. According to the senescence hypothesis,
Anthrozoos, Nov 2, 2018
People in many parts of the world commonly share their beds not only with human partners but also... more People in many parts of the world commonly share their beds not only with human partners but also with dogs and cats. Self-report and actigraphy data have shown that sleeping with an adult human partner has both positive and negative impacts on human sleep, but there has been little exploration of the impacts that pets have on human sleep quality. We collected survey data online from 962 adult women living in the United States to investigate relationships between pet ownership and human sleep. Fifty-five percent of participants shared their bed with at least one dog and 31% with at least one cat. In addition, 57% of participants shared their bed with a human partner. Our findings did not show a strong relationship between pet ownership status or bedsharing conditions and sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), although according to this measure, a high percentage of study participants did experience sleep quality deficits. It is possible that pet ownership contributed to the high global PSQI scores we observed, especially since all but 7% of participants resided with dogs and/or cats. Other measures included in this study indicate that dogs and cats, and where they sleep, may indeed affect sleep habits and perceptions of sleep quality. Dog owners had earlier bedtimes and wake times than individuals who had cats but no dogs. Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner's bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security. Conversely, cats who slept in their owner's bed were reported to be equally as disruptive as human partners, and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners. Follow-up research is necessary to determine if pet owners' perceptions of pets' impacts on their sleep align with objective measures of sleep quality.
Springer eBooks, Sep 28, 2011
Development and Psychopathology, Oct 21, 2011
Allostatic load is the "wear and tear" of the body resulting from the repeated activation of comp... more Allostatic load is the "wear and tear" of the body resulting from the repeated activation of compensatory physiological mechanisms in response to chronic stress. Allostatic load can significantly affect the aging process and result in reduced longevity, accelerated aging, and impaired health. Although low socioeconomic status is associated with high allostatic load during aging, the effects of status-related psychosocial stress on allostatic load are often confounded by lifestyle variables. Chronic psychosocial stress associated with low dominance rank in nonhuman primates represents an excellent animal model with which to investigate allostatic load and aging in humans. Research conducted with free-ranging rhesus monkeys suggests that female reproduction can also be a source of stress and allostatic load. Female reproduction is associated with increased risk of mortality and hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Reproduction is especially stressful and costly for aging females of low rank. Although many indicators of body condition and neuroendocrine and immune function are influenced by aging, there are marked and stable individual differences among aging females in body condition, plasma cortisol responses to stress, and cytokine responses to stress. These differences are consistent with the hypothesis that there are strong differences in chronic stress among individuals, and that allostatic load resulting from chronic stress affects health during aging. Comparisons between captive and free-ranging rhesus monkey populations may allow us to understand how differences in environmental stress and allostatic load affect rates of aging, and how these in turn translate into differences in longevity and health.
Human-animal interaction bulletin, Dec 1, 2021
Animals, Feb 3, 2016
Long-distance dog transfer programs are a topic of burgeoning interest in the animal welfare comm... more Long-distance dog transfer programs are a topic of burgeoning interest in the animal welfare community, but little research has focused on such programs. This exploratory study, which surveyed 193 individuals associated with animal shelter and rescue organizations in the United States, evaluated factors that impacted organizations' decisions to transfer in dogs over long distances (>100 miles) and assessed what criteria were commonly valued by destination organizations. Specifically, we examined the following aspects of long-distance transfer programs: (1) logistics of long-distance dog transfers; (2) factors impacting dog selection; (3) medical requirements; (4) partnerships formed between source and destination organizations; and (5) perceptions of long-distance dog transfer programs by individuals affiliated with the destination organizations. This study revealed that many logistical considerations factor into transfer decisions and the formation of healthy partnerships between source and destination organizations. Participants indicated their organization's willingness to receive dogs of various sizes, coat colors and ages, but organizations often had restrictions regarding the breeds they would accept. Study findings indicate some organizations have strict quarantine policies and pre-transfer medical requirements, while others have no such requirements.
