PROFILE OF STUDIES ON THE WELFARE OF DOGS: A SYSTEMATIC REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE
Abstract
This systematic review of the literature investigates the characteristics of studies related to the welfare of dogs. A survey of the literature data was carried out using PRISMA criteria. It searched for scientific articles published in the electronic database PubMed between 1990 and 2021, in English or Portuguese, that offered free electronic access. We searched for the following descriptor terms: apartment dogs, confined dogs, dog welfare, dog well-being, free-ranging dogs, household confined dogs, indoor dogs, movement restrictions of dogs, roaming owned dogs, sheltered dogs, and spatial restriction of dogs. Using the PICO strategy included 4 components: studies on dogs (population); welfare assessment (intervention); studies that used positive behavior measures, such as interaction and behavioral responses, to assess dog welfare (comparator); peculiarities of studies referring to the welfare condition of dogs (result). In total, 44 articles published on PubMed were reviewed. Studies related to dog behavioral assessment comprising 50% of those reviewed. The studied population involved 85,492 animals, of which 75% belonged to the following categories: domiciled; free-ranging; and shelter. The descriptor term most cited in the articles was roaming owned dogs. We conclude that the behavioral assessment of dog welfare is fundamental to improving the relationship between humans and dogs and preventing abandonment.
Keywords
References
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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5380/avs.v29i1.92228
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