Assistance Dogs Research Articles

To live with a wagging tailed assistant – Service and hearing dog ownership from the perspective of Swedish owners

Individuals who have a functional or health impairment, are often in great need of conventional healthcare, social care and support, as well as help from family and friends. The use of dogs may be an important assistive support for this population. Assistance dogs are trained to assist with their owners’ specific needs. The aim of this study is to explore service and hearing dog ownership from the owner´s perspective, by examining the owner's expectations before training a dog, and experiences after having a certified dog. This study was designed as a longitudinal intervention study with pre‐post design. The participants included in the study trained their own dogs to become service or hearing dogs. A number of open‐ended questions were answered by the participants before the training of the dog started, three months after the dog was certified, and 1–3 years after the first follow‐up. Data were analysed using thematic content analysis. The participants’ expectations of what the dog would contribute after being certified was high. Their perceived experiences in many ways reflected their expectations. For example, they perceived that the dog contributed to improved health status, a more active lifestyle, improved ability to feel secure, and that they had become more independent. They also felt that the dog had strengthened their social relationships. Negative experiences were also identified. Not being allowed to bring their dog into public places and negative attitudes from other people were examples of this. This study shows that individuals being supported by an assistance dog experience the dog as an invaluable help in their everyday life. By improving the owners’ lives in many ways, a certified service or hearing dog is a novel and important assistive support for people with a functional or health impairment.

Cognitive characteristics of 8- to 10-week-old assistance dog puppies

To characterize the early ontogeny of dog cognition, we tested 168 domestic dog, Canis familiaris, puppies (97 females, 71 males; mean age = 9.2 weeks) in a novel test battery based on previous tasks developed and employed with adolescent and adult dogs. Our sample consisted of Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers and Labrador × golden retriever crosses from 65 different litters at Canine Companions for Independence, an organization that breeds, trains and places assistance dogs for people with disabilities. Puppies participated in a 3-day cognitive battery that consisted of 14 tasks measuring different cognitive abilities and temperament traits such as executive function (e.g. inhibitory control, reversal learning, working memory), use of social cues, sensory discriminations and reactivity to and recovery from novel situations. At 8-10 weeks of age, and despite minimal experience with humans, puppies reliably used a variety of cooperative-communicative gestures from humans. Puppies accurately remembered the location of hidden food for delays of up to 20 s, and succeeded in a variety of visual, olfactory and auditory discrimination problems. They also showed some skill at executive function tasks requiring inhibitory control and reversal learning, although they scored lower on these tasks than is typical in adulthood. Taken together, our results confirm the early emergence of sensitivity to human communication in dogs and contextualize these skills within a broad array of other cognitive abilities measured at the same stage of ontogeny.

Returning a Puppy for Dog Guide Training: Factors That Affect Grief in Puppy Raisers and the Decision to Foster Again

Introduction: Guiding Eyes for the Blind (GEB) breeds, raises, and trains dogs to serve as guides for people with visual impairments (i.e., those who are blind or have low vision). Their puppy raising program enlists volunteers to foster puppies for a year or more, providing socialization, basic skills training, and comfort, so they will grow into confident dogs. The volunteers must ultimately return these dogs to Yorktown Heights, New York, to begin training. For raisers, the emotional toll of this parting can be great. Methods: Utilizing the 2017 GEB Puppy Raiser Survey data, this study analyzed factors that might affect emotional grief and the decision to continue to raise puppies. Cross-tabulation and ordinal regression analyses examined the associations of puppy raiser demographics (i.e., gender, age, marital status, and employment), organizational integration (i.e., number of dogs raised for GEB, perceptions on how well GEB supports raisers in returning a dog, belief that they are part of the GEB community, and formation of friendships), and goal attainment (perceptions on how well GEB communicated progress in training, whether they raised a dog accepted for guide training, and whether they attended a graduation ceremony) with self-reported emotional difficulty, recovery time, and likelihood of raising another puppy. Results: Although the demographics of the raiser had minimal effect on emotional difficulty, recovery time, and likelihood of raising again, factors that measured organization integration and goal attainment were associated with grief and continued participation. Discussion: Raiser demographics are not strong predictors of grief and continued raising; however, a welcoming organization that communicates effectively will inspire volunteers’ commitment. Implications: With a growing need for assistance dogs and puppy raisers, identifying and addressing the challenges that these volunteers face is critical if skilled and dedicated raisers are to be recruited and retained.

