Becky Trisko, owner and manager of Unleashed, recently completed her dissertation on canine social behavior and received her Ph.D. in Comparative Psychology from The University of Michigan. A PDF copy of her dissertation, “Dominance, Egalitarianism and Friendship at a Dog Daycare Facility” will be available soon.

Recently, the scientific community has seen a surge of interest in the domestic dog. Recent studies of dogs cover topics such as social behavior, personality, cognition and genetics. Scientists are beginning to acknowledge the social complexity, unique intelligence and rich personality differences present in this species. The general public’s interest in the lives of their dogs is also growing exponentially. As owners are realizing their dogs’ enjoyment of social interaction with other dogs, dog parks and dog daycare facilities are rapidly gaining popularity.

At these dog parks and daycares, dogs socialize and often share toys and treats with other dogs of different breeds, sizes, ages, and personalities. These experiences can be incredibly beneficial for dogs, fulfilling the high exercise requirements of many young dogs and high-energy breeds and providing the socialization necessary for dogs to habituate to various environments and fit comfortably into our human-centered lives. On the other hand, whenever a large group of unrelated animals comes together to socialize (especially those with large teeth) there is always the potential for competition, aggression and injury. Dog-lovers who have little experience handling dogs are entering into the business of dog daycare, and unfortunately scientific information that can be used to help form safe and enjoyable play groups is not readily available.

With her research, Becky hopes to add to our general understanding of dominance, social play, personality and social relationships in dogs and other animals, to provide useful information for applied dog professionals, and to facilitate the formation of safe and enjoyable play groups for dogs in dog daycares, dog parks, and other places that dogs congregate, thus improving the quality of life for dogs and their people.