Finding a ‘shidduch’ for dogs in shelters can reduce their stress and make them more adoptable 

Living with roommates is never an ideal situation. Still, researchers at the Virginia Polytechnic Institute have found that homeless and ownerless dogs in shelters are much less anxious and adopted to live in a forever home faster if kept with another canine, which has been well-matched. 

The study, led by Prof. Erica Feuerbacher of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences’ School of Animal Sciences, revealed the major benefits of sheltering dogs in suitable pairs rather than housed alone. 

“Despite being a social species, dogs are often housed alone in shelters to reduce disease transmission and possible injury from inter-dog conflict. But this social isolation can work against dogs’ behavioral health and adoptability,” Feuerbacher said. “We wanted to examine whether pair housing could be a useful intervention for improving shelter dogs’ welfare.”

Nearly four million dogs enter shelters In the US alone in a single year, according to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. The study’s findings offer one possible solution for animal shelters struggling with limited space and long waits for dogs needing adoption. 

Published in the open-access research journal PLOS under the title “Effects of single- or pair-housing on the welfare of shelter dogs: Behavioral and physiological indicators,” the study is the first to examine how shelter dogs fare in cohousing versus solitary housing. 

Previous studies of the benefits of cohousing dogs focused on lab beagles and veterinary school dogs that were housed long-term for more than six months in kennels for teaching and research purposes. Results from laboratory dogs that have been purpose-bred and have had stable social systems in the kennels might not pertain to shelter dogs, for which the shelter might be a novel environment and very different from their prior living conditions.  Shelter dogs spend about 35 days waiting to be adopted and are frequently accustomed to social interaction before they arrive.

Dogs at a Montana animal rescue were observed before finding their perfect match

The study followed 61 canines at the Humane Society of Western Montana for a week. Researchers put half of the dogs in cohousing with partners who were matched through a brief introduction and compatibility test while others were kenneled alone. They also assessed the dogs’ dog-dog skills on a standardized test at enrollment and again for any dogs that stayed for two weeks or more  and measured their length of stay.

Researchers observed the dogs throughout the week, recording common stress behaviors, including lip-licking, whining, and pulling back their ears, and took daily samples of the dogs’ urinary cortisol and creatinine to measure biological indicators of stress.

“Dogs housed in shelters can face chronic levels of stress due to noise, confined kennel spaces, and limited access to social interaction,” Feuerbacher said. “This can reduce their overall well-being and their adaptability.” Dogs housed together showed fewer stress behaviors and were adopted, on average, four days sooner than single-housed dogs.

Feuerbacher hopes the study’s results will encourage animal shelters to match dogs with suitable “roommates” to reduce their stress and show them at their best to potential adopters.

“Many potential adopters might already have a dog or would like to engage in social activities with their dog,” Feuerbacher said. “Showing that a dog can successfully interact with other dogs might highlight those dogs as good matches – leading to more successful adoptions.”