Читать книгу Animal Behavior for Shelter Veterinarians and Staff - Группа авторов - Страница 37

Numerous studies find that the mere presence of a human can buffer a dog’s stress response to the innate challenges of the shelter environment, yet differences between dogs are also observed (Hennessy et al. 2020). Owner‐relinquished dogs—who may be separated from a figure of attachment and lose social stability and predictability—may be particularly challenged; while petting interactions as short as 15 minutes have the potential to reduce physiological stress levels, this reduction was observed in strays, not owner‐relinquished dogs (Willen et al. 2017). Additionally, peoples’ individual characteristics as well as the nature of the interaction can affect dogs. Some studies find that dogs show more comfort with people who are identified as women than men. Hennessy et al. (1998) found that when men spoke more quietly and petted in a more soothing way, men were as effective as women in maintaining lower dog stress levels. All dog lovers entering shelters should remember that each dog has his own past experiences and may perceive new people as unfamiliar or be wary of their personal characteristics. Considering how physical contact may be interpreted by the dog, allowing dogs to initiate contact and prioritizing consent (Horowitz 2021) as well as modulating one’s voice and avoiding direct eye contact can help support dogs in shelters.