Anxious Dogs in Shelters: Behavior Therapy Upon Arrival Reduces Stress More Quickly Without Delaying Adoption

An American study settles a recurring debate in animal welfare: Should dogs arriving at a shelter be given time to adjust, or should they undergo immediate behavioral rehabilitation? Among 374 fearful dogs, addressing their anxiety a few days after admission reduced signs of fear more quickly than a two- to four-week acclimation period, without prolonging the time it took for them to be adopted. Chronic fear impacts a dog’s health and quality of life and reduces its chances of being adopted. Shelters expose animals to new stimuli and an imposed routine, with documented effects on the immune system and behavior. Many shelters still waver between a waiting period—supposedly calming—and a protocol of gradual desensitization and counterconditioning.  

Monitoring Well-Being Until Adoption

The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA ) monitored 374 dogs exhibiting high levels of anxiety in response to ordinary stimuli encountered in shelter life. Two locations participated: one in New Jersey (260 dogs) and one in North Carolina (114 dogs). All dogs underwent three days of observation and enrichment in the kennel, followed by a standardized rehabilitation program: a daily 15-minute session five days a week, focusing on indoor and outdoor leash walking, handling, human interactions, and unfamiliar environments. Standardized behavioural assessments were conducted every three weeks by external evaluators unfamiliar with the dogs. Most dogs received, on veterinary advice, a combination of fluoxetine and gabapentin to reduce anxiety.  

Early Intervention Proves Beneficial

At the New Jersey site, where the comparison involved starting desensitization immediately after the first three days versus starting one month later, the progression of fear signs was faster in the group of dogs treated without a waiting period. The effect is statistically significant, indicating that the improvement is indeed due to behavioral rehabilitation and not simply to habituation at the shelter. In North Carolina, where the groups began desensitization at two or four weeks, the results still favor an earlier start, although the difference is not statistically significant for all indicators, largely due to a smaller sample size.  

A Similar Time to Adoption

Delaying the start of rehabilitation sessions in a shelter may slightly reduce the number of weeks of active treatment, but it does not necessarily lengthen the total time between the dogs’ arrival and their departure for adoption. In other words, the weeks “gained” through treatment are offset by the weeks spent during the withdrawal period. Across the program, 83.4% of the dogs met the criteria for adoptability, and among those with known follow-up status, 100% were adopted. The initial behavioral score proved to be a determining factor. Dogs assessed upon arrival as having moderate to severe fear progressed more slowly and required more weeks of work than those with mild fear. These dogs should therefore be prioritized for early rehabilitation, with appropriate veterinary behavioral support.  

Practical Implications for Shelters

If resources permit, starting behavioral rehabilitation immediately after a short three-day observation period is the best option for the well-being of shelter dogs. Waiting prolongs anxiety without offering any benefit in terms of adoption timelines. In terms of protocol, consistency is more important than duration: 15 minutes daily, five days a week, is sufficient to initiate desensitization and restore behaviors compatible with family life. Enrichment in the kennel and the administration of anxiolytics—when indicated and well tolerated—also contribute to this improvement.  

Toward Wider Adoption?

The results come from shelters not open to the public, with trained staff and rigorous protocols. Applying these findings requires adapting the methods to real-world conditions. Behavioural assessment, although standardized, retains an element of subjectivity. Furthermore, some post-adoption follow-up data are missing. These limitations do not invalidate the study’s conclusions, but they do suggest implementing this program more widely in high-intake shelters, incorporating stress biomarkers, and exploring the benefits of starting the program even earlier—immediately upon admission—when the animal’s safety and health permit it.