POPRAWA JAKOŚCI ŻYCIA: CECHY I PRAGNIENIA AUSTRALIJCZYKÓW, KTÓRZY SĄ NA LIŚCIE OCZEKUJĄCYCH NA PSA ASYSTENTA OSOBY NIEDOSŁYSZĄCEJ

BackgroundHearing assistance dogs not only alert their hearing-impaired owners to environmental sounds but may also improve their quality of life. Unfortunately, audiologists rarely recommend this service, potentially due to a dearth of associated literature. This study explores the demographic and audiological characteristics, general health, socio-emotional functioning, and expectations of persons seeking a hearing dog.Material and methodsThis prospective cohort study of 23 respondents from the 2019 Australian Lions hearing dog waitlist utilized a written survey method.ResultsRespondents were predominately female (78%), financially stable (91%), had previous pet ownership experience (91%), a self-reported severe/profound sensorineural hearing loss (92%), and were regular hearing device users (87%). Respondents reported substantial social and emotional limitations. Overall, the health function of respondents was below that of the general population. Social function was also comparatively impaired. Most respondents strongly agreed that the hearing dog should be “a companion” and “a living thing to love.”ConclusionsRespondents were demographically varied but were regular hearing-device users, with significant social, emotional, and health limitations. In addition to being alerted to environmental sounds, respondents expected the hearing dog to serve a broad socio-emotional function.

Effectiveness and Cost-Effectiveness of Receiving a Hearing Dog on Mental Well-Being and Health in People With Hearing Loss: Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

BackgroundPeople with hearing loss, particularly those who lose their hearing in adulthood, are at an increased risk of social isolation, mental health difficulties, unemployment, loss of independence, risk of accidents, and impaired quality of life. In the United Kingdom, a single third-sector organization provides hearing dogs, a specific type of assistance dog trained to provide sound support to people with hearing loss. These dogs may also deliver numerous psychosocial benefits to recipients. This has not previously been fully investigated.ObjectiveThe study aims to evaluate the impact of a hearing dog partnership on the lives of individuals with severe or profound hearing loss.MethodsA 2-arm, randomized controlled trial will be conducted within the United Kingdom with 162 hearing dog applicants, aged 18 years and older. Participants will be randomized 1:1 using a matched-pairs design to receive a hearing dog sooner than usual (intervention arm: arm B) or to receive a hearing dog within the usual timeframe (comparator arm: arm A). In the effectiveness analysis, the primary outcome is a comparison of mental well-being 6 months after participants in arm B have received a hearing dog (arm A have not yet received a hearing dog), measured using the Short Warwick Edinburgh Mental Well-Being Scale. Secondary outcome measures include the Patient Health Questionnaire-9, Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7, and Work and Social Adjustments Scale. An economic evaluation will assess the cost-effectiveness, including health-related quality-adjusted life years using the EuroQol 5 Dimensions and social care–related quality-adjusted life years. Participants will be followed up for up to 2 years. A nested qualitative study will investigate the impacts of having a hearing dog and how these impacts occur.ResultsThe study is funded by the National Institute for Health Research’s School for Social Care Research. Recruitment commenced in March 2017 and is now complete. A total of 165 participants were randomized. Data collection will continue until January 2020. Results will be published in peer-reviewed journals and at conferences. A summary of the findings will be made available to participants. Ethical approval was received from the University of York’s Department of Social Policy and Social Work Research Ethics Committee (reference SPSW/S/17/1).ConclusionsThe findings from this study will provide, for the first time, strong and reliable evidence on the impact of having a hearing dog on people’s lives in terms of their quality of life, well-being, and mental health.Trial RegistrationInternational Standard Randomised Controlled Trial Number Registry ISRCTN36452009; http://www.isrctn.com/ISRCTN36452009International Registered Report Identifier (IRRID)DERR1-10.2196/15452

Assistance and Therapy Dogs Are Better Problem Solvers Than Both Trained and Untrained Family Dogs.

