Manual muster: A critical analysis of the use of common terms in Australian working dog manuals

Abstract

With behavioral causes of failure/dismissal—so-called behavioral wastage—of approximately 50% of dogs in training for the livestock herding dog sector, research into the selection and preparation of dogs with the requisite skills needs to be prioritized for both welfare and economic reasons. This article describes a pilot study of the terminology that characterizes Australian working dog training manuals. Eight key texts were selected for analysis, and a wide range of common terms were counted ( n = 73). These terms included descriptors of working maneuvers, skills, and general behavioral attributes in herding dogs. We found little concordance in the use of terms by authors. Among the 8 authors, only 2 showed a positive correlation. This inconsistency demonstrates the varied use of terms by authors in this field but also helps to explain why manuals may create confusion among those seeking to learn how to select and handle dogs optimally.