American Journal of Primatology, 2009
Anthrozoös, 2021
ABSTRACT Domestic dogs are terrific companions in a variety of contexts. However, not all dogs ha... more ABSTRACT Domestic dogs are terrific companions in a variety of contexts. However, not all dogs have followed the same trajectory regarding domestication. In fact, little is known about how some dogs, including New Guinea singing dogs (NGSDs), fare as companion animals. The majority of NGSDs in the United States and Canada live as companion animals, yet observational studies of NGSDs have been limited to those living in zoos and in the wild. To learn more about NGSDs kept as companion animals, we compared housing and husbandry practices for NGSDs (n = 55) with those of dogs belonging to five primitive Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) subgroups (n = 1,101). We also compared behavioral traits of NGSDs and dogs belonging to the FCI subgroups using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), and their relationships with their owners using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). NGSDs differed from dogs belonging to some FCI subgroups on several C-BARQ measures. For instance, NGSDs showed greater fear than dogs in some subgroups and were more likely to urinate on objects than dogs in all subgroups. The latter finding might explain why a higher percentage of NGSDs than primitive breed dogs were housed outdoors. Nonetheless, NGSD owners scored just as highly on the LAPS as owners of other primitive dogs. Our findings suggest that NGSD owners may adapt their expectations and husbandry strategies to account for some of the behavioral differences between NGSDs and other dogs.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021
In March 2020, Americans began experiencing numerous lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandem... more In March 2020, Americans began experiencing numerous lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some reports have suggested that pet acquisition and ownership increased during this period, and some have suggested shelters and rescues will be overwhelmed once pandemic-related restrictions are lifted and lifestyles shift yet again. In May 2021, the ASPCA hired the global market research company Ipsos to conduct a general population survey that would provide a more comprehensive picture of pet ownership and acquisition during the pandemic. Although pet owners care for a number of species, the term pet owner in this study specifically refers to those who had dogs and/or cats. One goal of the survey was to determine whether data from a sample of adults residing in the United States would corroborate findings from national shelter databases indicating that animals were not being surrendered to shelters in large numbers. Furthermore, this survey gauged individuals' concerns relate...
Animals, 2021
In Spring of 2020, the novel coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) prompted an unprecedented number of individu... more In Spring of 2020, the novel coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) prompted an unprecedented number of individuals across the United States to begin working from home. Prior research has identified both positive and negative impacts of teleworking on employee well-being, and this study built on that research to explore perceptions regarding how companion animals factor into the teleworking experience. Individuals who had experience working from home and from their employer’s office completed an online survey about those experiences. Participants reported spending more quality time with their companion animals and family members when they worked from home. Furthermore, when working from home, individuals with dogs were more likely than those without dogs to report they socialized with other people, got a healthy amount of physical activity, and took at least one 15-min walk during the workday. Some participants, particularly those in households containing both dogs and cats, indicated that their p...
Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2019
Animal shelters tend to be stressful environments for dogs because of the sights, sounds, odors, ... more Animal shelters tend to be stressful environments for dogs because of the sights, sounds, odors, and schedules that characterize shelter living. Levels of activity, including the amount of time spent resting or engaging in sedentary behaviors, may provide insights into overall welfare, especially when comparing shelter dogs' activity patterns to those of dogs in a home setting. The goal of this study was to compare the intensity and consistency of shelter dogs' and owned dogs' activity levels using three distinct methods for analyzing actigraphy data. Activity levels were measured for 19 owned dogs and 19 shelter dogs using triaxial accelerometers affixed to nylon collars on each dog's neck. Shelter dogs were more active than owned dogs during the first three quarters of the day, whereas owned dogs were more active than shelter dogs during the final quarter. Comparisons of shelter dogs' and owned dogs' ten consecutive hours of greatest activity also indicated that shelter dogs were more active earlier in the day than owned dogs. Furthermore, shelter dogs exhibited higher activity levels than owned dogs during this period of greatest activity. During the five consecutive hours of least activity, shelter dogs were more active than owned dogs. Finally, individual shelter dogs' activity patterns were more consistent day to day than owned dogs'. Our findings suggest that the shelter environment may inhibit dogs from resting. Further research is needed to assess the impacts of activity patterns on the health of shelter-housed dogs and to determine how quickly these dogs adjust to their owner' schedules after adoption.
Sensors, 2018
The ability to objectively measure episodes of rest has clear application for assessing health an... more The ability to objectively measure episodes of rest has clear application for assessing health and well-being. Accelerometers afford a sensitive platform for doing so and have demonstrated their use in many human-based trials and interventions. Current state of the art methods for predicting sleep from accelerometer signals are either based on posture or low movement. While both have proven to be sensitive in humans, the methods do not directly transfer well to dogs, possibly because dogs are commonly alert but physically inactive when recumbent. In this paper, we combine a previously validated low-movement algorithm developed for humans and a posture-based algorithm developed for dogs. The hybrid approach was tested on 12 healthy dogs of varying breeds and sizes in their homes. The approach predicted state of rest with a mean accuracy of 0.86 (SD = 0.08). Furthermore, when a dog was in a resting state, the method was able to distinguish between head up and head down posture with a ...
