Companion Animal Welfare and Dog Welfare Science Progress

Canine welfare science has made significant progress in understanding positive welfare, emotions, and the human-dog bond in recent years.

Key Facts

Oxytocin is released in both dogs and humans during positive interaction, confirming mutual emotional bonding
Dog play behaviour correlates reliably with positive welfare states and low stress
Cognitive bias tests demonstrate that dogs in positive environments make more optimistic choices
Canine welfare assessment frameworks have been developed and validated for shelter and home environments
Citizen science dog welfare studies are expanding the evidence base through thousands of dog-owner pairs

Welfare Considerations

Canine welfare science is producing actionable insights that improve dog lives. Engaging with this science - as researchers, advocates, or informed owners - advances welfare for all dogs.

What You Can Do

Stay informed about advances in canine welfare science through reputable sources
Participate in citizen science dog welfare studies
Apply welfare science insights in your dog care and advocacy