Working Dog Training for the Twenty-First Century

Does Play After Training Improve a Canine Good Citizenship Skill in Pet Dogs?

A major reason people surrender their dogs or fail to adopt them from shelters is due to concerns regarding the management of behavioral issues. This makes effective training of everyday obedience behaviors crucial to dog welfare. Here, we test the playful learning hypothesis to examine whether play after a training session increases a dog's success in learning two basic Canine Good Citizen behaviors: "sit" and "stay". In two studies, the dogs experienced brief training sessions and then were assigned to either play or rest. The next day, they returned for another brief training session, and we measured any change in the duration that the dogs were able to hold a "sit" and "stay" from the first day. In Experiment 1, the subjects with low baseline levels of ability improved more after playing than those subjects that simply rested after training. However, Experiment 2, which further controlled for exercise and time spent with trainers, and standardized the measure of success across dogs regardless of their initial ability levels, did not replicate the improved performance in response to play after a training session. Overall, we find limited support for the application of the playful learning hypothesis to everyday training and suggest avenues for future research to determine how play might improve training outcomes for pet dogs.

Frustration and its impact on search and rescue canines

Despite advances in modern technology, dogs remain the primary detection tool in search and rescue (SAR) missions, locating missing persons across diverse and dynamic environments, including wilderness, avalanche zones, water, and disaster areas. Their exceptional olfactory abilities, combined with their capacity to process complex discrimination tasks and adapt to varied environmental stimuli, make them uniquely suited for this work. However, SAR operations can be both physically and psychologically demanding, requiring sustained focus, endurance, and consistent performance under stressful conditions. Frustration, a form of psychological stress, arises when a dog encounters blocked access to a goal or when an expectation is violated, triggering physiological and behavioral changes that may impact performance. This study investigated the physiological and behavioral responses of SAR dogs to two distinct stress conditions: psychological stress induced by frustration and physiological stress induced by moderate exercise. We measured heart rate variability as an indicator of autonomic nervous system response to stress and analyzed search task performance to assess how frustration and exercise affected the dogs' latency and accuracy in executing their trained final response to the target odor. Our results revealed significant decreases in heart rate variability following frustration and increased latency in the search task, suggesting that frustration had a more pronounced impact on the dogs' physiological state and performance compared to exercise. By examining the effects of psychological and physiological stress, this study contributes to a deeper understanding of how different stressors influence SAR dog performance and welfare. These findings provide valuable insights for optimizing training methodologies and operational preparedness, ensuring both the effectiveness and well-being of SAR dogs in the field.

An overview of the literature on assistance dogs using text mining and topic analysis

It is said that dogs are human's best friend. On occasion, dogs can be raised and trained to provide additional specific benefits to humans suffering from a range of physical or mental conditions, working as assistance dogs. In this article, we employed innovative techniques to review the vast and constantly expanding literature on the subject, which covers a multitude of aspects. The 450 articles obtained through keyword search on Scopus were initially described in terms of year of publication, geographical context and publication destination, and were subsequently analysed through automated text mining to detect the most important words contained within them. Lastly, a generative model of topic analysis (Latent Dirichlet Allocation-LDA) described the content of the collection of documents, dividing it into the appropriate number of topics. The results yielded interesting insights across all domains, demonstrating the potential of automated text mining and topic analysis as a useful tool to support the researchers in dealing with complex and time-consuming subjects' reviews, integrating the work done with traditional reviewing methods.

Canis lupus familiaris and diclofenac: understanding the potential risks of this association

In many homes worldwide, dogs are considered part of the family. Every possible care is given to animals, including drug treatments. However, many animal guardians, in an attempt to minimize pain or improve the quality of life of their dogs, provide drugs without a veterinarian's prescription. Diclofenac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that acts on cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 enzymes, is associated with several adverse events, especially related to the gastrointestinal tract, both in humans and pet animals. Therefore, the availability of information about the effects of this drug in different species is always essential. This narrative review aims to present adverse reactions the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) can suffer when exposed to diclofenac. Scientific publications, books, and case reports were consulted, and inquiries were also carried out with regulatory agencies. Many reports of suspected adverse reactions, especially related to the gastrointestinal tract, were found. Other clinical manifestations and lesions were also identified in the cardiovascular system, liver, kidneys, and hematological examinations. Therefore, diclofenac may constitute a hazard to dogs, mainly due to possible damage to the gastrointestinal tract. This fact reinforces the need to seek veterinary advice before providing any drug to animals, in addition to recommendations on ensuring the correct storage of medications to avoid accidental exposure.

