Using a Canine Using a Canine Companion Training Companion Training

Curriculum to Reduce Curriculum to Reduce Return Rates in a No-Return Rates in a No-

Kill Animal Shelter Kill Animal Shelter EnvironmentEnvironment

Lisa R. McCluskeyLisa R. McCluskey, Alexandra Tellier, , Alexandra Tellier,

Elizabeth L. Fay, Jeffrey J. Klunk and Elizabeth L. Fay, Jeffrey J. Klunk and Kevin SmallKevin Small

IntroductionIntroduction

The The originaloriginal idea for this work was attending Sue idea for this work was attending Sue Sternberg’s 2011 APDT talk regarding dog trainers Sternberg’s 2011 APDT talk regarding dog trainers volunteering in sheltersvolunteering in shelters

Wanted to quantify the effect of instituting a training Wanted to quantify the effect of instituting a training program at a shelter (and hopefully influence facility program at a shelter (and hopefully influence facility policies/culture)policies/culture)

One important goal of animal shelters is reducing the One important goal of animal shelters is reducing the return rates – both for tangible (e.g., space) and intangible return rates – both for tangible (e.g., space) and intangible (e.g., heart warming stories, community philanthropy) (e.g., heart warming stories, community philanthropy) reasonsreasons

Preventing returns is particularly pertinent in Preventing returns is particularly pertinent in no-killno-kill shelter shelter environments as space tends to be highly constrainedenvironments as space tends to be highly constrained

Specific AimsSpecific Aims

The The aimaim of this study is to measure the association of this study is to measure the association between dog training and return rates in a no-kill between dog training and return rates in a no-kill sheltershelter

Odds RatioOdds Ratio – What are the odds of a successfully adopted dog – What are the odds of a successfully adopted dog having received training relative to the odds of a returned dog having received training relative to the odds of a returned dog having received training?having received training?

Risk RatioRisk Ratio – What is the probability that a dog receiving no – What is the probability that a dog receiving no training will be returned relative to a dog that has received training will be returned relative to a dog that has received training?training?

Survival FunctionSurvival Function – How long would you expect a dog from a – How long would you expect a dog from a specific population to stay adopted?specific population to stay adopted?

Proportional Hazards RatioProportional Hazards Ratio – How long would you expect a dog – How long would you expect a dog with a specific property value (e.g., breed) to remain adopted with a specific property value (e.g., breed) to remain adopted relative to other dogs with a different value for that property? relative to other dogs with a different value for that property?

Study ParametersStudy Parameters

PopulationPopulation – Dogs admitted to WARL before 7/31/12 and – Dogs admitted to WARL before 7/31/12 and adopted between the dates of 10/26/11 and 7/31/12 adopted between the dates of 10/26/11 and 7/31/12

ExposureExposure – Dog training; did the dog attend at least – Dog training; did the dog attend at least one training class before or after it was adopted?one training class before or after it was adopted?

ControlControl – Dogs that received no training from the – Dogs that received no training from the programprogram

OutcomeOutcome – Did the dog get returned or not? – Did the dog get returned or not?

Censored Data Censored Data – Any dog with an unknown intake date, – Any dog with an unknown intake date, adoption date, gender, intake type, intake age, or adoption date, gender, intake type, intake age, or breed was excluded from the study (missing at breed was excluded from the study (missing at random).random).

Worcester Animal Rescue Worcester Animal Rescue League (WARL)League (WARL)

100 year-old100 year-old No-killNo-kill Non-profitNon-profit 88% of intake are 88% of intake are

straysstrays

Wards at WARLWards at WARL AAdoption Paviliondoption Pavilion BBoarding for the Publicoarding for the Public CCity Poundity Pound

Boarding also used for Boarding also used for “emergency” housing “emergency” housing

PetPoint Animal PetPoint Animal Management System Management System (software)(software)

Animal Rescue League of Animal Rescue League of Boston Behavioral Boston Behavioral AssessmentAssessment

Canine Companion Canine Companion Training Curriculum Training Curriculum

(CCTC)(CCTC) Credentialed dog training and behavior Credentialed dog training and behavior

specialistspecialist

Two free, one hour sessions per weekTwo free, one hour sessions per week

Group training, on-site, drop-inGroup training, on-site, drop-in

Canine Training Curriculum:Canine Training Curriculum: Basic MannersBasic Manners Intermediate TricksIntermediate Tricks Rally Working Trials (RWT)Rally Working Trials (RWT) AKC CGC SkillsAKC CGC Skills

