Enrichment bei Laborhunden

The subject of the previous study was which toys and which bedding
locations are preferred by laboratory dogs and how these enrichment
objects influence the behaviour of the animals. Therefore
preference tests were made. Furthermore effects on the behaviour of
the dogs were compared after providing certain bedding locations as
enrichment in relation to the precondition. A total of 21 Beagles
took part in the study. The preference tests were carried out with
three groups with a total of 12 animals. In a male group (n=3
respectively 4) at the location Oberwiesenfeld, there were made
four preference tests with toys and eight preference tests with
bedding locations. At Gröbenried location six preference tests were
carried out in each case with bedding locations on a male and
female group (both n=4). In a following survey a precise budget of
behaviour was compiled during the daytime period and in addition
the use of bedding locations during the night was analyzed. These
studies included four male and five female Beagles (which were
divided in three groups). In the preference tests with toys, the
dogs obtained toys containing feed, different objects of rawhide,
toys of different categories and in a concluding preference test
once again the previously preferred objects. In the preference
tests with bedding locations, the dogs received commercial plastic
beds in four different sizes filled with blankets. The two
previously preferred sizes were taken over for further preference
tests. In the preference tests with filling material in each case
two beds with different filling materials were offered to the dogs.
In each case the preferred quality was used for the next preference
test and tested in comparison with a new component. The dogs had
options between wood wool of different structures, fleece-blanket,
pulp and rubber mat. Furthermore the dogs had the option between
opened or closed beds (beds in a cave of wood) and between elevated
beds or beds on the ground. During the survey three Beaglegroups
received beds with fleece-blankets on the ground and elevated, each
for two weeks. Objects of rawhide showed longest use (12,6% of the
observed time per dog) in the preference tests with toys. Toys
containing feed did have long use, too. In the preference test with
toys of different categories the stick of aspen wood was favoured.
Frequency of using the toys was highest during the first hour after
positioning the enrichment in all preference tests. In the
preference tests with different sizes of beds, there were different
sizes preferred according to the group. However, all groups
preferred the medium size. Fleece-blanket as filling material was
favoured in all groups and preferred to all other components.
However, beds with filling-material pulp also showed long term of
use. In one preference test, e.g. in the group at the location
Oberwiesenfeld both pulp as fleece-blanket were accepted very well
(pulp showed an average use of 28,4% per day per dog and
fleece-blanket 28,7%). Rubber mat was avoided in the tests (time of
daily use per dog 0,6% and 0,4%), whereas beds with fleece-blankets
reached 56,0% time of the daily use and beds with pulp 56,2%. Beds
with fleece-blanket or pulp showed significantly more time of use
as beds with the filling-material rubber mat (p=0,04). Wood wool
was also not accepted very well. Whether opened, closed, beds
elevated or placed on the ground, all components were accepted well
in the preference tests. The time of daily usage in the case of the
open beds was 30,7%, and in the case of closed beds 32,3%. The
elevated beds showed 26,3% time of daily use, the beds on the
ground 40,5%. Both groups at the location Gröbenried preferred the
fleece-blanket as filling-material to all other components. Here
the male group preferred the opened beds to the beds in a cave, the
female group did not draw a distinction. In the preference test
“beds elevated or on the ground”, the elevated beds showed more
time of daily use in the male group, however the beds on the ground
in the female group. Also in the survey the dogs accepted the beds
very well. During the night the average use of the supplied beds
was 80,1% per dog. Here was significant more use of the beds than
lying on the ground (p