The Case for Cohousing Dogs in Shelters

Even the best shelters are loud, scary, and unfamiliar and there is undeniable evidence that living in the solitary confinement of a kennel, particularly over weeks or months, has many negative impacts on sheltered dogs. These include stress and anxiety-related behaviors like barking and barrier-reactivity, general behavioral decline, depression, and in some cases, even aggression borne out of frustration.

For countless dogs, these responses to the trauma and stress they experience eventually leads to ‘behavioral euthanasia.’ These tragic situations can be dramatically reduced with proactive foster placement, robust volunteer engagement, low barrier adoption programs, and by meeting the dogs physical and emotional needs while they’re in care.?

In addition to kennel enrichment and regular kennel breaks, selective cohousing of compatible dogs is one of the key strategies for keeping dogs happy and healthy. Sadly, though cohousing is widely practiced in some U.S. shelters, it is still totally absent in the majority of organizations, with the exception of some ‘bonded pairs’ that may or may not be housed together.

The reasons for this? Most shelters who do not practice cohousing cite fear of illness or injuries, lack of knowledge about how to select appropriate pairs, and/or concerns about managing cohoused dogs for feeding and cleaning. What follows is a partial review of the literature and research related to cohousing dogs. If you're considering cohousing in your rescue or shelter, read ahead to learn what the experts say.

Research and Recommendations

One recent study , (Grigg 2017) cites multiple other studies that demonstrate that solitary kenneling of dogs leads to high levels of stress and anxiety-related behaviors and that other studies show that group or cohousing results in reduced stress-related indicators like barking and vigilance.

Grigg’s study concluded, “Domestic dogs are social animals, and numerous indications of potential benefit were recorded with no negative impacts seen. Based on our findings, we recommend pair or group housing of compatible dogs as a promising addition to the strategies available to those seeking to improve welfare of kennelled dogs.”

This study comes years after guidance and recommendations from Veterinary Behaviorist Sheila Segurson and the Center for Shelter dogs in a 2013 publication (Segurson and Downling) that asserts, “Providing dogs (who enjoy the company of other dogs) with a ‘roommate’ provides them with social enrichment which may alleviate boredom and stress, and increase happiness.”?

The written standards for dogs used in research affirm the importance of group and pair-housing as a baseline welfare measure. The North American 3Rs Collaborative , an organization that provides care standards for animals used in labs and research, lists housing dogs in “stable social groups” as the first welfare standard, along with frequently rotated chew toys, daily out-of-kennel exercise, daily interactions with humans, and an elevated sleeping place. In the key principles section , the guidelines state, “Dogs should be socially housed with compatible individuals. Social housing should be the default.”

Sadly, these standards are often lacking for dogs housed in shelters, even though some dogs may spend months or even years housed in essentially the same conditions as dogs in laboratories. This is often due to a fear of fights, which has been found to be unfounded (Mertens and Umshelm, 2015). In fact, this study found co-housing dogs reduced barking, improved behavior, and resulted in a shorter length of stay and a lower rate of adoption returns. There is always some risk inherent in allowing animals to interact with members of their own species, but there is no data to suggest that selective co-housing results in a higher rate of injuries or bites to people or animals.?

The summary of all of this and other research is simply that as a social species, dogs experience multiple positive benefits from being housed in pairs or small groups and that co-housing should be the norm for dogs in shelters. The organizations that do cohouse, almost without exception, report decreased stress-related behaviors and dogs that appear happier and calmer in the kennels. In what follows, I’ll offer a brief guide for starting to cohouse dogs.?

The Associated for Shelter Veterinarians (ASV) updated guidelines offer (ASV Guidelines 2022 pages 14 through 18) offer guidance for cohousing both dogs and cats. They support co-housing and emphasize that cohousing should be selective and intentional. The guidelines state, “When cohoused, animals need to be intentionally matched for age, sex, health, and behavioral compatibility.”

In a subsequent article, I will describe the process of pairing dogs, based on research and best practices. Cohousing is most successful when practiced as part of an overall canine wellness program including playgroups. I learned how to safely conduct play groups through my work with Dogs Playing for Life .