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Importance of Vaccinating for Canine Parvovirus: Best Practices for Prevention
| Contributor(s):: Ariel Gorham
This University Honors Thesis combines my cutting edge research on canine parvovirus and how to refine professional practice for optimal prevention. Canine parvovirus is a highly transmissible virus that infects the gastrointestinal tract of dogs and spreads through secretions of infected...
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Does Clicker Training Lead to Faster Acquisition of Behavior for Dog Owners?
| Contributor(s):: Brian J. Burton
Clicker training is a method of dog training that has increased in popularity over the past 20 years (Feng et al., 2017). However, while there has been an increased use of clicker training, studies examining the claims that clicker training leads to faster acquisition of new behavior (Skinner,...
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A Multi-Site Feasibility Assessment of Implementing a Best-Practices Meet-And-Greet Intervention in Animal Shelters in the United States
| Contributor(s):: Alexandra Protopopova, Kelsea M. Brown, Nathaniel J. Hall
Animal shelters must incorporate empirically validated programs to increase life-saving measures; however, altering existing protocols is often a challenge. The current study assessed the feasibility of nine animal shelters within the United States to replicate a validated procedure for...
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What is good grief support? Exploring the actors and actions in social support after traumatic grief
| Contributor(s):: Joanne Cacciatore, Kara Thieleman, Ruth Fretts, Lori Barnes Jackson
Social support seems to enhance wellbeing and health in many populations. Conversely, poor social support and loneliness are a social determinant of poor health outcomes and can adversely affect physical, emotional, and mental well-being. Social support is especially important in traumatic...
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The Influence of Pointing Accuracy in an Object-Choice Task with Domestic Horses (Equus caballus)
| Contributor(s):: Elizabeth A. Krisch
This study evaluated the influence of pointing accuracy and experimenter identity on domestic horse (Equus caballus) behavior in an object-choice task. Results suggest that after receiving inaccurate pointing cues, horses adapt their responses based on their familiarity with an experimenter,...
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Musical Dogs: A Review of the Influence of Auditory Enrichment on Canine Health and Behavior
| Contributor(s):: Abigail M. Lindig, Paul D. McGreevy, Angela J. Crean
Music therapy yields many positive health outcomes in humans, but the effects of music on the health and welfare of nonhuman animals vary greatly with the type of music played, the ethology of the species, and the personality and learning history of individual animals. One context in which...
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Training a New Trick Using No-Reward Markers: Effects on Dogs' Performance and Stress Behaviors
| Contributor(s):: Naomi Rotenberg
This study explored using no-reward markers (NRMs). Dogs were taught a novel trick. In the IG group dogs’ errors were ignored; in the NRM group they elicited a tone. Performance and stress were evaluated. IG dogs reached higher levels of performance, with no difference in the frequency of...
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Philosophy of a "Good Death" in Small Animals and Consequences for Euthanasia in Animal Law and Veterinary Practice
| Contributor(s):: Kirsten Persson, Felicitas Selter, Gerald Neitzke, Peter Kunzmann
Moral stress is a major concern in veterinary practice. Often, it is associated with the challenges in end-of-life situations. Euthanasia, however, is also meant to bring relief to animal patients and their owners. The reasons for the moral strain euthanizing animals causes to professional...
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Maladaptation in feral and domesticated animals
| Contributor(s):: Eben Gering, Darren Incorvaia, Rie Henriksen, Dominic Wright, Thomas Getty
Selection regimes and population structures can be powerfully changed by domestication and feralization, and these changes can modulate animal fitness in both captive and natural environments. In this review, we synthesize recent studies of these two processes and consider their impacts on...
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The Impact of a Canine Assisted Reading Program on a Reluctant Reader's Literacy Learning
| Contributor(s):: Samantha Fitch
This capstone explores the opportunity to provide an alternate reading intervention program to reluctant readers in the comfort of their own home. Canine-assisted reading programs have been implemented in school districts around the country; providing students with a reading partner that will...
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Intra-rater and Inter-rater Reliability of the ASPCA's Behavior Evaluation of Fearful Dogs
| Contributor(s):: Sara Matters
Intra-rater and inter-rater reliability of the ASPCA Behavioral Evaluation of fearful dogs was measured. Raters watched recordings of 12 dogs and rated their behaviors. Ratings were analyzed for reliability within and between all raters. Results indicated that frequency of use of the evaluation...
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Environmental Recovery of Nosocomial Bacteria in a Companion Animal Shelter Before and After Infection Control Procedures
| Contributor(s):: Sara Horsman, Hester Rynhoud, Xiaoyan Zhou, Ricardo J. Soares Magalhães, Justine S. Gibson, Erika Meler
While the effects of cleaning and disinfection practices on the reduction of environmental nosocomial bacteria are well-established in human and large animal veterinary hospitals, how animal movements within animal health care facilities influence environmental bacterial recovery is poorly...
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Picture Perfect Pups: How Do Attributes of Photographs of Dogs in Online Rescue Profiles Affect Adoption Speed?
| Contributor(s):: Mizuho Nakamura, Navneet Dhand, Bethany J. Wilson, Melissa J. Starling, Paul D. McGreevy
To increase the public’s awareness of and exposure to animals needing homes, PetRescue, Australia’s largest online directory of animals in need of adoption, lists all currently available animals from rescue and welfare shelters nationwide. The current study examined the photographs...
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Bonds Beyond Time: Are There Differences In Well-Being, Autonomy, And Bond Between Visually Impaired Individuals With Guide Dogs Versus Pet Dogs?
| Contributor(s):: Nicole Yarmolkevich
Well-being is a broad umbrella term that encompasses an individual’s appraisal of situations and events and their satisfaction with life (Diener, 1994). Research has shown that having a severe disability can negatively impact a person’s sense of well-being. Specifically, research...
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The ethics of emotional support animals in the dental office
| Contributor(s):: American Dental Association Council on Ethics, Bylaws and Judicial Affairs
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A Defense of Free-Roaming Cats from a Hedonist Account of Feline Well-being
| Contributor(s):: C. E. Abbate
There is a widespread belief that for their own safety and for the protection of wildlife, cats should be permanently kept indoors. Against this view, I argue that cat guardians have a duty to provide their feline companions with outdoor access. The argument is based on a sophisticated...
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Tripping Over Pets Can Have Life-Changing Consequences
| Contributor(s):: Harold Herzog
Falls caused by pets can cause serious injuries, especially to the elderly.
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Ride Utah! Resiliency-Building Horse Rides for Military Personnel and Families
| Contributor(s):: Karl H. Hoopes, Makenna Osborne
To introduce and provide equine-related activities to military personnel and their families, Utah State University Equine Extension created and implemented an effective program called Ride Utah! Equine-related activities have been shown to improve mental health and build strong family...
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Impact of a Full Time Facility Dog on a University Campus
| Contributor(s):: Alisa Kim, Amanda Vanni
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Does Having a Pet Make You More Attractive?
| Contributor(s):: Harold Herzog
Research into the surprising connections between pet ownership and sex appeal.
