Dog

Handle with care: Dogs show negative responses to restrictive handling restraints and tools during routine examinations

Routine veterinary visits are important for monitoring dog welfare; however, handling during physical examinations may elicit fear responses in dogs. Although handling recommendations exist to mitigate negative experiences for dogs, there is little empirical evidence to support these handling recommendations....

Year Published: 2025Topics: RestraintAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Cisneros, A., Carroll, A. D., Moody, C. M. et al. 2025. Handle with care: Dogs show negative responses to restrictive handling restraints and tools during routine examinations. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 286, 106601.

Behavioral differences of shelter dogs under fluorescent versus LED lighting

Fluorescent lighting is used in a wide variety of applications, most commonly because of its energy and heat saving capabilities. However, the flicker that accompanies fluorescent light can negatively impact humans and animals. Detrimental behavioral and physiological consequences have been...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Abrams, J., Wilson, K., Hegewald, J. et al. 2025. Behavioral differences of shelter dogs under fluorescent versus LED lighting. Applied Animal Behaviour Science 289, 106692.

A cross-sectional study to investigate associations between flooring substrates and prevalence of limb and paw abnormalities of dogs housed in commercial breeding facilities (2025)

Understanding the impact of environmental and management factors on the health and behavior of dogs housed in commercial breeding (CB) facilities is critical to their welfare. The specific aims of the study were to assess (a) associations between combinations of...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Housing, Husbandry & ManagementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Stella, J., Gomes, P., Shreyer, T. et al. 2025. A cross-sectional study to investigate associations between flooring substrates and prevalence of limb and paw abnormalities of dogs housed in commercial breeding facilities. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Functional significance and welfare implications of chewing in dogs (Canis familiaris) (2025)

Dogs chew on both nutritive and non-nutritive items as part of their food acquisition, ingestive behaviour, self-care, and social interactions. Various definitions distinguish chewing from related oral activities, such as gnawing, masticating, and biting. Surprisingly, despite chewing being a ubiquitous...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Natural BehaviorAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Quinn, R., Masters, S., Starling, M. et al. 2025. Functional significance and welfare implications of chewing in dogs (Canis familiaris). Frontiers in Veterinary Science 12.

Modifying the attention bias test to assess the emotional state of dogs (2025)

The attention bias test is an established cognitive method used to evaluate emotional states in farm animals by examining their response to a stimulus under varying emotional conditions. This study adapted this test for dogs, utilizing naturally induced emotional states...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Emotion, Pain, & Sentience, Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Molinaro, H. G., Smith, E., Crawford-Paz Soldán, E. et al. 2025. Modifying the attention bias test to assess the emotional state of dogs. Animals 15(6), 840.

Testing the level of cortisol in dogs (2025)

This paper focuses on cortisol levels in different dog matrices, emphasising the importance of non-invasive sampling for animal welfare and research ethics. The study reviewed over 18,000 articles from various databases, identifying 78 relevant studies that met the inclusion criteria....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Kaszycka, K., Goleman, M., Krupa, W. 2025. Testing the level of cortisol in dogs. Animals 15(9), 1197.

Successive negative contrast: An appropriate approach to measure affective state in dogs? (2025)

Successive negative contrast (SNC) is a decrease in response when animals unexpectedly face reward devaluation to levels below those of animals always receiving low-value rewards. SNC appears to be influenced by background affective states and has thus been proposed as...

Year Published: 2025Topics: Welfare AssessmentAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Castro, A. C. V. de, Baria-Unwalla, P., Cabrita, A. R. et al. 2025. Successive negative contrast: An appropriate approach to measure affective state in dogs? Animal Welfare 34, e34.

A systematic review of the effects of musical enrichment on captive mammals (2025)

Forty two studies examining physiological, behavioural and cognitive mammalian responses to music were identified, with 38.1% of those studies focusing on primates. The studies identified included 23 mammalian species across six animal orders (Artiodactyla, Carnivora, Perissodactyla, Primates, Proboscidea and Rodentia)....

Year Published: 2025Topics: Environmental EnrichmentAnimal Type: Baboon, Capuchin, Cat, Chimpanzee, Chinchilla, Dog, Gerbil, Gibbon, Guinea Pig, Hamster, Lemur, Macaque, Marmoset, Mole Rat, Mouse, Nonhuman Primate, Other Nonhuman Primate, Other Rodent, Owl Monkey, Rat, Rodent, Squirrel Monkey, Vervet (African Green Monkey)

Citation: Alkalaj, M. 2025. A systematic review of the effects of musical enrichment on captive mammals. Canopy 25(2).

Effects of changing veterinary handling techniques on canine behaviour and physiology Part 2: Behavioural measurements

Signs of distress in dogs during veterinary visits are often normalised rather than viewed as welfare concerns. Interventions designed to reduce fear during veterinary visits were evaluated to see if they affected dogs' behaviours compared to dogs without interventions. Twenty-eight...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Handling, RestraintAnimal Type: Dog

Citation: Squair, C., Proudfoot, K., Montelpare, W. et al. 2024. Effects of changing veterinary handling techniques on canine behaviour and physiology Part 2: Behavioural measurements. Animal Welfare 33, e43.

A novel approach for contactless heart rate monitoring from pet facial videos

Introduction: Monitoring the heart rate (HR) of pets is challenging when contact with a conscious pet is inconvenient, difficult, injurious, distressing, or dangerous for veterinarians or pet owners. However, few established, simple, and non-invasive techniques for HR measurement in pets...

Year Published: 2024Topics: Biological Sampling & Physiological MeasurementAnimal Type: Cat, Dog

Citation: Hu, R., Gao, Y., Peng, G. et al. 2024. A novel approach for contactless heart rate monitoring from pet facial videos. Frontiers in Veterinary Science 11.