Training Class Practice Training Class Practice SessionSession

Population Breed Population Breed CharacteristicsCharacteristics

WARL classes tend to WARL classes tend to attract larger dogs; attract larger dogs; particularly bully and particularly bully and guarding breedsguarding breeds

Breed Family

Examples

Bully/Guarding Amer. Bulldog/Pit Bull Terrier

Ratters Dachshund, Rat Terrier

Terriers Cairn, Schnauzer, Scottie

Sm. Hunt/Retrieve

Cocker Spaniel, Mini Poodle

Sm. Companion

Bichon, Boston Terrier, Pug

Herding Sheltie, Corgi, Border Collie

Ancient Spitz Samoyed, Husky, Shiba Inu

Scenthounds Beagle, Bassett, Coonhound

Lg. Hunt/Retrieve

Labrador, Golden, Pointer

Sighthounds Greyhound, Whippet, Afghan

Large Working Rottweiler, Doberman, GSD

Age/Gender Age/Gender CharacteristicsCharacteristics

Very little difference in age of dogs (at intake) between Very little difference in age of dogs (at intake) between dogs that {attended, didn’t attend} classes; shelter dogs that {attended, didn’t attend} classes; shelter tends to take in adult dogstends to take in adult dogs

Classes tend to skew toward male dogs; shelter is near Classes tend to skew toward male dogs; shelter is near 50/50 overall50/50 overall

(Nested) Case-Control (Nested) Case-Control StudyStudy

Cases are dogs that have been returnedCases are dogs that have been returned

Controls are dogs that have not been returnedControls are dogs that have not been returned

Returned dogs are 3.17 times less likely to have Returned dogs are 3.17 times less likely to have attended trainingattended training

Dogs that have attended training are 2.63 times Dogs that have attended training are 2.63 times more likely to stay in their adoptive homemore likely to stay in their adoptive home

Returned Not Returned

Odds Ratio Risk Ratio

Training 2 563.17 2.63No Training 19 168

Matching by BreedMatching by Breed

Cases are dogs that have been returnedCases are dogs that have been returned

Controls are dogs of same breed as cases, but have not Controls are dogs of same breed as cases, but have not been returnedbeen returned

Returned dogs are 2.81 times less likely to have Returned dogs are 2.81 times less likely to have attended training than a dog of the same breedattended training than a dog of the same breed

Dogs that have attended training are 2.40 times more Dogs that have attended training are 2.40 times more likely to stay in their adoptive home than a untrained likely to stay in their adoptive home than a untrained dog of the same breeddog of the same breed

Returned Not Returned

Odds Ratio Risk Ratio

Training 2 482.81 2.40No Training 19 162

Case-Cohort StudyCase-Cohort Study

Cases are dogs that have been returnedCases are dogs that have been returned

Controls are dogs that have not been returned who were Controls are dogs that have not been returned who were adopted within one week of a corresponding caseadopted within one week of a corresponding case

Returned dogs are 3.36 times less likely to have attended Returned dogs are 3.36 times less likely to have attended training than untrained dogs adopted at the same timetraining than untrained dogs adopted at the same time

Dogs that have attended training are 2.69 times more Dogs that have attended training are 2.69 times more likely to stay in their adoptive home than an untrained dog likely to stay in their adoptive home than an untrained dog adopted at the same timeadopted at the same time

Returned Not Returned

Odds Ratio Risk Ratio

Training 2 403.36 2.69No Training 19 116

Survival Analysis Survival Analysis (Kaplan/Meier)(Kaplan/Meier)

What is the probability that a dog remains What is the probability that a dog remains adopted for a specified number of days?adopted for a specified number of days?