Animal Welfare, 2015
The popular press frequently reports that coat colour bias negatively impacts shelter adoption ra... more The popular press frequently reports that coat colour bias negatively impacts shelter adoption rates for black domestic dogs. This phenomenon, commonly called ‘black dog syndrome’ (BDS), reportedly increases the likelihood of euthanasia for black dogs and negatively affects the length of black dogs’ time to adoption. While organisations may focus on BDS and ways to promote black dogs, it is possible that the influences of other important factors, such as sex, age and breed, may be overlooked. To evaluate the veracity of BDS and examine the impact of various phenotypic traits on shelter outcomes, we analysed four years of intake and outcome data from two animal shelters in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Results indicated that the average length of availability for adoption (LOA) for black dogs was not significantly longer than that for other coloured dogs, nor was the rate of euthanasia of black dogs significantly higher than average. On the other hand, age and breed group w...
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2014
Bull breeds are commonly kept as companion animals, but the pit bull terrier is restricted by bre... more Bull breeds are commonly kept as companion animals, but the pit bull terrier is restricted by breed-specific legislation (BSL) in parts of the United States and throughout the United Kingdom. Shelter workers must decide which breed(s) a dog is. This decision may influence the dog's fate, particularly in places with BSL. In this study, shelter workers in the United States and United Kingdom were shown pictures of 20 dogs and were asked what breed each dog was, how they determined each dog's breed, whether each dog was a pit bull, and what they expected the fate of each dog to be. There was much variation in responses both between and within the United States and United Kingdom. UK participants frequently labeled dogs commonly considered by U.S. participants to be pit bulls as Staffordshire bull terriers. UK participants were more likely to say their shelters would euthanize dogs deemed to be pit bulls. Most participants noted using dogs' physical features to determine breed, and 41% affected by BSL indicated they would knowingly mislabel a dog of a restricted breed, presumably to increase the dog's adoption chances.
Animal Cognition, Apr 18, 2017
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, Dec 16, 2021
Strong bonds commonly form between companion animals and people of all socio-demographic backgrou... more Strong bonds commonly form between companion animals and people of all socio-demographic backgrounds, yet many pet owners face numerous barriers to accessing veterinary care for their companion animals. For example, they may have difficulties paying for care; they may lack veterinary practices in their community; and they may experience language barriers that impede their ability to utilize veterinary services. Various strategies exist that can help veterinarians address the diverse needs of pet owners in their communities, but these techniques are not commonly covered in the veterinary school curriculum. This study explored how including in-depth, purposefully curated information about access to veterinary care issues within a required shelter medicine rotation impacted fourth-year veterinary students' knowledge, skills, and attitudes regarding the problems clients commonly face when seeking access to veterinary care. Students participated either in a control group of a virtual, four-week rotation delivered via Zoom meetings and self-study, or in an experimental group that additionally completed an interactive online learning module. The online module heavily featured issues surrounding access to veterinary care. Irrespective of which version of the rotation students enrolled, their opinions grew more favorable from pretest to post-test regarding the role of not-for-profit veterinary clinics in communities, as did their expectations that veterinarians should provide affordable treatment options. Additionally, students in the experimental group demonstrated from pretest to post-test increased awareness of the potential for implicit bias toward pet owners within veterinary practice and showed a reduction in their tendency to be judgmental of veterinary clients. By the end of the study, students in the experimental group also expressed greater confidence in their ability to offer incremental care treatment options to veterinary clients. These findings suggest that providing content that focuses on increasing access to veterinary care enhances students' awareness of the need to offer a variety of treatment and payment options to clients. Findings from this study can inform curriculum design in veterinary schools and continuing education programs for veterinary professionals.