Scent dogs identify SARS-CoV-2-infections in respiratory samples from experimentally infected ferrets and hamsters-a pilot study

Rapid and sensitive diagnostic measures are a pre-requisite for the control of SARS-CoV-2 outbreaks. Dogs detect SARS-CoV-2-infected human individuals with high speed due to their extraordinary olfactory acuity. In the post-pandemic phase of SARS-CoV-2 it is difficult to obtain samples from infected humans for scent dog training. Established animal models for COVID-19 include hamsters and ferrets, which could overcome this shortcoming and have the advantage that samples are generated under controlled conditions. Respiratory samples from humans, hamsters and ferrets infected with SARS-CoV-2 and from ferrets infected with an H7-Influenza A virus were inactivated with β-propiolactone and presented via a device called "Detection Dog Training System" (DDTS). DDTS allows a fast, blinded, randomized, and automated sample presentation without trainer interference. Scent dogs generally showed a similar diagnostic sensitivity (DSe) and specificity (Dsp) for four tested scenarios (S1-4) and as reported previously for respiratory samples from humans. (S1) Human with COVID-19: DSe 88.1 [74.0-100.0% CI95%] and DSp 89.6 [80.6-98.5% CI95%]. (S2) Hamster with COVID-19: DSe 82.4 [74.1-90.7% CI95%] and DSp 96.7 [93.7-99.7% CI95%]. (S3) Ferret with COVID-19: DSe 86.2 [69.8-100.0% CI95%] and DSp 95.1 [89.5-100.0% CI95%]. (S4) Ferrets infected with an H7 Influenza A-virus (IAV) as a distractor: DSe 96.9 [57.2-100.0% CI95%] and DSp 89.86 [40.3-100.0% CI95%]. We provide evidence that scent dogs detect samples from SARS-CoV-2-infected hamsters and ferrets with a similar accuracy as reported for humans. The study highlights that volatile organic compound odor patterns are similar in humans, hamsters, and ferrets after SARS-CoV-2 infection, but distinct after IAV-infection.

Human Preferences for Dogs and Cats in China: The Current Situation and Influencing Factors of Watching Online Videos and Pet Ownership

Dogs and cats have become the most important and successful pets through long-term domestication. People keep them for various reasons, such as their functional roles or for physical or psychological support. However, why humans are so attached to dogs and cats remains unclear. A comprehensive understanding of the current state of human preferences for dogs and cats and the potential influential factors behind it is required. Here, we investigate this question using two independent online datasets and anonymous questionnaires in China. We find that current human preferences for dog and cat videos are relatively higher than for most other interests, video plays ranking among the top three out of fifteen interests. We also find genetic variations, gender, age, and economic development levels notably influence human preferences for dogs and cats. Specifically, dog and cat ownership are significantly associated with parents' pet ownership of dogs and cats (Spearman's rank correlation coefficient is 0.43, 95% CI: 0.38-0.47), and the primary reason is to gain emotional support. Further analysis finds that women, young people, and those with higher incomes are more likely to prefer dog and cat videos. Our study provides insights into why humans become so attached to dogs and cats and establishes a foundation for developing co-evolutionary models.

