Journal ArticleDOI
Behavioral and physiological predictors of guide dog success
Reads0
Chats0
TLDR
Through the identification of early predictors of guide dog success, resources can be more appropriately focused on dogs with a higher probability of success, whereas unsuitable dogs can be rehomed.Abstract:
A range of mobility aids are available to assist people living with vision impairment, and of these, guide dog ownership offers them several unique benefits. However, training a dog to be a successful guide dog comes at a high cost (approximately AU$30,000). Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether temperament testing and kennel behavior measures could be used by Guide Dog Organizations for the early identification of dogs suitable for guiding work and thus to reduce production costs. Temperament tests (Passive and Noise, Sudden Appearance, and Dog Distraction Tests) and kennel behavior assessments (Activity Level, Salivary Immunoglobulin A Concentration, and Kennel Surveillance) were assessed in potential guide dogs (n = 25-113) at the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT Training Centre, Glossodia, New South Wales, Australia. Several significant predictors of guide dog success were identified. The presence of panting (P = 0.029) and licking (P = 0.005) when contrasted with baseline observations in the Dog Distraction Test, significantly reduced the probability of guide dog success. Success was also reduced with the latency for a dog to sit in the third Noise Test (P = 0.028), and when the time spent resting was reduced during the evening period (P = 0.018) in the Kennel Surveillance assessment. This study reports that 4 specific behavioral responses, which may reflect anxiety and restlessness, predict low suitability of dogs for guiding work. Through the identification of early predictors of guide dog success, resources can be more appropriately focused on dogs with a higher probability of success, whereas unsuitable dogs can be rehomed.read more
Citations
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Assistance Dogs: Historic Patterns and Roles of Dogs Placed by ADI or IGDF Accredited Facilities and by Non-Accredited U.S. Facilities.
Sandra Walther,Mariko Yamamoto,Abigail P. Thigpen,Anaissa Garcia,Neil H. Willits,Lynette A. Hart +5 more
TL;DR: An online survey investigating current demographics of assistance dogs placed in 2013 and 2014, by facilities worldwide that are associated with ADI or IGDF and by some non-accredited U.S. facilities revealed that in most countries aside from the United States, guide dogs were by far the main type of assistance dog placed.
Journal ArticleDOI
Predictive validity of a method for evaluating temperament in young guide and service dogs
TL;DR: Findings provide convincing evidence that the C-BARQ is able to discriminate between dogs that are behaviorally suited for guide or service work and those that are not and may provide trainers with useful information about potential training or breeding candidates as early as 6 months of age.
Journal ArticleDOI
Current Perspectives on Therapy Dog Welfare in Animal-Assisted Interventions
TL;DR: An overview on potential welfare threats that therapy dogs may encounter and the results of a review of available studies on welfare indicators for therapy dogs during AAIs are presented.
Proceedings ArticleDOI
Dog's life: wearable activity recognition for dogs
TL;DR: This paper developed a collar-worn accelerometry platform that records dog behaviours in naturalistic environments and identified a set of activities, which are linked to behaviour traits that are relevant for a dog's wellbeing.
Journal ArticleDOI
Salivary cortisol and behavior in therapy dogs during animal-assisted interventions: A pilot study
Lisa Maria Glenk,Oswald D. Kothgassner,Birgit U. Stetina,Rupert Palme,Berthold Kepplinger,Halina Baran +5 more
TL;DR: The standardized program “multiprofessional animal-assisted intervention (MTI)” has been carried out in adult mental health care, significantly improving patients’ prosocial behaviors.
References
More filters
Journal ArticleDOI
Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs.
Yuying Hsu,James A. Serpell +1 more
TL;DR: It is suggested that the resulting 68-item questionnaire is a reliable and valid method of assessing behavior and temperament traits in dogs and may be useful in screening dogs for behavior problems and in evaluating the clinical effects of various treatments forbehavior problems.
Journal ArticleDOI
Seasonal changes in immune function.
Randy J. Nelson,Gregory E. Demas +1 more
TL;DR: It is proposed that compromised immune function may be observed in some populations during particularly harsh winters when stressors override the enhancement of immune function evoked by short day lenghts.
Journal ArticleDOI
Manifestations of chronic and acute stress in dogs
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of studies dealing with dogs subjected to stressors is presented, where the reported stress responses are categorized as being behavioural, physiological or immunological, and demonstrate the various ways stress is manifested in the dog.
Journal ArticleDOI
Chronic stress in dogs subjected to social and spatial restriction. I. Behavioral responses.
TL;DR: During a variety of challenges, socially and spatially restricted dogs exhibited a heightened state of aggression, excitement, and uncertainty, which may indicate chronic stress in dogs, and can help to identify poor welfare.
Journal ArticleDOI
Development and validation of a novel method for evaluating behavior and temperament in guide dogs
James A. Serpell,Yuying Hsu +1 more
TL;DR: The development and validation of a novel questionnaire method for assessing behavior and temperament in 1-year-old guide dogs is described and it is suggested that such methods can provide a useful and accurate means of predicting the suitability of dogs for guiding work.
Related Papers (5)
The use of a behaviour test for the selection of dogs for service and breeding, I: Method of testing and evaluating test results in the adult dog, demands on different kinds of service dogs, sex and breed differences
Erik Wilsson,Per-Erik Sundgren +1 more
Development and validation of a questionnaire for measuring behavior and temperament traits in pet dogs.
Yuying Hsu,James A. Serpell +1 more