Welfare Assessment

Quality of Life- The Five Freedoms Need for suitable diet Need for suitable environment Need to be able to exhibit normal behaviour patterns Need to be housed, with or apart from, other animals Need to be protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease

Confidence and ability to cope with uncertainty (tolerance to stress) The take home message here is that the tip of the pyramid can only occur when the lower levels are present Problem solving (learning) Confidence and ability to cope with uncertainty (tolerance to stress) Affiliative behaviour and social inclusion (belonging) Security of self, resources and significant others (free from fear) The ‘Hierarchy of Dog Needs’ clearly illustrates the essential requirements that must be met to ensure that dogs are able to lead healthy, happy and fulfilled lives. Until recently the focus has been primarily on meeting dogs’ biological needs, but these are only the foundation of good caregiving. There’s now abundant evidence through scientific research studies that dogs’ emotional, mental and social needs are no different to ours, and that a lack of attention to any of these vital areas has a major impact on wellbeing, welfare and behaviour. Force-free methods have been proven to be far more effective than the old (and scientifically disproved) force/dominance methods, because these encourage and build trust, cooperation and enduring affection between us and our dogs. Trust, understanding, the ability to observe and listen, and clear communication are the four cornerstones for life-enhancing relationships. The Hierarchy of Dog Needs is a wonderfully simple guide that shows how we can achieve the best for (and from) our canine companions.                      Problem solving – realisation of full cognitive potential                      Confidence and ability to cope with uncertainty – resilience                     Affiliative behaviour and social inclusion – social networks                      Security of self, resources and significant others – safety                        Metabolic stability and optimisation – physiology As the lower-level needs are increasingly met, the higher-level needs become increasingly important. Thus if an animal’s physiological needs are being met, the need for safety and security is more pressing, so it can be expected that the animal will become less willing to take high risks to obtain its food and so on. All of the needs depend on the acquisition of information in order to be met efficiently, but the type of information changes with ascending levels. For humans - Maslow’s with wifi as bottom tier!! Hehehe… Metabolic stability and optimism (hunger, thirst, maintaining body temperature)

Priorities Safety (human and dog) Welfare Will these have an impact on safety and/or welfare? Dog showing aggression? Self mutilation, compulsive behaviour Health concerns

Staff safety- why is it important? If staff or volunteers get bitten they may be off sick or reluctant to return You could be considered responsible for the injury and potentially held accountable This in turn could affect you financially and your reputation as an animal shelter

Minimising Risk Once a dog has been identified as a staff safety risk suitable management protocols need to be put in place This could involve separation of the dog to an area away from the general population Reducing the handlers who deal with this dog Having a Behaviour Modification Programme in place to build trust and a feeling of safety from the dogs point of view.

Records What do we record Why? When? Where? How? Context-specific

What are we assessing for? Type of home Dogs ability to cope with people Dog to dog interactions Ability to cope in kennels? Needs of the individual Health Rehomability Safety Welfare

What do humans want from dogs? Everybody has a different expectation Non-competitive individuals Low impulsivity To be tolerant of environmental change Sociability without dependency To join multispecies households without any signs of aggression So how will they get it? Desirable behaviour requires reinforcement Inconsistency creates problems Safety is paramount We need to accept that owners aren’t going to get what they want if they don’t reinforce appropriately. Far too many animals are living in inconsistent environments that prevent them feeling safe and secure within their homes so they’re unable to learn social complexities and build resilience. If dogs have no concept of safety we can’t expect them to understand what is socially acceptable So how can we best educate owners about reinforcement/learning theory, consistency and establishing safety?

Does age make a difference? Do all dogs have the same needs? What considerations should be made for age? Needs? Practised behaviour? Mobility? Do we need to assess puppies?

Discuss

Records Have a system that works for your shelter Consider ease of use Ease of identification

Options Rehome – protocols Rehab – rehome knowledge Rehab – maintain in kennels finances/space Euthanasia - protocols

Aggression A dog showing aggression is likely to be welfare compromised This may be due to fear This may be due to previous negative experiences with people This may be due to being in pain or discomfort This could be enhanced by the environment Fear of the kennel environment or being housed with unknown dogs is not uncommon but is often missed by staff or volunteers if they haven't the appropriate training in dogs body language and their link to emotional states. Previous negative interactions with people may enhance anxiety due to the possibility of interactions on a daily basis Injury or illness can make a dog more defensive over an area of their body or general handling.