Exploring breed differences in discrimination, reversal learning, and resistance to extinction in the domestic dog (Canis familiaris)

Learning is crucial for shaping domestic dogs' behaviour through life experiences, yet not all breeds exhibit the same learning aptitude towards a particular task. The current study's objective was to identify differences in behaviour and learning performance across and within five breed clades and elucidate the underlying factors contributing into these variations. Dogs (n = 111) from five breed clades (UK Rural, Retrievers, Asian Spitz, European Mastiff, and New World) participated in a virtual learning task with their owners. Owners completed validated questionnaires of Impulsivity and Reward Responsiveness. The learning task comprised of reinforcing an arbitrary behaviour (hand-touch) through multiple sessions of Acquisition (reinforcing the hand-touch), Discrimination (reinforcing the hand-touch on one of two hands) and Reversal Learning (reinforcing the hand-touch on the opposite hand), followed by a single session of Extinction (hand-touch not reinforced). Results showed notable differences across the studied breed clades in certain learning and behavioural components. However, the observed disparities may not be entirely attributed to inherent cognitive differences among the breed clades but rather potentially influenced by contextual factors such as the human-dog communication dynamics associated with breeds' cooperativity. Furthermore, breed clades differed in the contributing factors predicting individual learning performances, which could highlight the potential effect of breeds' historical function.

Effect of pre-session discrimination training on performance in a judgement bias test in dogs

Spatial judgement bias tests (JBTs) can involve teaching animals that a bowl provides a reward in one location but does not in another. The animal is then presented with the bowl placed between the rewarded and the unrewarded locations (i.e., ambiguous locations) and their latency to approach reflects expectation of reward or 'optimism'. Some suggest that greater 'optimism' indicates better welfare. Performance in JBTs, however, may also indicate a learning history independently from welfare determinants. We hypothesized that dogs' 'optimism' in a follow-up JBT may be impacted by a learning treatment involving additional trials of a different discrimination task. Once enrolled, companion dogs (n = 16) were required to complete three study phases: (1) a pre-treatment JBT, (2) a learning treatment, and (3) a post-treatment JBT. During the JBTs, dogs were presented with five locations: one rewarded, one unrewarded, and three ambiguous (all unrewarded). Dogs were randomly assigned to a trial-based learning task-a nose-touch to the palm of the hand. In the Experimental discrimination treatment phase (n = 8), dogs were presented with two hands in each trial and only rewarded for touching one specific hand. In the Control treatment phase (n = 8), dogs were presented with one hand per trial in alternating sequence and were yoked to dogs in the Experimental group to receive the same number of rewarded and unrewarded trials (to control for possible frustration). Using a repeated measures mixed model with JBT repeated within dog, we found no difference in the change in approach latency to the ambiguous locations between the dogs across treatments. 'Optimism' as measured in this JBT was not altered by the additional discrimination trials used in our study.

A One Health Approach to Public Safety: A Review of Police Canines in the United States

Working dogs are an essential part of modern society, and police canines (K9s) in the United States are amongst the most recognizable of all working dogs. Given the dearth of published data on active police canines in the U.S. and the calls for police reform, an interdisciplinary effort is necessary to comprehensively understand how these dogs are best used for the benefit of society. This review paper relies on veterinary public health expertise to present a comprehensive overview of police canine use by municipal law enforcement in the United States, including known impacts and gaps in knowledge. The existing literature from animal-assisted interventions (AAI) provides evidence to ensure working dog well-being, while human-animal bond research contributes to officer safety and canine partnership. Lastly, law enforcement and public health agendas (LEPH) assure the team's successful efforts in built environments and local neighborhoods. These frameworks acknowledge the complexity of police dog use, spanning from punitive to public relations, which mirrors the role of law enforcement in U.S. society. This paper proposes the use of a One Health framework to ensure police canine contributions to society, including suggested approaches to partner municipal police with veterinary medicine and public health, and integrate One Health in promoting public safety for local communities.

