TY - JOUR
T1 - Observational behaviors and emotions to assess welfare of dogs
T2 - A systematic review
AU - de Winkel, Tynke
AU - van der Steen, Steffie
AU - Enders-Slegers, Marie Jose
AU - Griffioen, Richard
AU - Haverbeke, Anouck
AU - Groenewoud, Daniëlle
AU - Hediger, Karin
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© 2023 The Author(s)
PY - 2024/3/1
Y1 - 2024/3/1
N2 - Observing dogs’ behavior to assess their welfare is relevant in various applied settings, such as veterinary clinics and animal-assisted interventions. Yet, no field-wide consensus or complete overview of observable behaviors to assess dogs’ welfare seems to exist. In this review, we carefully analyze and categorize observational measures of a) dog welfare and b) their emotional state as described in the literature. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, we searched two major electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect) between October and December 2021 and included peer-reviewed articles—published in the last 10 years—about observable indicators of the welfare and/or emotional state of dogs. We included 39 studies in total. Based on these studies, nine overarching themes of behavioral indicators could be formulated, of which vocalizations, stress-related behaviors, and interaction with the nonsocial environment were mostly mentioned in the literature. Most articles described observable indicators that were both positively and negatively framed. Only five articles mentioned some form of validity assessment, while 23 studies mentioned inter-rater reliability measures. We conclude that having more validated observation instruments would be valuable for both research and practice. Although a clear and simple way of observing dog welfare without complicated tools is of great importance, the field would also benefit from instruments using combinations of physiological parameters and observable behaviors to assess dogs’ welfare.
AB - Observing dogs’ behavior to assess their welfare is relevant in various applied settings, such as veterinary clinics and animal-assisted interventions. Yet, no field-wide consensus or complete overview of observable behaviors to assess dogs’ welfare seems to exist. In this review, we carefully analyze and categorize observational measures of a) dog welfare and b) their emotional state as described in the literature. Adhering to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis guidelines, we searched two major electronic databases (PubMed, ScienceDirect) between October and December 2021 and included peer-reviewed articles—published in the last 10 years—about observable indicators of the welfare and/or emotional state of dogs. We included 39 studies in total. Based on these studies, nine overarching themes of behavioral indicators could be formulated, of which vocalizations, stress-related behaviors, and interaction with the nonsocial environment were mostly mentioned in the literature. Most articles described observable indicators that were both positively and negatively framed. Only five articles mentioned some form of validity assessment, while 23 studies mentioned inter-rater reliability measures. We conclude that having more validated observation instruments would be valuable for both research and practice. Although a clear and simple way of observing dog welfare without complicated tools is of great importance, the field would also benefit from instruments using combinations of physiological parameters and observable behaviors to assess dogs’ welfare.
KW - Animal emotion
KW - Animal stress
KW - Animal welfare
KW - Animal-assisted interventions
KW - Behavior assessment
KW - Dogs
U2 - 10.1016/j.jveb.2023.12.007
DO - 10.1016/j.jveb.2023.12.007
M3 - Review article
AN - SCOPUS:85186230333
SN - 1558-7878
VL - 72
SP - 1
EP - 17
JO - Journal of Veterinary Behavior
JF - Journal of Veterinary Behavior
ER -