Sienna Taylor

Hartpury University

Behaviour problems are a leading reason for dogs being relinquished to rescue centres across the world every year. The aim of this study was to investigate whether free behavioural advice would be accepted at the point of an owner requesting to relinquish their dog for behavioural reasons. The call records of 1131 relinquishment requests were revie...

Behavioral problems in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris) increase the likelihood of the dog being rehomed or relinquished to a rescue shelter. Problem behaviors that result in relinquishment include unwanted elimination, destructive behavior and excessive vocalization when owners are absent. Dog Appeasing Pheromone (DAP) is currently marketed via...

Anxiety-related behaviour can have detrimental effects on the welfare of animals and their relationship with humans. Anxiety can be addressed using valerian-based treatments, such as Pet Remedy, which is advertised as a natural stress relief product for mammals. Valerian has been demonstrated to have positive behavioural effects in a range of conte...

Many domestic dogs are kept in rescue and rehoming shelters which are frequently stressful and under-stimulating environments. Dog welfare is often compromised within these environments and there is a need to determine new practical and effective methods of improving the welfare of these kennelled dogs. Olfactory stimulation has been demonstrated t...

Exposure to dog appeasing pheromones (DAP) has been suggested to reduce stress related behaviors in dogs; however, the effects of DAP administered using a portable, rapid use spray has not received as much attention as the plug-in format. The aim of the present study was to determine whether DAP spray reduced stress related behaviors in rescue shel...

Ring-tailed lemurs reside in many animal collections worldwide. Lemur welfare may be a cause of concern due to some captive individuals exhibiting stereotypic behavior. Despite these concerns, there has been little exploration of methods of environmental enrichment for ring-tailed lemurs. Olfactory stimulation can enhance captive animal welfare by...

Simple Summary In this placebo controlled study, we exposed 28 dogs to Pet Remedy (a natural stress relief product) to investigate whether Pet Remedy lowered stress-affected behaviour. No statistically significant differences were found when dogs were exposed to Pet Remedy or the placebo condition. We suggest that Pet Remedy, in this particular stu...

Stress affecting behaviour in companion animals can have an adverse effect on animal health and welfare and their relationships with humans. This stress can be addressed using chemical treatments, often in conjunction with behavioural therapies. Pet Remedy, a natural valerian based stress relief product for mammals is commercially available on th...

Poster Presentation

Poster Presentation by Christopher Hermiston - undergraduate dissertation project.

In the UK large numbers of domestic cats are housed in confined conditions including laboratories, boarding catteries, rescue shelters or home environments. Confinement is stressful and cats may be housed in these conditions from months to years. Methods to reduce stress and enhance the welfare of these animals are therefore a key concern. One impo...