Human-dog trust and cohesion within French military canine teams

Studies on the relationships and interactions within human-dog teams in the French Army are scarce. In order to better understand this subject, a qualitative exploratory study was undertaken by conducting semi-structured interviews with dog handlers (n = 16). The interviewees work in the French Army. They are specialized in the detection and neutralization of individuals or explosives. Thematic analysis identified different themes: trust within the team, doubts, interspecific cohesion, and care provided to the dogs. The results highlight the importance of trust within the canine team. It is conceived as a dynamic, constructed process, based on experience, and involving both members of the team. It emerges that trust arises from individual, relational, technical, and experiential factors: the bonds formed, knowledge of one's dog, difficulties related to technical aspects, the reliability of the dog following training, and mission successes. Kindness, support, and mutual protection are also important criteria. A form of interspecific cohesion is envisaged by experienced handlers when affection, knowledge, reliability, mutual assistance, and support are present.

Development of a modified C-BARQ for evaluating behavior in working dogs

Introduction

Current high demand for effective odor detection dogs calls for the development of reliable methods for measuring performance-related behavioral phenotypes in these highly specialized working animals. The Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (C-BARQ) is a widely used behavioral assessment tool among working dog organizations with a demonstrated ability to predict success/failure of dogs in training. However, this instrument was developed originally to study the prevalence of behavior problems in the pet dog population, and it therefore lacks the capacity to measure specific behavioral propensities that may also be important predictors of working dog success. The current paper examines the factor structure, internal reliability, and content validity of a modified version of the C-BARQ designed to evaluate four new domains of canine behavior in addition to those encompassed by the original C-BARQ. These domains, labeled Playfulness, Impulsivity, Distractibility, and Basophobia (fear of falling), respectively, describe aspects of canine behavior or temperament which are believed to contribute substantially to working dog performance.

Methods

Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) of owner/handler questionnaire responses based on a sample of 1,117 working odor detection dogs.

Results

A total of 15 factors were extracted by EFA, 10 of which correspond to original C-BARQ factors. The remaining 5 comprise the four new domains- Playfulness, Impulsivity, Distractibility, and Basophobia- as well as a fifth new factor labeled Food focus.

Discussion

The resulting Working Dog Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire (WDC-BARQ) successfully expands the measurement capacities of the original C-BARQ to include dimensions of behavior/temperament of particular relevance to many working dog populations.

Injuries and Associated Factors in Swedish Sporting and Utility Trial Dogs-A Cross-Sectional Study

Canine sporting competitions, e.g., agility, obedience, rally obedience, and utility trials, e.g., protection, tracking, search, and messenger, are physically and mentally demanding disciplines. This study aimed to describe the types and frequencies of injuries experienced amongst Swedish sporting and utility trial dogs and to explore associations between discipline, breed, sex, neuter status, age, and injury history. Dog handlers provided information on competition-level dogs (n = 1582) through a cross-sectional survey. The overall proportion of dogs sustaining any injury during their lifetime, whether it was during competition, training, or outside of sport, was 58.7% (n = 928). Muscular, joint, and dermatologic injuries were most commonly reported and the most common injury locations were the thoracic, lumbar and lumbosacral spine, paw, head, shoulder, and stifle. According to multivariate analysis, Border Collie (adjusted OR 1.93), Belgian Malinois (adjusted OR 2.51) and higher age at the time of report (adjusted OR 1.81-9.67) increased the odds of injury history. Our results provide more understanding of injuries in sporting and utility dogs and contribute to injury prevention strategies that potentially enhance canine welfare.

The health of working dogs in conservation in Africa

Introduction

Dogs are increasingly being employed for conservation purposes worldwide. In Africa, they work in challenging environments with unique health risks which have not been investigated until now.

Methods

To understand the health challenges faced by the dogs, semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from 14 organisations that used working dogs in their conservation programmes. The data was qualitatively analysed by thematic analysis.

Results

Five themes were generated. Three affective themes influenced how participants responded to the challenges associated with having a successful conservation dog programme. A strong handler-dog attachment, proficient handler training, and the acknowledgement of the challenging environment were pivotal to maintaining dog health. Two themes related to the difficulties in managing these programmes and how veterinary support interacts with the management choices being made.