When faced with unsolvable or difficult situations dogs use different behavioral strategies. If they are motivated to obtain rewards, they either try to solve the problem on their own or tend to interact with a human partner. Based on the observation that in problem situations less successful and less perseverant dogs look more at the humans' face, some authors claim that the use of social strategies is detrimental to attempting an independent solution in dogs. Training may have an effect on dogs' problem-solving performance. We compared the behavior of (1) untrained, (2) trained for recreational purposes, and (3) working dogs: assistance and therapy dogs living in families (N = 90). During the task, dogs had to manipulate an apparatus with food pellets hidden inside. We measured the behaviors oriented toward the apparatus and behaviors directed at the owner/experimenter, and ran a principal component analysis. All measures loaded in one factor representing the use of the social strategy over a more problem-oriented strategy. Untrained dogs obtained the highest social strategy scores, followed by dogs trained for recreational purposes, and assistance and therapy dogs had the lowest scores. We conclude that assistance and therapy dogs' specific training and working experience (i.e., to actively help people) favors their independent and more successful problem-solving performance. General training (mainly obedience and agility in this study) also increases problem-oriented behavior.

The influence of contextual factors on an individual’s ability to work with an assistance dog

Purpose First-time assistance dog handlers experience a profound life change when they bring an assistance dog into their home. Therefore, this article investigates the broad context of handlers’ lived experiences prior to and throughout the first year after acquiring an assistance dog. Materials and methods To understand holistic experiences better, semi-structured interviews were conducted with first-time assistance dog handlers (n = 7), parents (n = 7), assistance dog instructors (n = 6), carers/other individuals (n = 3) at four time points: before an individual received an assistance dog, and then at three further times for up to one year after they received the assistance dog. Results Inductive content analysis revealed that four main contextual factors (societal, social support, environmental and personal) influenced the lived experience of working with an assistance dog. Many of these factors were outside of the handler and the assistance dog organization’s control, and they were shown to cause many challenges for handlers. Conclusion These factors must, therefore, be taken into consideration when organizations make decisions about placing an assistance dog. IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Societal influences can both hinder and facilitate the benefits first-time handlers receive with their assistance dog in public. Support from others is important to successfully integrate an assistance dog into a first-time handler’s life. A handler’s level of environmental control can influence their experiences with their assistance dog. Personal factors such as a handler’s experience of disability and motivation or resilience can impact experiences with their assistance dog.

Trained assistance dogs for people with dementia: a systematic review.

This systematic review investigated evidence for the effectiveness of trained assistance dogs as an intervention and support for people with dementia. Peer-reviewed articles were retrieved from multiple databases (SCOPUS, Web of Science, and Google Scholar). Reference lists of the articles retrieved were also screened to identify key authors for inclusion. Articles were subject to a quality review, and the results synthesised to address the research questions. Both qualitative and quantitative data were reported. There was evidence of the potential positive effects of dog-assisted interventions in relation to mood, prosocial behaviours, activities of daily living and/or quality of life, cognitive impairment and symptoms specific to dementia, and existential functions. However, the form and quality of the studies varied considerably. It was concluded that further research is needed, particularly for those with younger onset dementia (YOD), for whom there were no specific studies available. Attention needs to be given to establishing adequate-sized samples and designs incorporating control groups. Research would benefit from employing mixed-methods, allowing for the triangulation of qualitative and quantitative data. For deteriorating conditions such as the dementias, studies need to be conducted over time. Furthermore, given the important place family members play in the lives of those with dementia, the effects of dog-assisted interventions on the wider family should also be considered.