Anthrozoos, Dec 1, 2012
There is growing evidence that pet ownership and human-animal interaction (HAI) have benefits for... more There is growing evidence that pet ownership and human-animal interaction (HAI) have benefits for human physical and psychological well-being. However, there may be pre-existing characteristics related to patterns of pet ownership and interactions with pets that could potentially bias results of research on HAI. The present study uses a behavioral genetic design to estimate the degree to which genetic and environmental factors contribute to individual differences in frequency of play with pets among adult men. Participants were from the ongoing longitudinal Vietnam Era Twin Study of Aging (VETSA), a population-based sample of 1,237 monozygotic (MZ) and dizygotic (DZ) twins aged 51-60 years. Results demonstrate that MZ twins have higher correlations than DZ twins on frequency of pet play, suggesting that genetic factors play a role in individual differences in interactions with pets. Structural equation modeling revealed that, according to the best model, genetic factors accounted for as much as 37% of the variance in pet play, although the majority of variance (63-71%) was due to environmental factors that are unique to each twin. Shared environmental factors, which would include childhood exposure to pets, overall accounted for <10% of the variance in adult frequency of pet play, and were not statistically significant. These results suggest that the effects of childhood exposure to pets on pet ownership and interaction patterns in adulthood may be mediated primarily by geneticallyinfluenced characteristics.
Springer eBooks, Sep 28, 2011
Reproduction is energetically costly for mammalian females during the periods of gestation and la... more Reproduction is energetically costly for mammalian females during the periods of gestation and lactation and, consequently, is likely to be associated with reduced survival (Stearns 1989, 1992 ; Roff 2002) , particularly when maternal condition is poor. Higher mortality may be associated with birth-related complications, but it also may be the consequence of elevated circulating levels of cortisol suppressing immune function (see McEwen et al. 1997 , for a review). If the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is hyperactivated in post-partum females during prolonged periods as a result of either the energetic demands of lactation or the associated psychosocial stressors, immune function may become impaired, potentially making females more vulnerable to diseases and to increased risk of mortality. Survival costs of reproduction have been documented for a few mammalian species. Among seasonally breeding Columbian and Richardson's ground squirrels (Spermophilus columbianus and Spermophilus richardsonii), adult female mortality is highest in the birth season and during the period of lactation (Michener and Locklear 1990 ; Michener 1998 ; Neuhaus and Pelletier 2001). Among baboons (Papio spp .), mortality rates are highest among lactating and pregnant females (e.g., Cheney et al. 2004). The terminal investment and senescence hypotheses both predict that the costs of reproduction should increase with age. According to the senescence hypothesis,
Anthrozoos, Nov 2, 2018
People in many parts of the world commonly share their beds not only with human partners but also... more People in many parts of the world commonly share their beds not only with human partners but also with dogs and cats. Self-report and actigraphy data have shown that sleeping with an adult human partner has both positive and negative impacts on human sleep, but there has been little exploration of the impacts that pets have on human sleep quality. We collected survey data online from 962 adult women living in the United States to investigate relationships between pet ownership and human sleep. Fifty-five percent of participants shared their bed with at least one dog and 31% with at least one cat. In addition, 57% of participants shared their bed with a human partner. Our findings did not show a strong relationship between pet ownership status or bedsharing conditions and sleep quality as assessed by the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), although according to this measure, a high percentage of study participants did experience sleep quality deficits. It is possible that pet ownership contributed to the high global PSQI scores we observed, especially since all but 7% of participants resided with dogs and/or cats. Other measures included in this study indicate that dogs and cats, and where they sleep, may indeed affect sleep habits and perceptions of sleep quality. Dog owners had earlier bedtimes and wake times than individuals who had cats but no dogs. Compared with human bed partners, dogs who slept in the owner's bed were perceived to disturb sleep less and were associated with stronger feelings of comfort and security. Conversely, cats who slept in their owner's bed were reported to be equally as disruptive as human partners, and were associated with weaker feelings of comfort and security than both human and dog bed partners. Follow-up research is necessary to determine if pet owners' perceptions of pets' impacts on their sleep align with objective measures of sleep quality.
Springer eBooks, Sep 28, 2011
Development and Psychopathology, Oct 21, 2011
Allostatic load is the "wear and tear" of the body resulting from the repeated activation of comp... more Allostatic load is the "wear and tear" of the body resulting from the repeated activation of compensatory physiological mechanisms in response to chronic stress. Allostatic load can significantly affect the aging process and result in reduced longevity, accelerated aging, and impaired health. Although low socioeconomic status is associated with high allostatic load during aging, the effects of status-related psychosocial stress on allostatic load are often confounded by lifestyle variables. Chronic psychosocial stress associated with low dominance rank in nonhuman primates represents an excellent animal model with which to investigate allostatic load and aging in humans. Research conducted with free-ranging rhesus monkeys suggests that female reproduction can also be a source of stress and allostatic load. Female reproduction is associated with increased risk of mortality and hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis. Reproduction is especially stressful and costly for aging females of low rank. Although many indicators of body condition and neuroendocrine and immune function are influenced by aging, there are marked and stable individual differences among aging females in body condition, plasma cortisol responses to stress, and cytokine responses to stress. These differences are consistent with the hypothesis that there are strong differences in chronic stress among individuals, and that allostatic load resulting from chronic stress affects health during aging. Comparisons between captive and free-ranging rhesus monkey populations may allow us to understand how differences in environmental stress and allostatic load affect rates of aging, and how these in turn translate into differences in longevity and health.
