Effect of cooperative care training on physiological parameters and compliance in dogs undergoing a veterinary examination – A pilot study

• Published in: Applied animal behaviour science 2022-05, Vol.250, p.105615, Article 105615
• Main Authors: Wess, Lukas, Böhm, Astrid, Schützinger, Miriam, Riemer, Stefanie, Yee, Jason R., Affenzeller, Nadja, Arhant, Christine
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animal behavior; Animal welfare; compliance; Dogs/canine; fearfulness; Heart rate; Heart rate variability; Husbandry training; Low stress handling; temperature; Tympanic membrane temperature
• ISSN: 0168-1591; 1872-9045
• DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105615

One way to reduce fear and lack of compliance during veterinary procedures is ‘cooperative care training’, training animals to voluntarily participate in husbandry and medical care. Here we assessed the effects of cooperative care training on heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV), tympanic membrane temperature (TMT) and compliance (i.e., all steps of the examination completed) of dogs during a veterinary examination. A blinded controlled trial with 47 dogs (training group (TG): 26; control group (CG): 21) was carried out. Forty dogs completed the study (TG: 22, CG:18). Dogs and their owners took part in a standardized veterinary visit twice (visit interval: 140 ± 23 days). In between, the TG took part in cooperative care training (10 ± 2 group training sessions, additional training at home). Linear mixed models were calculated (fixed effects HR/HRV: group* visit* period, TMT: group* visit; random effect: dogID). Compliance (completed steps of exam) was analyzed using McNemar tests. HR/HRV was higher/lower during the veterinary examination compared to the waiting room (period: p