Center For Shelter Dogs
research
Validated Screening and Evaluating of Dog Behavior
Our goal is to place all adoptable dogs that come to the Animal Rescue League of Boston into homes that are suitable for both the dog and the owner. In order to make this happen, we must develop tests that will accurately report the animals’ behavior traits. Currently, there is no behavior test being used in shelters which has been shown to be highly predictive of personality; most shelters use a test which they developed on their own, or a test developed by another shelter. Accurate identification of behavior traits and personality will allow shelter staff to identify dogs in need of training and/or behavioral rehabilitation, and will help the staff to find the dogs a permanent home. Many factors are involved in these tests and we must know whether or not they are testing for the traits that we intend for them to test.
All dogs admitted to ARL of Boston shelters receive the MATCH-UP (Marder-ARL-Test-for Canine Homing using Understanding and Predictability) behavioral evaluation, which Dr. Marder and her staff developed. We use this 15-step test to learn about each dog’s general behavior traits, their likes and dislikes, and their sensitivities. Our test helps us to decide on the most appropriate home for each dog.
How Does the Stress of Homelessness and Adoption Affect Dog Behavior?
When animals are surrendered to a shelter, their lives change considerably. Typically, upon entering a shelter, a surrendered dog goes through many physiological and behavioral changes. Most dogs are not adapted to living in a shelter environment and therefore some may become stressed because they are losing familiar sights, sounds, people, smells, and routines. It takes varied amounts of time for a dog to adjust to shelter life and even then the animal is not behaving as it would in a stable home environment. The time-table of both physiological and behavioral changes in the dog has not been completely described. We will attempt to describe this time-table so that we can: 1. alleviate the stress induced by the shelter 2. determine how the shelter environment affects the outcome of the temperament tests and 3. make better predictions about how the dog will behave once in the adopted home.
Resolution and Rehabilitation of Dog Behavior Problems
Using the tests discussed, we will improve our ability to identify dogs with special behavioral needs. Once these dogs are identified, a part of our research will focus on rehabilitation and treatment. Some questions that will be asked include: 
- What types of rehabilitation are best for each behavioral need?
- How do rehabilitated animals behave in their new homes?
- Are the animals that initially get evaluated as behaviorally challenged returned to the shelter more often than animals that were not classified as having a behavioral problem?
As behavior problems are one of the most common reasons that people abandon their animals, the staff of the Center for Shelter Dogs hopes to develop streamlined methods to match animals with the appropriate owner. We will then teach those owners preventative training techniques to decrease and extinguish unwanted behaviors in their pet.
Long-term Follow-up Programs to Validate Assessments Made in the Shelter and Smooth the Transition to an Adoptive Home
The CSD will utilize follow-up programs to determine whether our evaluations and questionnaires accurately predict the personality of the dog in the home environment. This labor-intensive process will allow us to evaluate whether or not the intake history and evaluations used during their stay in the shelter really predict the actual temperament and personality of the dog in the home environment (i.e. are reliable). We hope to eventually develop a validated test for the screening and evaluation of behavior traits in the dogs entering our shelter and shelters around the world.
Also, through regular contact with the adopter, we can assess how the dog is working out in the new home. If there are indications of behavioral problems, we will be able to refer them to our behaviorists for consultation and treatment.