Human-animal interaction bulletin, Dec 1, 2021
Animals, Feb 3, 2016
Long-distance dog transfer programs are a topic of burgeoning interest in the animal welfare comm... more Long-distance dog transfer programs are a topic of burgeoning interest in the animal welfare community, but little research has focused on such programs. This exploratory study, which surveyed 193 individuals associated with animal shelter and rescue organizations in the United States, evaluated factors that impacted organizations' decisions to transfer in dogs over long distances (>100 miles) and assessed what criteria were commonly valued by destination organizations. Specifically, we examined the following aspects of long-distance transfer programs: (1) logistics of long-distance dog transfers; (2) factors impacting dog selection; (3) medical requirements; (4) partnerships formed between source and destination organizations; and (5) perceptions of long-distance dog transfer programs by individuals affiliated with the destination organizations. This study revealed that many logistical considerations factor into transfer decisions and the formation of healthy partnerships between source and destination organizations. Participants indicated their organization's willingness to receive dogs of various sizes, coat colors and ages, but organizations often had restrictions regarding the breeds they would accept. Study findings indicate some organizations have strict quarantine policies and pre-transfer medical requirements, while others have no such requirements.
American Journal of Primatology, 2009
Anthrozoös, 2021
ABSTRACT Domestic dogs are terrific companions in a variety of contexts. However, not all dogs ha... more ABSTRACT Domestic dogs are terrific companions in a variety of contexts. However, not all dogs have followed the same trajectory regarding domestication. In fact, little is known about how some dogs, including New Guinea singing dogs (NGSDs), fare as companion animals. The majority of NGSDs in the United States and Canada live as companion animals, yet observational studies of NGSDs have been limited to those living in zoos and in the wild. To learn more about NGSDs kept as companion animals, we compared housing and husbandry practices for NGSDs (n = 55) with those of dogs belonging to five primitive Fédération Cynologique Internationale (FCI) subgroups (n = 1,101). We also compared behavioral traits of NGSDs and dogs belonging to the FCI subgroups using the Canine Behavioral Assessment and Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ), and their relationships with their owners using the Lexington Attachment to Pets Scale (LAPS). NGSDs differed from dogs belonging to some FCI subgroups on several C-BARQ measures. For instance, NGSDs showed greater fear than dogs in some subgroups and were more likely to urinate on objects than dogs in all subgroups. The latter finding might explain why a higher percentage of NGSDs than primitive breed dogs were housed outdoors. Nonetheless, NGSD owners scored just as highly on the LAPS as owners of other primitive dogs. Our findings suggest that NGSD owners may adapt their expectations and husbandry strategies to account for some of the behavioral differences between NGSDs and other dogs.
Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 2021
In March 2020, Americans began experiencing numerous lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandem... more In March 2020, Americans began experiencing numerous lifestyle changes due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Some reports have suggested that pet acquisition and ownership increased during this period, and some have suggested shelters and rescues will be overwhelmed once pandemic-related restrictions are lifted and lifestyles shift yet again. In May 2021, the ASPCA hired the global market research company Ipsos to conduct a general population survey that would provide a more comprehensive picture of pet ownership and acquisition during the pandemic. Although pet owners care for a number of species, the term pet owner in this study specifically refers to those who had dogs and/or cats. One goal of the survey was to determine whether data from a sample of adults residing in the United States would corroborate findings from national shelter databases indicating that animals were not being surrendered to shelters in large numbers. Furthermore, this survey gauged individuals' concerns relate...
Animals, 2021
In Spring of 2020, the novel coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) prompted an unprecedented number of individu... more In Spring of 2020, the novel coronavirus (SAR-CoV-2) prompted an unprecedented number of individuals across the United States to begin working from home. Prior research has identified both positive and negative impacts of teleworking on employee well-being, and this study built on that research to explore perceptions regarding how companion animals factor into the teleworking experience. Individuals who had experience working from home and from their employer’s office completed an online survey about those experiences. Participants reported spending more quality time with their companion animals and family members when they worked from home. Furthermore, when working from home, individuals with dogs were more likely than those without dogs to report they socialized with other people, got a healthy amount of physical activity, and took at least one 15-min walk during the workday. Some participants, particularly those in households containing both dogs and cats, indicated that their p...
