The domestication syndrome: why some dogs might not get adopted

Abstract

Domestication is the process of selective breeding of a species to alter the biobehavioral profile of that species. A hypothesized set of characteristics is said to be the result of domestication and is thus referred to as "the domestication syndrome." While the cause of this hypothesized "syndrome" is not understood, dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) are said to exhibit all the traits resulting from the domestication syndrome. To test if the number of characteristics described in the domestication syndrome a dog possesses correlates with time spent in a dog shelter, data was attempted to be collected from various dog shelters in the Hudson Valley Region, NY. The lack of response, probably due to overcrowding in shelters and overworked staff, resulted in little data collected to test the original hypothesis. Rather, the implications of this research were examined. Life in dog shelters is stressful for the animal, and enrichment may lessen this stress, thus providing positive behaviors that potential adopters are looking for. The dogs' comfort in a shelter should be a priority, and enrichment activities can improve the welfare of these animals. Keywords: Biology, domestication, Canis lupus familiaris, shelter, adoption, breeding, reform, enrichment Author's Note: Originally, the length and content of the document were going to resemble a scientific journal, after the lack of data collection was possible, implications of the original study question were explored, elongating the document and altering the content.