On this page you can find a list of studies used as supporting evidence for the Canine Enrichment Program; separated into relevant sections.
If you have an interesting study that would be a good addition to the list, or if you have come here through a link. but cannot find the study you are looking for, please let me know.
Well done for making it this far! If you read any of these you truly are doing Dog’s work. …Most of this stuff applies to us too.
Relationship Enrichment & Training
Owner-companion dog interactions: Relationships between demographic variables, potentially problematic behaviours, training engagement and shared activities:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159106000736Behaviour of smaller and larger dogs: Effects of training methods, inconsistency of owner behaviour and level of engagement in activities with the dog:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159110000262
Cognitive Enrichment & Welfare
The challenge of challenge: Can problem solving opportunities enhance animal welfare?:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159106001985Cognitive Enrichment and Welfare: Current Approaches and Future Directions:
https://www.animalbehaviorandcognition.org/uploads/journals/14/AB&C_2017_Vol3(1)_Clark.pdfEnvironmental Challenge and Animal Agency:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=TMR0Ea3d1KEC&oi=fnd&pg=PA27&ots=0xK4t4hMqN&sig=DmuwDSg-Jt2y-3c8S5s_zdprYmc&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false
Benefits of Cognitive Enrichment
Environmental enrichment as a method to improve cognitive function. What can we learn from animal models?:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1053811915010617Effects of Physical Exercise on Cognitive Functioning and Wellbeing: Biological and Psychological Benefits
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2018.00509/fullEmerging role of the brain in the homeostatic regulation of energy and glucose metabolism:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4892882/Introducing Clicker Training as a Cognitive Enrichment for Laboratory Mice:
https://www.jove.com/t/55415/introducing-clicker-training-as-cognitive-enrichment-for-laboratoryEffect of cognitive enrichment on behavior, mucosal immunity and upper respiratory disease of shelter cats rated as frustrated on arrival:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0167587716302173Neuroplasticity-related correlates of environmental enrichment combined with physical activity differ between the sexes:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0924977X18319680The Brain, Homeostasis, and Health: Balancing Demands of the Internal and External Milieu:
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/232567887_The_Brain_Homeostasis_and_Health_Balancing_Demands_of_the_Internal_and_External_MilieuWhat is brain health and why is it important?:
https://www.bmj.com/content/371/bmj.m3683Effects of Mental Activity on Health:
https://healthengine.com.au/info/effects-of-mental-activity-on-healthAcute Effects of Mental Activity on Response of Serum BDNF and IGF-1 Levels in Elite and Novice Chess Players:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6572672/Novelty speeds up learning thanks to dopamine activation:
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2020/02/200205132255.htmHigh-Tech and Tactile: Cognitive Enrichment for Zoo-Housed Gorillas:
https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2019.01574/full
Abnormal, Repetitive Behaviours (ARBs) & Stereotypies
A decade or more’s progress in understanding stereotypic behaviour:
https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=v3LgDwAAQBAJ&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&dq=species+typical+behaviour+and+welfare&ots=TBBdZLKiiW&sig=wLWjRTx_ttaVbdx3ehwOuxkH3QY#v=onepage&q=species%20typical%20behaviour%20and%20welfare&f=falseAssessing the Importance of Natural Behavior for Animal Welfare:
https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-005-4493-7Naturalness and Animal Welfare:
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/8/4/53Contrafreeloading in maned wolves: Implications for their management and welfare:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159112001426Factors influencing the prevalence of stereotypical behaviour in captive cheetahs (Acinonyx jubatus):
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159112002729Abnormal behaviours, stereotypies and temperament:
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1258/002367704323146110#:~:text=Stereotypies%20observed%20in%20kennelled%20dogs,barking%20(see%20Hubrecht%20et%20al.Repetitive behaviour in kennelled domestic dog: Stereotypical or not?:
https://swinnercircle.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Research-article-Repetitive-behaviour-in-kennelled-domestic-dog-Stereotypical-or-not-2014-copy.pdfAbnormal and Steroetypic Behaviour in captive animals:
https://jaspertapen.wordpress.com/2014/10/14/abnormal-and-stereotypic-behaviour-in-captive-animals/Clinical management of stereotypies in dogs:
http://www.joeldehasse.com/articles/a-english/stereotypies.htmlAbnormal Repetitive Behaviors in Dogs and Cats: A Guide for Practitioners:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/sdfe/pdf/download/eid/1-s2.0-S0195561614000126/first-page-pdfBehavioral Problems of Dogs: Abnormal Behaviours:
https://www.msdvetmanual.com/behavior/normal-social-behavior-and-behavioral-problems-of-domestic-animals/behavioral-problems-of-dogs
Food Enrichment
Raw beef bones as chewing items to reduce dental calculus in Beagle dogs:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26814157/Effects of autoclaving on compressive strength of bovine bones and their use as chewing agents for dogs:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/34189414/Effect of chewing rawhide and cereal biscuit on removal of dental calculus in dogs:
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2384322/Evaluation of teeth injuries in Beagle dogs caused by autoclaved beef bones used as a chewing item to remove dental calculus:
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0228146The Effect of Feeding Enrichment upon Reported Working Ability and Behavior of Kenneled Working Dogs:
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/j.1556-4029.2008.00879.xRecommending raw bones in the veterinary practice (Article):
https://ivcjournal.com/raw-bones/RSPCA: All about bones and your dog:
https://www.rspcapetinsurance.org.au/pet-care/pet-ownership/all-about-bones-and-your-dogChewing reduces sympathetic nervous response to stress and prevents poststress arrhythmias in rats:
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpheart.01224.2010Influence of chewing time on salivary stress markers:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1883195813001333The importance of food presentation for animal welfare and conservation:
https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/proceedings-of-the-nutrition-society/article/importance-of-food-presentation-for-animal-welfare-and-conservation/10F4AEF24C35E8F17BCB6EF187E128BFChewing behaviour in dogs – A survey-based exploratory study:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159121001593Raw Meaty Bones (Further Health Complications resulting from poor Oral Hygiene, Gary Beard):
https://books.google.co.uk/books?id=q5Id14znB98C&pg=PA1994&lpg=PA1994&dq=gary+beard+dog+study+alabama+1991&source=bl&ots=9fgNfw8jw4&sig=ACfU3U2mYohZYyXWt4QMLKI482hZNhVb8g&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwjh_a2BiZLzAhWzAGMBHWXhDV4Q6AF6BAgcEAM#v=onepage&q=gary%20beard%20dog%20study%20alabama%201991&f=falseHoney’s Dog Food Bone-Picking Guide (Consumer Advice Article):
https://honeysrealdogfood.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Honeys-Bone-Guide.pdf