Journal of Veterinary Behavior, 2019
Animal shelters tend to be stressful environments for dogs because of the sights, sounds, odors, ... more Animal shelters tend to be stressful environments for dogs because of the sights, sounds, odors, and schedules that characterize shelter living. Levels of activity, including the amount of time spent resting or engaging in sedentary behaviors, may provide insights into overall welfare, especially when comparing shelter dogs' activity patterns to those of dogs in a home setting. The goal of this study was to compare the intensity and consistency of shelter dogs' and owned dogs' activity levels using three distinct methods for analyzing actigraphy data. Activity levels were measured for 19 owned dogs and 19 shelter dogs using triaxial accelerometers affixed to nylon collars on each dog's neck. Shelter dogs were more active than owned dogs during the first three quarters of the day, whereas owned dogs were more active than shelter dogs during the final quarter. Comparisons of shelter dogs' and owned dogs' ten consecutive hours of greatest activity also indicated that shelter dogs were more active earlier in the day than owned dogs. Furthermore, shelter dogs exhibited higher activity levels than owned dogs during this period of greatest activity. During the five consecutive hours of least activity, shelter dogs were more active than owned dogs. Finally, individual shelter dogs' activity patterns were more consistent day to day than owned dogs'. Our findings suggest that the shelter environment may inhibit dogs from resting. Further research is needed to assess the impacts of activity patterns on the health of shelter-housed dogs and to determine how quickly these dogs adjust to their owner' schedules after adoption.
Sensors, 2018
The ability to objectively measure episodes of rest has clear application for assessing health an... more The ability to objectively measure episodes of rest has clear application for assessing health and well-being. Accelerometers afford a sensitive platform for doing so and have demonstrated their use in many human-based trials and interventions. Current state of the art methods for predicting sleep from accelerometer signals are either based on posture or low movement. While both have proven to be sensitive in humans, the methods do not directly transfer well to dogs, possibly because dogs are commonly alert but physically inactive when recumbent. In this paper, we combine a previously validated low-movement algorithm developed for humans and a posture-based algorithm developed for dogs. The hybrid approach was tested on 12 healthy dogs of varying breeds and sizes in their homes. The approach predicted state of rest with a mean accuracy of 0.86 (SD = 0.08). Furthermore, when a dog was in a resting state, the method was able to distinguish between head up and head down posture with a ...
Animal Welfare, 2015
The popular press frequently reports that coat colour bias negatively impacts shelter adoption ra... more The popular press frequently reports that coat colour bias negatively impacts shelter adoption rates for black domestic dogs. This phenomenon, commonly called ‘black dog syndrome’ (BDS), reportedly increases the likelihood of euthanasia for black dogs and negatively affects the length of black dogs’ time to adoption. While organisations may focus on BDS and ways to promote black dogs, it is possible that the influences of other important factors, such as sex, age and breed, may be overlooked. To evaluate the veracity of BDS and examine the impact of various phenotypic traits on shelter outcomes, we analysed four years of intake and outcome data from two animal shelters in the Pacific Northwestern United States. Results indicated that the average length of availability for adoption (LOA) for black dogs was not significantly longer than that for other coloured dogs, nor was the rate of euthanasia of black dogs significantly higher than average. On the other hand, age and breed group w...
Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2014
Bull breeds are commonly kept as companion animals, but the pit bull terrier is restricted by bre... more Bull breeds are commonly kept as companion animals, but the pit bull terrier is restricted by breed-specific legislation (BSL) in parts of the United States and throughout the United Kingdom. Shelter workers must decide which breed(s) a dog is. This decision may influence the dog's fate, particularly in places with BSL. In this study, shelter workers in the United States and United Kingdom were shown pictures of 20 dogs and were asked what breed each dog was, how they determined each dog's breed, whether each dog was a pit bull, and what they expected the fate of each dog to be. There was much variation in responses both between and within the United States and United Kingdom. UK participants frequently labeled dogs commonly considered by U.S. participants to be pit bulls as Staffordshire bull terriers. UK participants were more likely to say their shelters would euthanize dogs deemed to be pit bulls. Most participants noted using dogs' physical features to determine breed, and 41% affected by BSL indicated they would knowingly mislabel a dog of a restricted breed, presumably to increase the dog's adoption chances.