It is likely that social isolation contributes to reduced welfare for dogs living in animal shelters. One type of intervention that addresses this concern, human interaction, has been demonstrated to improve behavior and reduce physiological measures of stress for dogs awaiting adoption. In this talk, we will discuss research conducted at 11 animal shelters across the United States in which we’ve investigated the impacts of field trips, sleepovers, and weeklong fostering, on shelter dog stress and activity levels, and how these types of programs can be implemented to positively impact the lives of dogs in your shelter.

Presenters: Erica Feuerbacher, PhD, CAAB, BCBA-D; Lisa Gunter, PhD, CBCC-KA

This lecture has also been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association.

Keywords social isolation in dogs, dog sheltering, cortisol in dogs, shelter dog welfare, canine behavior research, shelter dog field trips, shelter dog fostering, shelter dog sleepovers, 2022 ASPCA Maddie's Cornell Shelter Medicine Conference

Maddie's® Insights are monthly webcasts with practical tips based on current research to help pets and people.  

Animal shelters can be stressful for dogs, but human interaction, such as foster caregiving, can improve their experience. In this webcast, Dr. Gunter will discuss multiple studies she and her team have carried out as part of the Arizona State University/Virginia Tech Maddie’s Nationwide Fostering Study in which we studied the effects of field trip and sleepover programs on the welfare of dogs living in shelters. Their initial studies investigated the physiological impacts of these programs, and their published study examined how field trips and sleepovers influenced dogs’ likelihood of adoption and length of stay. They also explored factors related to the performance of these programs. Overall, their findings support the implementation of these programs. Learn how you can use short-term fostering programs to improve the welfare of dogs in your shelter as they await adoption.

Learning objectives:

•  Describe potential stressors that make shelters stressful for dogs

•  Relate how human social interaction can improve the welfare of dogs in the shelter

•  Extrapolate the different activities dogs likely engage in during field trips and sleepovers

•  Discuss the research findings about field trips and sleepovers

•  Differentiate how field trips and sleepovers impact dogs’ proximate and distal welfare

Presenter: Lisa Gunter, PhD, Assistant Professor of Animal Behavior and Welfare, Virginia Tech

This webinar has been pre-approved for 1.0 Certified Animal Welfare Administrator continuing education credits by The Association for Animal Welfare Advancement and by the National Animal Care & Control Association. It has also been submitted for approval for 1 hour of continuing education credit in jurisdictions which recognize RACE approval. Complete the quiz to earn continuing education credit for CAWA, NACA and RACE. RACE CE is available until January 10, 2026.

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keywords  Maddie's Insights, Lisa Gunter, animal foster care, animal welfare, human-animal bond, shelter dog field trips, shelter dog sleepovers, stress in shelter dogs

How do you support a dog who is a wallflower in the shelter? How about a socially awkward dog, or an adrenaline junkie? This course is designed to teach shelter and rescue professionals to identify common behavior problems in shelter dogs and break down barriers for foster homes. Taking on a dog that presents with concerning behaviors can be a daunting task for a foster caregiver, especially a new foster. Training shelter staff and volunteers to assist and support foster dogs during their stay not only empowers foster caregivers to take on more cases, but also increases positive outcomes for dogs that present with behavior concerns. 

This course has been pre-approved for 4.0 continuing education units for trainers in the knowledge area from the Certification Council for Professional Dog Trainers.