CAM - animals in society

• Kennel and cattery management

  • Facilities designed to cater for a large number of animals
  • Many specialise exclusively for one species
  • Others may board many different types of animals
  • Facilities also differ in purpose
• Rescue shelters


  • Mostly charity funded
  • Take in animals from a range of circumstances - strays or rescue cases
  • Dogs may have physical or behavioural trauma
  • Will often incorporate training and healthcare
• Boarding


  • Temporary accommodation whilst owner is away
  • Run as a business
  • Very competitive
  • Wide range of care and services
  • Includes kennel boarding and home boarding
• Kennel boarding


  • Mix of outdoor and indoor accommodation
  • Often looking after multiple dogs
  • Each dog must have its own kennel unless otherwise specified
• Home boarding


  • Must be primarily housed within the house - not garage or outbuildings
  • Must have own room and be allowed to be separate from other dogs
  • Must be exercised at least once a day
• Working kennels


  • Dogs often kept together rather than separately
  • Lots of exercise
• Legal requirements


  • Suitable environment
  • Suitable diet
  • Able to exhibit normal behavioural patterns
  • Housed with or apart from other species
  • Protected from pain, suffering, injury and disease
• Animal Welfare (2018)


  • All dog kennel boarding activities need a license if operating as a commercial business
  • A business that meets the higher standards will be able to gain a 4 or 5 star rating in the animals activity star rating systems and will qualify for a longer license (2-3 years)
• Licensing


  1. License granted will need to be renewed on an annual basis

  2. Have to accommodate inspections by vets

  3. Any license granted will be subject to conditions - how many dogs or cats you can take in, minor adjustments you must make, the minimum size of kennel
• Staffing


  • Sufficient experience and numbers for dogs kept - 1:25 dogs as a minimum or at a higher standard 1:15 dogs
  • Staff should be trained with development in husbandry, health and behaviour
• Environment


  • All areas/equipment/appliances must present minimal risks of injury, illness and escape
  • The environment should be adequate for behavioural needs, space, air quality and temp, water quality, noise levels, light levels, ventilation
• Toileting


  1. Toileting area and opportunities for toileting must be provided - at least 4 times a day

  2. Kennels must be inspected daily and kept clean

  3. Kennels must be disinfected at least once a week and at occupancy change

  4. Faeces should be removed twice a day
• Monitoring behaviour


  1. Active and effective environmental enrichment

  2. Exercise opportunities

  3. All dogs must be observed regularly throughout the day, with behaviour monitored

  4. Training must be reward based
• Health and wellbeing


  • Precautions taken to prevent spread of disease
  • Must have healthcare plan agreed with a vet
• Emergency procedure


  1. Written emergency plan is required to protect people/animals in case of fire or breakdown of essential systems

  2. Must include plan for evacuating animals

  3. External doors and gates must be lockable

  4. Key holder must be within reasonable distance to the site at all times and available to attended in an emergency

  5. Higher standards - member of staff must be on site at all times
• Kennel design


  • The layout of a kennel/cattery can have an impact on the animals' behaviours
  • Common layouts include - circular, corridor, H block
• Canine husbandry problem behaviour is often undesirable to humans but are usually normal behaviours for the species
• Number one reason for euthanasia in young healthy animals
• Often a reason for relinquishment to rescue centres
• Outdated behaviour theories - status of alpha within pack behaviour


  • Issues with this theory - natural social grouping is based on cooperative family units with little aggression
  • Feral dogs have different social structures to wolves
  • No evidence of fixed hierarchical relationships in dog groups
• Canine aggression


  • Most common problem behaviour
  • May be directed to humans or to other dogs
  • Can have serious consequences
  • Most attacks are from familiar/household dogs, not unfamiliar dogs
• Dog to human aggression

  • Any breed of dog has the potential to bite
  • Bites rarely occur out of the blue
  • Warning signs are either not understood or mechanisms to give signals are impaired
  • Most dogs avoid confrontation
  • When feeling threatened, will engage in appeasement or avoidance behaviour
  • If this fails, the threat does not retreat, the dog will escalate aggression
• Husbandry factors for dog to human aggression

  • Underlying stress and anxiety
  • Ignoring warning signs
  • Neglect, abuse and punishment
  • Inappropriate child-dog interactions
  • Lack of socialisation
• Addressing dog to human aggression

  1. Not simple - consistent positive training requires help from a professional, usually involved in euthanasia

  2. Ask guests not to approach dog

  3. Provide dog with a safe space to move away

  4. Dog may need to wear a muzzle
• Dog to dog aggression

  • Can happen within a home or whilst walking
  • Some dogs are not well suited to multi-dog households
• Husbandry factors for dog to dog aggression

  • Lack of socialisation
  • Previous negative experience causing fear
  • Lack of resources in multi-dog households
  • Active encouragement in status and fighting dogs
• Addressing dog to dog aggression

  1. Pinpoint and avoid trigger of the aggression

  2. Could be fear, territorial, possessive pain related

  3. Neutering

  4. Muzzle
• Resource guarding


  • When a dog controls access to resources - food, toys, people
  • Through defensive body language and active aggression
  • Usually result of item being high value to the dog
• Husbandry factors for resource guarding

  • Health issues which cause hunger
  • Previous experience where food was scarce
  • Feeding dogs together
• Overcoming resource guarding


  1. Feed puppies separately

  2. Small meals more frequently

  3. Clicker training

  4. Feed less attractive food
• Territorial aggression


  • Entering territory may cause barking, but may not cause aggression - this is natural behaviour
  • Problems arise when aggression becomes harmful
  • Usually occurs along house/garden boundaries
  • Dog learns this is an effective way of removing intruders
  • Intended target moves away = success
  • Usually a result of a dog's insecurities
• Husbandry factors for territorial aggression

  • Tethering dogs
  • Active encouragement in guard dogs
  • People greeting dogs at boundaries
• Overcoming territorial aggression


  1. Restrict access to areas guarded by dog

  2. Visitors give treats

  3. DAP diffusers - pheromones that are calming