Effect of feeding toy and the presence of a dog owner during the feeding time on dog welfare

BACKGROUND AND AIM: A conventional feeding bowl is the primary method that dog owners use to feed their dogs, but this may not encourage natural behaviors and may even exacerbate unwanted behaviors. This study aimed to compare a conventional feeding bowl to a feeding toy in relation to behavior, cortisol levels, and heart rate variability (HRV). MATERIALS AND METHODS: The behaviors of four dogs were recorded and analyzed while being fed using either a stainless bowl (B) or a feeding toy (T) and either alone (A) or accompanied by a dog owner (O) for 30 min with each treatment (BA, BO, TA, and TO treatments). The dogs that were fed alone with the stainless bowl (B(C)) or the feeding toy (T(C)) were fed for 15 min/day for 7 days with their treatment, and serum cortisol levels measured on the first and last days of treatment. The dogs fed by the stainless bowl (B(H)) or the feeding toy (T(H)) with the owner present for 15 min for each treatment had their heart rate (HR) and HRV recorded by Polar(®) H10 during feedings The results were compared using a one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), repeated measure ANOVA, and Student’s t-test. RESULTS: The dogs spent more time eating and interacting with the feeding toys than stainless bowls. The activity of the dogs was higher when using feeding toys, particularly with the TO treatment. Cortisol levels were significantly lower on day 7 than on day 1 of the T(C) treatment. The dogs’ HR was higher during T(H) treatment than during B(H) treatment. All HRV parameters were decreased significantly when feeding the dog with the toys. CONCLUSION: The results of this study support the idea that feeding enrichment supports the natural feeding behaviors of dogs as they mimic hunting and playing behaviors. This reduced unwanted behavior, cortisol levels, and HRV, and increased food consumption, eating duration, and active behaviors. The presence of the dog’s owner is important because it can enhance feeding and active behaviors, and feeding enrichment can improve the dog’s welfare and the dog-human relationship.