SINGAPORE – Local animal welfare group Chained Dog Awareness Singapore (CDAS) has launched a new campaign to educate the public about dog behaviour and science-based pet care.
The campaign, supported by the Animal and Veterinary Service, aims to teach pet owners and members of the public about animal interaction and behavioural change.
The public can access articles, videos and guidelines from the newly launched CDAS website.
Dog owners can also refer to an e-book that contains information for them to understand the evolution and ethology of dogs, allowing them to become more knowledgeable so that they can minimise stressors and become more equipped to help their dogs navigate unfamiliar situations.
School outreach programmes, social media campaigns and advertisements will also be carried out islandwide to correct the public’s misconceptions and teach them appropriate ways of interacting with dogs that are not familiar to them.
“More importantly, we seek to promote a culture of tolerance and empathy towards animals based on proper understanding of animal behaviour,” said CDAS co-founder Li Bing in response to queries from The Straits Times.
Established in 2015, CDAS rescues dogs that have suffered from prolonged tethering – being tied up – or were confined in unsuitable cages. The group rescues an average of 30 dogs a year.
Ms Li, who is also the chairman of the CDAS board, explained that the campaign was prompted by an accumulation of cases that the group has come across over the years.
“While some cases arise from an absence of care, gross neglect or even abuse, a great number of them were simply due to the owners’ lack of understanding of a dog’s needs,” she said.
“As there is ultimately a limit to how many troubled dogs we can help, we believe it is important to educate people on dog behaviour so that they may live harmoniously with their companion animals.”
Science-based approaches help to tackle this problem at its root, said Ms Li, as they are built on a thorough understanding of dog ethology – the scientific study of the animal’s behaviour, health, nutrition and other needs. They are also backed by research and developed by trained animal behaviour consultants and veterinarians.
This is in contrast to non-science-based methods, such as advice that pet owners may get from the Internet, which are often fraught with misconceptions, Ms Li added.
Science-based approaches that an owner can adopt include classical conditioning, which helps a dog learn to associate a stimulus with a behaviour, and operant conditioning, which helps a dog to associate an action with a consequence.
CDAS board director Liang Xutian said pet owners should never feel the need to chain or cage their pets for long periods of time, adding that there are potential repercussions for the animal’s mental and physical well-being.
“Responsible pet ownership involves providing a conducive home environment for the pets and caring for their daily needs and healthcare till their last breath, just like how we would care for ourselves and our human family,” Dr Liang said.
