Evaluation of the use of pheromone collars during transition from foster homes to the JBSA-Lackland training kennel to decrease stress in young military working dogs

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dc.contributor.advisorBarea-Rodriguez, Edwin
dc.contributor.authorBroach, DesireƩ
dc.contributor.committeeMemberWicha, Nicole
dc.contributor.committeeMemberBurghardt, Walter
dc.date.accessioned2024-02-09T19:27:19Z
dc.date.available2024-02-09T19:27:19Z
dc.date.issued2015
dc.descriptionThis item is available only to currently enrolled UTSA students, faculty or staff. To download, navigate to Log In in the top right-hand corner of this screen, then select Log in with my UTSA ID.
dc.description.abstractThe purpose of this double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study was to determine if the use of a pheromone collar was beneficial in reducing the stress of young Military Working Dogs (MWDs) transitioning from foster care into the training kennel at Lackland Air Force Base, Texas. Although the MWD is bred and trained to be robust and resilient, stark changes in environment and lifestyle can be a shock and lead to deleterious physiological and psychological effects, especially in young developing dogs. To evaluate the effect of a pheromone collar on the transition, each MWD that returned from foster between October 2014 and February 2015 had a placebo or treatment collar placed for 4 weeks. Three behavioral assessments and one performance evaluation were conducted and the data was analyzed to determine if the placement of the pheromone collar had any effect on stress-related behavioral factors or performance. The results suggest that there was no reduction of behavioral signs of stress observed between the placebo and treatment groups. The author concluded that the amount of confounding environmental stressors present, and the abrupt transition between private foster homes and a training kennel prove to be too intense for successful alleviation of stress with application of a pheromone collar. Further research should focus on a multi-modal approach to mitigation of stressors.
dc.description.departmentIntegrative Biology
dc.format.extent49 pages
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdf
dc.identifier.isbn9781321734478
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12588/2854
dc.languageen
dc.subjectbelgian malinois
dc.subjectkennel
dc.subjectmilitary working dog
dc.subjectpheromone
dc.subjectstress
dc.subject.classificationBehavioral sciences
dc.subject.classificationBiology
dc.subject.lcshWorking dogs -- Training
dc.subject.lcshWorking dogs -- Psychology
dc.subject.lcshDogs -- War use
dc.subject.lcshPheromones
dc.titleEvaluation of the use of pheromone collars during transition from foster homes to the JBSA-Lackland training kennel to decrease stress in young military working dogs
dc.typeThesis
dc.type.dcmiText
dcterms.accessRightspq_closed
thesis.degree.departmentIntegrative Biology
thesis.degree.grantorUniversity of Texas at San Antonio
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science

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