These findings suggest that other factors besides gazing may be more important to adopters when considering adoption of a dog.Īpproximately 4 million dogs live in animal shelters each year. The average rating of attractiveness for the adopted and euthanized group were significantly different: 0.50 (SD = 0.08) for adopted dogs and 0.46 (SD = 0.09) for the euthanized dogs (P < 0.05). In a second experiment, participants unaware of the dogs’ outcomes (adoption or euthanasia) rated photographs of the dogs, according to attractiveness, on a scale ranging from 0 to 1. and P < 0.05 respectively) and size, breed type, and mode of intake were predictive of length of stay (P < 0.05, P = 0.05, and P < 0.01 respectively). However, breed type, mode of intake (how dogs were taken into the shelter), and kennel location were predictive of adoption (P < 0.001, P < 0.05. Dogs in a group trained to gaze at people were not significantly more likely to be adopted than untrained dogs in a control group (70.7% in the training group vs. For each dog in the study, we tracked outcome (adoption or euthanasia), physical characteristics, and how they were acquired by the shelter. In addition, we investigated other individual factors that may predict adoption success.

The present study hypothesized that dogs trained to gaze into potential adopters’ eyes would be perceived as more attractive and would therefore have a greater likelihood of being adopted. Previous research suggests that the public perceives friendly and sociable dogs as more adoptable. The aim of the present study was to increase adoption rates of dogs housed in shelters.

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