Impact of Environmental Factors and Enrichment on Beagle Dogs (Canis familiaris) (2009)

Garofalo, A. E., Ogbin, J. M., Shulder, L. et al.

Abstract

Based on behavioral observations and cortisol levels, it is apparent that there are some notable differences between males and females. The females apparently preferred a social companion, whether enrichment was provided or not. Because there was evidence of stress when females were paired with no enrichment provided, toys should be provided during this time. When single housed, males preferred having toys available. When introduced to paired males, toys could be a stressor due most likely to the possessive nature of male dogs. Therefore, it may not be ideal to provide continuous enrichment while male dogs are paired. When comparing different types of enrichment presentations, females did not show a clear preference for attached door toys vs. unattached floor toys, when both were provided. All four male dogs, however, showed an obvious preference for toys attached to the door, as opposed to the unattached floor toys. Therefore, it seems a considerable amount of resource could be saved by having attached toys hung on each side of the cage, so the time required to separate and distribute toys to each single-housed animal during feeding is completely eliminated. Though not entirely conclusive, the results of this study support the hypothesis that physical enrichment is beneficial for our canines, even though presentation could be modified further depending on the gender.