Raising an Assistance Dog Puppy—Stakeholder Perspectives on What Helps and What Hinders

Simple SummaryPuppy raisers (or foster families) are volunteers who care for assistance dog puppies until they are ready to learn how to help people with a disability. During this period, some puppies develop behaviours unsuitable for assistance roles and end up changing careers or being rehomed as pets, which is wasteful. Puppy raisers control the early experiences of their puppies, and they vary in their puppy-raising outcomes, but we do not know what specifically helps some puppy raisers produce puppies that are behaviourally suitable for an assistance role. In this study, we interviewed 17 people from seven countries who were either experienced puppy raisers or provider program staff, or both. Their responses suggested several individual factors (expectations, competency, perseverance and passion) and social factors (informational and emotional supports), in addition to the puppies’ characteristics, that influenced the experiences and perceived effectiveness of their puppy-raising practices. These factors are also evident in other well-established areas of research (e.g., education, volunteerism, social support, and organisational performance). We propose recommendations for assistance dog organisations based on those relevant frameworks, which focus on enhancing puppy raisers’ competency, positive experiences, and program retention.Assistance dog puppies live with their raisers for up to 16 months before entering advanced training and, hopefully, becoming qualified to help people with a disability. Almost half of the puppies fail to meet the behavioural standards required for assistance dogs, and some puppy raisers produce more behaviourally favourable puppies than others. It is unclear what factors influence puppy-raising practice quality. To understand this, we interviewed 17 participants, including experienced puppy raisers (n = 8), provider organisation staff (n = 4), and those who have served both as puppy raisers and staff (n = 5). Results of a thematic analysis suggest three groups of influencing factors, namely intrapersonal factors, social support, and puppy characteristics. Intrapersonal factors such as expectations, competency, perseverance and passion were reported to influence puppy raisers’ experiences, puppy-raising quality, and continuity of service. Contextual factors such as availability of social support (informational and emotional supports) and less-demanding puppies both led to positive puppy-raising experiences, while the former also contributed to puppy raisers’ perceptions of competency. Future research should quantitatively examine the interrelationships of these factors concerning puppies’ behavioural development. Meanwhile, organisations could consider these factors when developing their recruitment and puppy-raiser support programs.

The Impact of Owning a Guide Dog on Owners’ Quality of Life: A Longitudinal Study

ABSTRACTIndividuals with visual impairments often report low quality of life (QOL), increased depression, and reduced functionality. Trained assistance dogs have been shown to help improve QOL and daily functioning of individuals affected by chronic conditions, but these studies have been largely crosssectional and QOL has not been considered in guide dog owners. A longitudinal cohort study was undertaken using the Flanagan Quality of Life Scale to compare individuals on the UK guide dog national waiting list and established guide dog owners at two time points. Data collected from both time points were compared between three groups: those who remained on the waiting list throughout the study (n = 17), those who acquired a guide dog during the study (n = 15), and established guide dog owners (n = 14). Analysis comparing the effect of “group” was conducted on individual questionnaire items as well as total quality of life scores. Individuals who acquired a guide dog during the study showed a significant increase in perceptions of independence in comparison with those who remained on the waiting list. In general, those in the established guide dog group and those who acquired a guide dog demonstrated increased perceived QOL over time, but those who remained on the waiting list showed a decrease. Owing to the small sample sizes we computed effect sizes to inform the development of future studies. Effect sizes were highest on items relating to health, material comforts, independence, and total QOL. Comparison with previous research looking at QOL with hearing dog and physical assistance dog partners showed that guide dog ownership may be specifically associated with perceived gains in terms of material comforts and inter-personal relationships.