120 183 240

0.29

0.14

Weibull estimate for right-censored data

Cox Proportional Hazards Cox Proportional Hazards RegressionRegression

Explores the relationship between time in adoptive Explores the relationship between time in adoptive home and several explanatory variables home and several explanatory variables simultaneouslysimultaneously

A hazard function is the probability that an individual A hazard function is the probability that an individual will experience an specified event (e.g. being will experience an specified event (e.g. being returned) within a small interval of timereturned) within a small interval of time

Note that we are not estimating the baseline hazard Note that we are not estimating the baseline hazard function, but the increase in hazard by possessing function, but the increase in hazard by possessing specific propertiesspecific properties

For our study, baseline hazard is for an untrained, For our study, baseline hazard is for an untrained, female, adult (at admission), bully/guarding dog female, adult (at admission), bully/guarding dog

Cox Model ResultsCox Model Results

Baseline is untrained, adult, bully/guarding, Baseline is untrained, adult, bully/guarding, female dogfemale dog

Dogs who receive training are 3.11 times less Dogs who receive training are 3.11 times less likely to be returned for a given time period likely to be returned for a given time period

Covariate Coefficient

exp(-Coef)

p-Value

Received Training

-1.135 3.110 < 0.001

Age = Juvenile -0.125 1.134 > 0.1

Age = Unweaned

1.558 0.211 < 0.001

Age = Young Adult

-0.243 1.275 > 0.1

Gender = Male 0.134 0.875 > 0.1

Cox Model ResultsCox Model Results

Baseline is untrained, adult, bully/guarding, Baseline is untrained, adult, bully/guarding, female dog female dog

Covariate Breed

Coefficient

exp(-Coef)

p-Value

Ratter -0.531 1.701 < 0.05

Terrier -0.376 1.457 > 0.1

Sm. Hunt/Retrieve

-0.130 1.139 > 0.1

Sm. Companion

-0.394 1.484 > 0.1

Herding 0.703 0.495 > 0.1

Ancient Spitz 0.026 0.974 > 0.1

Scenthounds -0.853 2.348 < 0.01

Lg. Hunt/Retrieve

-1.447 4.250 < 0.001

Lg. Working 0.098 0.907 > 0.1

Other Potential Other Potential CovariatesCovariates

Dog CharacteristicsDog Characteristics Jurisdiction of OriginJurisdiction of Origin Altered before IntakeAltered before Intake Reason for SurrenderReason for Surrender

Adopter DemographicsAdopter Demographics Gender of Primary CaretakerGender of Primary Caretaker Family Structure (e.g., children, elderly)Family Structure (e.g., children, elderly) Neighborhood of ResidenceNeighborhood of Residence

Need more “dog” data to explore variables Need more “dog” data to explore variables furtherfurther

Quantifying the Effect

ConclusionsConclusions

We provide preliminary, but strong evidence that We provide preliminary, but strong evidence that a canine companion training curriculum (CCTC) a canine companion training curriculum (CCTC) can significantly can significantly reduce the adoption return rate reduce the adoption return rate in a shelterin a shelter

The recurring theme seems to be The recurring theme seems to be trained dogs trained dogs are three times less likely to be returned than are three times less likely to be returned than untrained dogsuntrained dogs

There are also important intangible (for the time There are also important intangible (for the time being) benefits including increased community being) benefits including increased community involvement and volunteer enthusiasminvolvement and volunteer enthusiasm

Future WorkFuture Work

With more data and longer follow-up, a cohort study With more data and longer follow-up, a cohort study framework might be more conclusive (in progress)framework might be more conclusive (in progress)

Also, confounders could be better managed if we had Also, confounders could be better managed if we had more datamore data

A standard “one-number” definition of outcome success A standard “one-number” definition of outcome success should be defined (e.g., 5-year survival for cancer)should be defined (e.g., 5-year survival for cancer)

The same methodology could be applied to euthanasia The same methodology could be applied to euthanasia rates and adoption rates with sufficient datarates and adoption rates with sufficient data

We would like to perform a multi-center study (please We would like to perform a multi-center study (please contact us if you have PetPoint data you would like to contact us if you have PetPoint data you would like to share!)share!)

Final WordsFinal Words

Volunteer Volunteer inin your local your local shelter!shelter! The dogs need you…The dogs need you… ……and they will make you and they will make you

an even better an even better administrator administrator

Discuss with local dog Discuss with local dog training professionals training professionals how an on-site shelter how an on-site shelter program will likely program will likely reduce return rates reduce return rates and keep dogs in their and keep dogs in their adoptive homes longer.adoptive homes longer.

Thank You!Thank You!www.moongazer.com/trwww.moongazer.com/tr

ainingaining