Discussion

To have healthy conservation dogs, current and future programmes should focus on fostering the handler-dog relationship and provide continuous handler training. The management of conservation dogs' health should adopt an evidence-based approach. Future research should focus on areas where the evidence base is lacking, particularly in the areas of prevention and treatment of African canine trypanosomiasis. Programmes should develop a good working relationship with a veterinarian that has access to evidence-based veterinary medical information.

A preliminary examination of the contextual interference effect on trained trick retention in domestic dogs

This study sought to enhance current dog training practices by determining whether a finding from human motor skill learning research, the contextual interference (CI) effect, could be replicated in a trick-training paradigm with companion dogs. In humans, research shows that practicing skills in random order, as compared with blocked order, improves learning of those skills. To test this question in dogs, we randomly allocated 17 dogs to blocked training (low CI) or random training (high CI). The dogs performed three behaviors of varying difficulty. After training, we conducted a retention test in which half of the dogs in each group performed the tasks in blocked order and the other half in random order. We scored each trick, measured duration, and measured whether dogs required one or two tries to perform a behavior. We found no significant differences between dogs who practiced three tricks in random or in blocked order during training and during a retention test. This study is the first to apply the CI effect to dog trick training. Although no evidence of the CI effect was found, the current research provides a preliminary framework for future studies with potential implications for increasing retention of trained skills.

"Sniffing" out SARS-CoV-2 in Arizona working dogs: an exploratory serosurvey

Susceptibility to and infection with SARS-CoV-2 in companion animals has been well-documented throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Surveillance for the virus in dogs has largely been focused on household pets; however, other canine populations may also be impacted. We partnered with a local veterinary hospital with a high working dog patient volume to conduct viral and neutralizing antibody testing in working dogs and identify potential risk factors in the dog's work and home environments. Surveillance of SARS-CoV-2 in law enforcement and security working dogs in Arizona found 24.81% (32/129) of dogs to be seropositive. Thirteen dogs presenting with clinical signs or with reported exposure to COVID-19 in the 30 days prior to sample collection were also tested by PCR; all samples were negative. 90.7% (n = 117) of dogs were reported to be asymptomatic or have no change in performance at the time of sampling. Two dogs (1.6%) had suspected anosmia as reported by their handlers; one of which was seropositive. Known exposure to the dog's COVID-19 positive handler or household member was identified as a significant risk factor. Demographics factors including sex, altered status, and type of work were not associated with canine seropositivity. Further work is warranted to understand the impact of SARS-CoV-2 and other infectious diseases in working dogs.

Physical activity and sport-specific training patterns in Swedish sporting and working trial dogs-A questionnaire survey

OBJECTIVE

To explore physical activity patterns, including conditioning exercise and sport-specific training, and management routines utilized by handlers of Swedish sporting and working dogs participating in agility, obedience, rally obedience and working trial disciplines.

PROCEDURES

Dog handlers provided information on competition-level dogs through an internet-based cross-sectional and descriptive survey on physical activity, sport-specific training and management. Results are reported overall and stratified by participation in specific disciplines.

RESULTS

We received 1615 replies to the questionnaire. After data cleaning, 1582 dogs (98%) remained for the analysis. Of these, 430 participated in agility, 790 in obedience, 596 in rally obedience, and 847 dogs had competed in a working trial, i.e., messenger, protection, search or tracking. Number of disciplines performed by each dog varied between one and five. Most common was participation in one (n = 767, 48%) or two (n = 541, 34%) disciplines. Out of the dogs competing in one discipline, 38% (n = 294) were considered to be specialized as they actively trained only that discipline for ≥10 months per year. The vast majority of the dogs (n = 1129, 71%) received more than 1 h of daily physical activity, e.g., walks, and only n = 51 (3%) were never exercised off-leash. Preferred self-selected gait was trot (n = 907, 57%) and gallop (n = 499, 32%). A fifth (n = 319, 20%) never played with other dogs. The majority (n = 1328, 84%) received more than 1 h of vigorous physical conditioning exercise per week. Almost three quarters (n = 1119, 71%) participated in physical conditioning exercise. Two thirds (n = 953, 60%) participated in at least 3 h of sport-specific training per week and only a very small portion (n = 35, 2%) trained their specific discipline less than once per week. Median total work load, i.e., all daily physical activity, vigorous physical conditioning exercise and sport-specific training, was 16.5 h per week.

