The Development and Piloting of a Quality of Life Assessment Tool for Dogs

Abstract

Assessing dogs’ quality of life (QoL) pre- and post-adoption is crucial for shelters and rehoming organisations making decisions with far reaching and dire consequences for both dogs and humans. Making these assessments objectively and in a standardized way is important. As a first step to accomplish these two imperative goals, an assessment tool was developed based on the Framework of Dogs’ Needs, a robust model of needs at a species, breed/breed type, and individual levels based on scientific literature and expert opinion. It qualifies dogs’ QoL as a function of how well their needs are met. Because this tool will be used in real world situations, ensuring it is feasible and comprehensible by a non-scientific audience is key. Therefore, the three-step assessment tool was piloted with a dog owner sample (n = 14): a participant-completed questionnaire, an investigator given questionnaire with video chat observations (of the dog and their home environment), and participant recorded videos (of the dog displaying specific behaviours and scenarios). Participants then completed a feedback gathering survey on the entire process. Issues and aspects to change were also noted throughout by the principal investigator. Most issues pertained to the participant recorded videos, particularly regarding recording feasibility. Most participants said the collective time and effort involved in the assessment procedure would not discourage them from participating. Necessary changes were made to the tool based on all feedback and issues noted. It is now ready for usage in a larger project to assess dogs’ QoL throughout the sheltering and rehoming process.