Effects of a trained mobility assistance dog on upper extremity muscular effort during wheelchair propulsion on tiled and carpeted floors in individuals with a spinal cord injury

BackgroundMany manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury are at risk of developing secondary upper extremity musculoskeletal impairments. The use of a mobility assistance dog may represent a way to mitigate this risk. This study aims to compare upper extremity muscular effort in this population when propelling a manual wheelchair on tiled and carpeted surfaces with and without the assistance of a dog. MethodThirteen adults with a spinal cord injury propelled their manual wheelchairs at a self-selected natural speed over a 10-meter distance on tiled abrasive and carpeted floors with and without their mobility assistance dog. Surface electromyography of the pectoralis major, anterior deltoid, biceps, and triceps was recorded and normalized against its maximal value extracted from maximal voluntary contractions. Time needed to perform each task was also computed. FindingsThe forward pull provided by the dog significantly and meaningfully reduced the muscular effort when propelling on the tiled floor and, even more so, on carpeted surfaces for the pectoralis major (−27.0% and −59.2%), the anterior deltoid (−54.8% and −92.4%), the biceps (−53.9% and −57.6%), and the triceps (−45.7% and −67.3%). The time needed to travel the 10-meter distance was also significantly and meaningfully reduced on the tiled and carpeted surfaces (−21.9% and −30.3%, respectively). InterpretationThe provision of a mobility assistance dog represents a viable rehabilitation alternative to minimizing upper extremity muscular effort while also optimizing speed during propulsion in manual wheelchair users with a spinal cord injury.

190 Effect of TCM-199 and synthetic oviductal fluid medium supplemented with varying hormone concentrations on invitro maturation of canine oocytes

Invitro oocyte maturation (IVM) in the domestic canine is yet to be optimized, with low rates of cumulus-oocyte complexes (COCs) reaching MII. This limits the progression of assisted reproductive technologies, which could benefit breeding programs for assistance dogs and endangered Canidae. Canine oocyte maturation differs from that in other mammals, with the ovulation of a COC in the germinal vesicle stage and nuclear maturation occurring in the oviduct. Because of this, the environment in which a canine COC matures is unlike that of other mammals, meaning that IVM protocols cannot be readily adapted. The aim of the current work was to determine (1) the effects of varying concentrations of FSH, human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG), and oestradiol (E2) during IVM on meiotic resumption and nuclear maturation of canine COCs; and (2) the optimal medium base, either synthetic oviductal fluid (SOF) or tissue culture medium-199 (TCM). Reproductive tracts of bitches (6 months to 7 years of age) were collected from veterinary clinics within 2h of routine spaying. Ovaries were sliced using a scalpel blade, releasing the COCs into aspiration medium. The COCs were randomly allocated to a maturation medium consisting of one of the hormones at two concentrations (FSH: 5 or 10µgmL−1; hCG: 5 or 10IUmL−1; E2: 1 or 5µgmL−1) and for both SOF and TCM base. Each hormone was tested individually for a replicate of eight animals per hormone (total of 12 experimental groups; 24 animals). The COCs were cultured for 72h in their allocated medium and then denuded and stained with Hoechst 33258. Fluorescence microscopy was used to determine nuclear maturation stage. Nuclear maturation rates to MII were analysed using a general linear model with pairwise comparison (SPSS version 25; SPSS Inc./IBM Corp.) with each individual animal acting as a replicate. Canine COCs matured in a SOF-based media had higher rates of meiotic resumption (MI and MII) (SOF: 38.68%, n=515; TCM: 25.78%, n=542; P<0.05) and number reaching MII (SOF: 7.54%; TCM: 4.39%; P<0.05) compared with TCM-based medium. Resumption of meiosis and nuclear maturation to MII did not differ between media with differing E2 or hCG concentrations. The use of FSH at 10µgmL−1 in SOF medium decreased resumption of meiosis (8.57%) and MII rates (0%) compared with 5µgmL−1 FSH in SOF (29.41% and 3.92%, respectively; P<0.05). In summary, our data indicated that higher concentrations of FSH during IVM have a negative effect on meiotic resumption and maturation to MII, whereas canine COCs resume meiosis and mature to MII in higher rates in a SOF-based medium compared with a TCM base. An IVM medium that replicates the invivo environment in which canine COCs mature is beneficial. However, rates of IVM canine oocytes reaching maturity are low, signifying that future research must investigate a greater range of hormone concentrations and combinations to better mimic invivo conditions to assess the possible benefits for canine IVM.

