Establishing Behavioural Thresholds for Dogs in Animal-Assisted Services: Expert-Derived Thresholds and Field Study...

Area of Science:

• Animal Welfare Science
• Canine Ethology
• Applied Animal Behaviour

Background:

• Animal-Assisted Services (AASs) are increasingly prevalent in therapeutic and educational settings.
• Growing concerns exist regarding the welfare of dogs participating in AASs.
• Objective assessment of canine affective states during AASs is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess dogs' affective states during AAS sessions.
• To establish expert-derived behavioral thresholds for canine welfare in AASs.
• To compare expert thresholds with field observations of canine behavior.

Main Methods:

• Thirteen experts in canine behavior and welfare evaluated 19 behaviors across 11 scenarios.
• Absolute scoring approach used to derive welfare thresholds (excellent, neutral, unacceptable).
• Field data collected from 837 AAS sessions involving 63 dogs, scored by trained professionals.

Main Results:

• Stress-related behaviors were generally within expert-defined acceptable ranges.
• Some dogs exceeded thresholds for stress indicators like low posture and sniffing.
• Positive affective behaviors (play, voluntary resting, tail wagging) were infrequently observed and often below minimum thresholds.

Conclusions:

• While overt stress in AAS dogs appears managed, opportunities for positive expression may be limited.
• Expert-derived behavioral thresholds can inform welfare monitoring in AASs.
• Integrating these thresholds can help establish evidence-based standards and safeguard canine welfare.