CONCLUSION AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE

We observe physical activity at moderate to high durations and moderate to vigorous intensities among Swedish sporting and working trial dogs. Most dogs received physical conditioning exercise, but not all dogs were warmed up before training and competition. Our study provides veterinary professionals and dog trainers with valuable insights on the physical exposures and management routines of sporting and working trial dogs.

Dog Handler Beliefs regarding Barriers and Facilitators to Canine Health Promotion and Injury Prevention in Swedish Working Dog Trials and Competitions

Dog trials and competitions involve various sport disciplines, e.g., obedience, agility, working dog trials and rally obedience. Dog handlers navigate their dogs through physically and mentally demanding tasks. The purpose of this study was to gain a better understanding of barriers and facilitators to canine health promotion and injury prevention described by dog handlers.

METHODS

Qualitative inductive content analysis was applied to systematically organize and interpret narrative data from 654 respondents' answers to open-ended questions in an anonymous online inquiry.

RESULTS

Two categories, with seven sub-categories, emerged from the analysis: (1) Challenges in applying the regulations in dog trials and competitions, and (2) Implementation of animal welfare and canine well-being approaches. Respondents described the challenges in applying regulations in dog trials and competitions and lack of scientific research as barriers to their intent to prevent injuries in their dogs. Implementation of animal welfare and canine well-being approaches were described as facilitators.

CONCLUSION

The findings imply that the stakeholders continuously need to work on bridging possible gaps between the canine welfare criteria and the scientific and empirical knowledge in canine sports and performance medicine.

Development of Desirable Behaviors in Dog-Assisted Interventions

Simple Summary

In a recent paper, Hall et al. encouraged professionals of canine training to share their observations and procedures with researchers in the field of dog learning and cognition, with the goal of coordinating knowledge and make better use of time and resources. In response to this invitation, here, we present an integrative method for the training of dogs that take part in animal-assisted interventions (AAI). This method has been developed taking into account the needs observed during nearly 30 years of interventions for the cognitive, relational, functional, and emotional improvement of the users. This method focuses on the dog, developing in the animals the necessary skills for their inclusion in dog-assisted interventions from a constructivist perspective, while guaranteeing their well-being during the training and the execution of their tasks.

Abstract

Dog-assisted interventions (DAI) are those that include specially trained dogs in human health services. Often, the training methods employed to train animals for DAI are transmitted between trainers, so the latest scientific research on dog learning and cognition is not always taken into account. The present work aims to evaluate the impact that the main theories on the evolution of the dog have had both in promoting different training methods and in the relevance of behavior in the evolution of the skills of actual dogs. Then, an integrative method for the training of dogs is presented. This method takes into account the research on dog learning mechanisms and cognition processes, and effectively promotes the development of desirable behaviors for DAI during the dog’s ontogeny.

The Animal Welfare Science of Working Dogs: Current Perspectives on Recent Advances and Future Directions

Working dogs are prevalent throughout our societies, assisting people in diverse contexts, from explosives detection and livestock herding, to therapy partners. Our scientific exploration and understanding of animal welfare have grown dramatically over the last decade. As community attitudes toward the use of animals continue to change, applying this new knowledge of welfare to improve the everyday lives of working dogs will underpin the sustainability of working with dogs in these roles. The aim of this report was to consider the scientific studies of working dogs from the last decade (2011–2021) in relation to modern ethics, human interaction, and the five domains of animal welfare: nutrition, environment, behavioral interaction, physical health, and mental state. Using this framework, we were able to analyze the concept and contribution of working dog welfare science. Noting some key advances across the full working dog life cycle, we identify future directions and opportunities for interdisciplinary research to optimize dog welfare. Prioritizing animal welfare in research and practice will be critical to assure the ongoing relationship between dogs and people as co-workers.