Geographic Availability of Assistance Dogs: Dogs Placed in 2013-2014 by ADI- or IGDF-Accredited or Candidate Facilities in the United States and Canada, and Non-accredited U.S. Facilities.

Assistance dogs' roles have diversified to support people with various disabilities, especially in the U.S. Data presented here are from the U.S. and Canada non-profit facilities (including both accredited and candidate members that fulfilled partial requirements: all here termed “accredited”) of Assistance Dogs International (ADI) and the International Guide Dog Federation (IGDF), and from non-accredited U.S. assistance dog training facilities, on the numbers and types of dogs they placed in 2013 and 2014 with persons who have disabilities. ADI categories of assistance dogs are for guide, hearing, and service (including for assistance with mobility, autism, psychiatric, diabetes, seizure disabilities). Accredited facilities in 28 states and 3 provinces responded; accredited non-responding facilities were in 22 states and 1 province (some in states/provinces with responding accredited facilities). Non-accredited facilities in 16 states responded. U.S./Canada responding accredited facilities (55 of 96: 57%) placed 2,374 dogs; non-accredited U.S. facilities (22 of 133: 16.5%) placed 797 dogs. Accredited facilities placed similar numbers of dogs for guiding (n = 918) or mobility (n = 943), but many more facilities placed mobility service dogs than guide dogs. Autism service dogs were third most for accredited (n = 205 placements) and U.S. non-accredited (n = 72) facilities. Psychiatric service dogs were fourth most common in accredited placements (n = 119) and accounted for most placements (n = 526) in non-accredited facilities. Other accredited placements were for: hearing (n = 109); diabetic alert (n = 69), and seizure response (n = 11). Responding non-accredited facilities placed 17 hearing dogs, 30 diabetic alert dogs, and 18 seizure response dogs. Non-accredited facilities placed many dogs for psychiatric assistance, often for veterans, but ADI accreditation is required for veterans to have financial reimbursement. Twenty states and several provinces had no responding facilities; 17 of these states had no accredited facilities. In regions lacking facilities, some people with disabilities may find it inconvenient living far from any supportive facility, even if travel costs are provided. Despite accelerated U.S./Canada placements, access to well-trained assistance dogs continues to be limited and inconvenient for many people with disabilities, and the numerous sources of expensive, poorly trained dogs add confusion for potential handlers.

Working Smarter Not Harder: Oxytocin Increases Domestic Dogs' (Canis familiaris) Accuracy, but Not Attempts, on an Object Choice Task.

The neuropeptide oxytocin (OT) has been shown to enhance dogs’ ability to perform an object choice task (OCT) involving the use of human pointing cues, when delivered intranasally. This study aimed at further investigating whether OT enhances task performance by increasing choices made, or by increasing correctness of choices made, and to compare these treatment effects to dog appeasing pheromone (DAP), known to balance emotional activation in dogs. Hence, we compared OCT performance between three groups of dogs: (i) dogs administered OT and a sham collar, (ii) dogs administered a saline placebo and a DAP collar, and (iii) control dogs administered a saline placebo and a sham collar. All three groups consisted of a combination of male and female pet dogs and assistance-dogs-in-training currently living with a volunteer carer. The study also evaluated the effect of intranasal OT and/or DAP on plasma levels of OT, and prolactin; which has previously been linked with anxiety in dogs. The dogs’ emotional state was measured using the Emotional Disorders Evaluation in Dogs (EDED) scale. The owners’/carers’ degree of anxious- and avoidant-style attachment to their dogs was accessed using the Pet Attachment Questionnaire (PAQ). Interesting descriptive data appeared for both treatment groups. Particularly, in OT group, we obtained significant results demonstrating that intranasal OT enhances OCT performance in dogs compared to control, by increasing the percentage of correct choices, but not the number of choices, made. Results also support that the mode of action of intranasal OT is via direct access to the brain and not via the blood, since no elevation of plasma OT (or prolactin) levels were observed after intranasal administration in this study. Similarly, DAP application did not significantly alter OT or prolactin peripheral concentrations. Several differences were observed between fostered and pet dogs, namely: fostered dogs demonstrated higher levels of serum prolactin, made more choices on the OCT compared to pet dogs but were not more likely to be correct, and were fostered by carers with higher avoidant attachment scores than pet dog owners. These findings implicate consideration of potential carer and training consequences for assistance dogs.

