Impact of Human Presence and Visual Access on Barking Behavior in Shelter Dogs

Shelters can be stressful for dogs due to lack of predictability and control, social isolation, and busy environments. Providing dogs with more social opportunities and environmental predictability may improve their welfare. Barking may indicate stress and contribute to noise levels that are harmful to dogs and people. We investigated the impact of human presence and line of sight on barking. We manipulated line of sight by partially removing a crate barrier to allow the dogs visual access to other dogs and a better view of the room. We collected data on barking on 17 focal dogs as well as overall barking in the room during pre-treatment (no visual access), treatment (visual access), and post-treatment (no visual access) and noted if a person other than the observer was in the room. We found that in-room barking was significantly higher when a person was in the room (Wilcoxon Signed Ranks Test, Z= -4.048, p \u3c .001). Based on these results, shelters should consider limiting the human activity in the room to reduce noise levels. Since barking did not significantly increase with the addition of visual access, shelters may also consider providing the dogs visual access as a way to allow beneficial social interaction

In-site: A New Realism - WWU Art Studio 2020 Catalog

In-site: A New Realism is the 2020 Western Washington University Art Studio BFA Exhibition Catalog. It features the work of 10 artists, their artist statements, and responses by art historians.https://cedar.wwu.edu/bfa_catalogs/1001/thumbnail.jp

Five Years - Screen Print on Digital Inkjet Print 48” by 30”

As an individual born in the ‘90s , I feel nostalgic for a time period that I have only experienced through LIFE magazines. While the ‘60s was a time shaped by war, sexism, alcoholism, and poverty, the advertisements in LIFE portrayed an unattainable perfection,. In my current body of work, I am interested in appropriating advertisement imagery to investigate the dichotomy between reality and perceived perfection within themes of addiction and recovery. I am using digital prints of scanned and collaged ‘60s imagery as a background for my silk-screened elements, which have been inspired by LIFE magazines advertisements. Each layered print is paired with a collage to emulate a magazine spread. A scale weighed down by alcohol explores the narrative of addiction, while a dead bird lies torn alongside a glistening cube of ice. This diptych represents the fine line between pleasure and destruction. Another pair shows the text “SIMPLE RIGHT” repeated on top of glasses filled to the brim, and a collage of a woman whispering layered with scenes of war, reflecting the fear and misunderstanding around alcohol. I aim to abstract the truths I have been taught about addiction and question them in the form of a propagandistic advertisement spread.https://cedar.wwu.edu/bfa_images_2020/1014/thumbnail.jp

Nuclear Family - Screen Print on Digital Inkjet Print 48” by 30”

As an individual born in the ‘90s , I feel nostalgic for a time period that I have only experienced through LIFE magazines. While the ‘60s was a time shaped by war, sexism, alcoholism, and poverty, the advertisements in LIFE portrayed an unattainable perfection,. In my current body of work, I am interested in appropriating advertisement imagery to investigate the dichotomy between reality and perceived perfection within themes of addiction and recovery. I am using digital prints of scanned and collaged ‘60s imagery as a background for my silk-screened elements, which have been inspired by LIFE magazines advertisements. Each layered print is paired with a collage to emulate a magazine spread. A scale weighed down by alcohol explores the narrative of addiction, while a dead bird lies torn alongside a glistening cube of ice. This diptych represents the fine line between pleasure and destruction. Another pair shows the text “SIMPLE RIGHT” repeated on top of glasses filled to the brim, and a collage of a woman whispering layered with scenes of war, reflecting the fear and misunderstanding around alcohol. I aim to abstract the truths I have been taught about addiction and question them in the form of a propagandistic advertisement spread.https://cedar.wwu.edu/bfa_images_2020/1012/thumbnail.jp

Impact of Visual Barrier Removal on the Behavior of Shelter-Housed Dogs

With millions of dogs housed in shelters each year, it is important to consider how the shelter environment impacts welfare. Social isolation and a lack of control over the environment can negatively impact wellbeing. However, providing social opportunities requires costly resources and can raise concerns about increased barking. In this study, 17 dogs were observed before, during, and after a visual barrier was partially removed to increase the ability to see to other dogs and the surrounding room. Stress behaviors, crate position, and resting behaviors did not differ significantly across phases; however, vocalizations were lower in the visual access and post phases (Friedman’s test, p = .02). In addition, in-room barking data (N = 66) revealed no change in barking duration when barriers were removed. This absence of an increase in vocalizations should alleviate some concerns with allowing visual social contact. However, the lack of impact on stress and resting behaviors may indicate that visual social contact alone is insufficient for providing significant welfare benefits and that shelters should prioritize increasing social contact through playgroups or group housing