Natassja de Zwaan Position/Title: M.Sc. Candidate email: ndezwaan@uoguelph.ca Phone: Office: Google Scholar LinkedIn

I recently graduated from my Bachelor of Science at the University of Guelph in 2022. I am currently an MSc by coursework candidate at the University of Guelph working under the supervision of Dr. Katrina Merkies. I began working with Dr. Merkies in the summer of 2021 as an undergraduate research assistant. The focus of the studies I assisted with during this time were looking at the effect of human-dog interaction on the stress levels of therapy dogs, as well as penile dropping behaviour in male horses during training sessions. The results of the first study have been published, and these results indicate that therapy dogs do display subtle stress behaviours during therapy sessions, however, if the dogs are habituated to the therapy environment this may reduce the level of stress they experience. The results of the second study have not yet been determined. 

I have always had a passion for animal welfare, and so I thought it was a good fit for me to complete a masters in Animal Behaviour and Welfare. For my research, I will be assisting fellow PhD student Amir Sarrafchi on the final portion of his two-part study looking at the effect of consensual and non-consensual human touch on horses and dogs. Therapy horses and dogs are often used in animal assisted interactions (AAI), where they are forced to interact with humans in a variety of ways. While AAI’s have been found to be beneficial for human health, the effect of these interactions on the animals is not clear. Using video observation and analysis of the various behaviours displayed by these animals during consensual and non-consensual interactions with humans will allow us to gain a better understanding of how these interactions impact the stress levels and the welfare of those animals. The information gained from this study will allow for an increased awareness of stress related behaviours in both horses and dogs so that modifications can be implemented into the AAI’s to reduce/eliminate those situations. This in turn can then improve the AAI experience for both the animals and humans involved.      

When I am not in the department, I enjoy spending time outdoors in nature and I enjoy spending time with my pets. I also enjoy horseback riding, movies, and playing the flute.  

Academic History:

• BSc, Bachelor of Science in Animal Biology, University of Guelph, 2022

Publication:

• Amir Sarrafchi, Matéa David-Steel, Sydney D. Pearce, Natassja de Zwaan, Katrina Merkies. (2022). Effect of human-dog interaction on therapy dog stress during an on-campus student stress buster event. Applied Animal Behaviour Science, (253) 105659. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105659.