Supportive Care for People With Disabilities as Working Partnerships With Their Assistance Dogs Are Ending: A Perspective From Veterinary Oncology.

People with disabilities and those working to train, provide and support assistance animals, along with their veterinary teams, would all benefit if they RETHINK their perspective and viewpoint, and roles when these very special relationships come to an end. The end of the relationship may be when the assistance animal must retire, must be redirected, or euthanized due to illness or cancer. The loss or separation at the end of an assistance animal's service marks a heavy loss for the disabled person. Emotions emerge when the assistance animal is sick or has developed cancer or is approaching the difficult period known as “end of life.” Anticipatory grief and heartbreak may be very difficult to manage and support. We can help ease the burden of decision making when euthanasia is needed for the assistance animal. If the disabled person takes on the good shepherd role and if the veterinary team emulates the minister or Mother Nature's role at the end of life or at the end of the working relationship, heartache may be lifted from both sides of the leash.

Fear/Reactivity in working dogs: An analysis of 37 years of behavioural data from the Mira Foundation’s future service dogs

Defining and predicting a dog’s personality is a major concern for groups providing service and/or working dogs. The Mira Foundation is a non-profit organisation offering service dogs to autistic children and individuals with motor or visual disabilities. Since its establishment in 1981, the Foundation has donated thousands of dogs and registered behavioural data on its dogs by relying on rigorous and standardised procedures. First, at 6 and 12 months of age, while the dogs are in a foster family, data are collected using questionnaires to assess the presence or absence of specific behaviours (QFFs). Then, at 1 year of age, just prior to receiving professional training, dog trainers conduct a set of short behavioural tests to evaluate dogs for various traits that are key for training. Exploiting the unique database created by the Foundation, this study aimed to investigate whether, as pointed out in the literature, fearfulness can be a reliable predictor of adult dog personality traits and of qualification as a service dog. More specifically, three goals were pursued in the present study: 1) to study the possibility of extracting fearfulness dimensions at 6 months and 1 year of age; 2) to assess the stability of this dimension across development and across the types of evaluations; 3) to assess its predictive value for future qualification as a service dog (i.e. guide dog, assistance dog, dog for ASD children, or breeder); and 4) to investigate the impact of sex and breed on the likelihood of achieving qualification as a service dog and on Fear/Reactivity at 1 year of age. The analysis revealed the presence of a Fear/Reactivity personality dimension in dogs across the three evaluations. The results confirmed the consistency of this dimension between 6 and 12 months of age (QFFs), and in the behavioural evaluation at 1 year of age. Furthermore, the Fear/Reactivity dimension significantly predicted dog disqualification from training programmes and also the subtype of the programme in which dogs will be certified. Finally, the results indicated that a dog’s Fear/Reactivity and likeliness to qualify in a specific programme varied according to its sex and breed.

