January 2016 webcast
Dr. Sheila D'Arpino, Director of Research, Maddie's Fund.
Are dogs in shelters developing health and behavior problems because of stress? And does that make adoption more difficult and less likely for those pets? Certified veterinary behavior specialist Dr. Sheila D'Arpino has worked with shelter dogs since the 1990s, and seen the harmful effects of stress on sheltered dogs. Through her work at UC Davis, the Center for Shelter Dogs/Animal Rescue League of Boston, Maddie's Fund® and others, she’s developed strategies to recognize those effects both in individual dogs and in the whole shelter population – yes, it happens!
Viewers of this webcast will learn:
- The difference between adaptive and maladaptive stress
- To differentiate acute, episodic and chronic stress
- The definition and meaning of stress
- How a pet’s personality influences intensity of reaction to stressors, recovery from stress, and behavioral response to stress
- Factors that cause stress in a shelter
- The role of stress and welfare on health, disease and well-being in shelter and rescue dogs
- How to clearly identify and characterize stress and poor welfare in dogs
- The impact of stress on a dog’s likelihood of adoption.
