Dogs housed in kennels, such as rescues, breeding operations, or research facilities (Persson et al., 2015) face unique social challenges. Group composition may change frequently, and dogs may have limited space or resources. This can result in unstable social standings, increased stress, and higher rates of antagonistic or stereotypic behaviours. This explains why many kennelled dogs show more stress behaviours than dogs in stable home environments (Fig. 3). Some kennels group dogs by age, size, or temperament to minimise conflict, but even in high-density environments, social stress remains elevated (Polgár et al., 2019).