Still “Serving” Us? Mutualism in Canine Scent Detection of Human Illness

Abstract Noting the human inclination to extend ability by “harvesting” nonhuman animal powers, there are calls for greater equality in the multispecies rendering of services. In this study, medical alert assistance dogs who coexist with chronically ill human individuals illustrate the possibilities of mutualism in symbiotic relationships. The dogs are trained to alert and are used in the scent detection of symptoms of hypo- or hyperglycemia in their human partners so that preventative treatment can be effected and unconsciousness or coma avoided. The canine-human collaborative partnership is based on the dogs’ keen sense of smell and cooperation to attain a reward. The article illustrates a cross-species embodiment of moral interdependence that extends the biomedical armamentarium.

Relation of post-traumatic stress disorder symptom severity to the efficacy of an animal-assisted intervention for stress reduction after military aeromedical evacuation.

Animal-assisted interventions (AAIs) have been found to decrease stress in some settings, but it is not known if AAI is feasible in an aeromedical staging facility or effective in reducing stress following aeromedical evacuation (AE) of military personnel. An experimental design was used to evaluate the efficacy of AAI at reducing stress in AE military patients (N = 120). Patients participated in a 20-min AAI (n = 60) or 20-min informational session about assistance dogs as an attention-control group (n = 60). Demographics, post-traumatic stress symptom severity (PTSSS), and stress biomarkers (cortisol, alpha-amylase, and immunoglobulin A) were collected regular intervals. AAI was found feasible and efficacious at reducing stress. Cortisol decreased significantly (p < .05) in the AAI group compared with the attention-control group. PTSSS moderated the immunoglobulin A responses to AAI as demonstrated by the interaction of PTSD Checklist-Military Version score, group, and time, F(1, 111.23) = 4.15 p = .044; effect size: d = 0.31. This research supports AAI as a stress-reducing modality in AE patients, particularly those who report higher PTSSS. Implications for future research are discussed.

Exposing the mechanisms underlying successful animal-assisted interventions for people with dementia: A realistic evaluation of the Dementia Dog Project.

There is increasing recognition of animal-assisted interventions as a promising area of practice within health and social care for people living with dementia. However, much of the research focuses on benefits for those living in care homes and not in their own homes. The Dementia Dog Project is an innovative project that aims to support people with dementia to engage with dogs and to promote the use of dogs in dementia care in the community. The pilot project introduced a dementia assistance dog to four couples where one person had a diagnosis of dementia. The aim of this paper is to explore the mechanisms that can successfully expose the benefits of integrating dogs into dementia care by drawing on the findings of a realistic evaluation of the pilot phase of the Dementia Dog Project (2013-2015). A realistic evaluation, with its focus on context, mechanisms and outcomes illuminates why an approach may work in some situations but not in others. This makes it especially appropriate to the unique, complex experience of living with dementia and the early development stage of the programme. The analysis triangulated data from a range of primary and secondary sources including interviews with the project team, case reports, team meeting notes and transcripts of interviews with participants. The findings identified three mechanisms that help to unlock the most positive outcomes for both the participants and the dogs. These were (1) the human-animal bond, (2) relationship dynamics and (3) responsibility of caring. The findings presented within this paper provide essential information to inform and advance the planning for the use of assistance dogs for people with dementia.

The Use of Service Dogs for People With Physical Disabilities in Japan in Accordance With the Act on Assistance Dogs for Physically Disabled Persons.

Japan learnt how to promote assistance dogs effectively by deliberating the issues and challenges that surrounded assistance dogs in the USA and Europe and the Act on Assistance Dogs for Physically Disabled Persons was issued in 2002. The aim of this paper is to provide information that may be useful for countries and areas that are seeking ways to regulate assistance dogs, especially in the context of the global problem in which dogs are falsely claimed to assist their partners. First, there is a description of the process through which Japan, where pet dogs have not been accepted in society, established the Act, which overcame the shortcomings of the previous situation. Second, it is shown the ways in which people living with assistance dogs have gained the right to have their dogs accompany them in public. Third, the current challenges faced by people with assistance dogs are documented. Finally, pictures of an example of an assistance dog certificate and of an assistance dog sign reveal how far the regulation of assistance dogs is achieved in Japan.