Study Shows Paired Shelter Dogs Experience Less Stress and Faster Adoptions

Research from Virginia Tech reveals that co-housing dogs in shelters can improve their well-being and reduce their time to adoption.

Shelter dogs housed with a compatible companion exhibit fewer stress behaviors.
Paired dogs are adopted an average of four days sooner than those housed alone.
The study followed 61 dogs at the Humane Society of Western Montana over a week.
Biological indicators of stress, such as cortisol levels, were lower in paired dogs.
Researchers suggest animal shelters consider pairing dogs to enhance their adoptability.