Weeklong Fostering and Co-housing

Human-animal interaction, such as a stay in a caregiver’s home for a few days, has been shown to reduce dogs’ cortisol levels and increase their rest. What is not well understood, though, is if longer durations of foster care could extend those benefits. In addition, co-housing in the animal shelter has been studied even less, but previous research suggest that dogs’ behavior can be improved through living with another dog. In this webinar, Dr. Lisa Gunter will present findings from her recently published study about weeklong fostering and co-housing, place these results in context with the team's previous work investigating various durations of fostering, and discuss the implications of these findings for how shelters utilize foster care and co-housing in the animal shelter. Presented by:

Lisa M. Gunter, PhD, CAAB, CBCC-KA

Assistant Professor, Animal Behavior & Welfare

Virginia Tech | School of Animal Sciences