Health of Assistance Dogs
We compared the effects of different feeding strategies on hormonal and oxidative stress biomarkers in guide dogs during specialized training programs. Eight neutered adult dogs belonging to the Labrador retriever breed were divided during the training work into two homogeneous groups for sex (2 males, 2 females), age (17 months ± 1), initial body weight (26.3 kg ± 1), and BCS (4.5 of 9 ± 0.11) and fed two commercial diets with different concentration of energetic nutrients. One diet was a performance diet (HPF) characterized by low-carbohydrate/high-protein and fat content (29:39:19% as-fed) and the other a normal maintenance diet (LPF), characterized by high-carbohydrate/low-protein and fat content (50:24:12% as-fed). The trial lasted 84 days. At days 0, 28, 56, and 84, 180 min before the training work (T0) and immediately after (T1) and after 120 min (T2), blood adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH), cortisol, d-ROMS (reactive oxygen metabolites–derived compounds), and BAP (biological antioxidant potential) were evaluated. Lactate was measured at T0 and T1. The statistical model included the effects of diet (HPF vs. LPF), time (from day 0 to day 84, end of the trial), and exercise (T0, T1, and T2) and their interaction. ACTH (P = 0.002) and cortisol (P = 0.013) showed higher values in the HPF than in the LPF group; there were no significant differences observed for lactate. Time showed no significant difference for any hormones or blood lactate. Exercise significantly (P < 0.001) influenced ACTH and cortisol concentrations, showing higher values at T1 than T0 and T2, and with lactate higher (P < 0.0001) at T1 than T0. Diet did not influence biomarkers of oxidative stress. Time did significantly (P < 0.05) influence BAP results but not d-ROMs. Exercise had no effect on BAP results, but d-ROMs were higher at T0 than T2 (P = 0.001). There was no interaction effect. The pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis response and the oxidative stress indices could represent an objective method to identify optimal dietary protocols for creating a successful guide dog during the early training period.
The relevance of this study is due to the lack of information space regarding potential biological threats when keeping service dogs and their management methods. The purpose of the work is to analyze and clarify the meaning of the terms “bioprotection and biosecurity”, outline the methods of ensuring biological protection and safety when working with service dogs, expand and generalize the understanding of this issue both in practical and theoretical-legal fields of implementation and implementation in practice In the course of research and analysis of scientific literature, certain general conclusions were formed, which allow to better understand and distinguish specific practical and theoretical-legal components of ensuring biological protection and safety of service dog enclosures. Therefore, the biological management system should provide for and implement principles, rules, and recommendations, the implementation of which is intended to prevent penetration and the spread and release of potential carriers of biological hazards. It was established that to ensure the sanitary and hygienic well-being of the center for keeping service dogs, the “wind rose” principle should be taken into account. You should not neglect the generally accepted requirements for keeping primary documentation of animal records and preventive and curative features of their care, and stringent compliance with the prescriptions for deworming and vaccination of animals. Particular attention should be paid to preventive veterinary measures such as disinfection, namely disinfection of dishes for feeding and watering animals, premises for their taming and operation, disinsection, and derivatization, which, to a large extent, ensure a high level of internal biosafety and protection. Based on the research I conducted, I would like to draw attention to the need to clarify the regulatory and legal mechanisms for ensuring compliance and implementing the provisions of the current legislation of Ukraine and legal doctrine in the field of guaranteeing biological protection and safety.
Cortisol is widely used in mammals as a measure of HPA axis response. To estimate response to an acute stressor, minimize pain and ease sample collection, salivary cortisol has become preferred over serum cortisol across a variety of species. This includes domestic dogs in which research with laboratory dogs initially demonstrated the predicted relationship between cortisol concentrations in serum and salivary levels sampled within minutes of each other. The Model Population Hypothesis suggests a laboratory dog should be physiologically representative of all dogs. We provide a critical test of this idea by providing the first validation of salivary cortisol against serum measures in healthy puppies less than six months of age (n = 34; 8 to 20-week-old Labrador x Golden Retrievers) as well as a group of healthy adult pet dogs (n = 38). Following previously established methodology, blood and saliva were collected within 4 min of each other. Puppies were sampled multiple times while adults were sampled once. We found that salivary and serum cortisol are poorly correlated in our puppies r(216) = − 0.092, p = 0.178, and adult dogs (r(36) = 0.092, p = 0.582). Our results suggest that previously validated methods with laboratory dogs may not translate to healthy puppies and pet dogs, particularly those less than six months of age. Further research is now needed to identify a salivary sampling method that might allow for this less invasive sampling technique to be used in puppies and pet dogs living in a range of real-world contexts.
Despite increasing information on enhancing client communication and compliance/adherence in veterinary medicine, literature focusing on special cases remains limited: working with clients with special needs, challenges or disabilities, or when the patient is an assistance or emotional support animal. This paper summarizes current recommendations on how best to build successful working relationships with these clients, including action items to implement in practice. In addition, this paper reviews current literature on important considerations for care of assistance dogs as patients.
Training and maintaining a service dog requires extensive time and financial resources. The emotional bond between service dogs and their handlers poses unique challenges when dogs develop behavioral issues. We present a case of an otherwise healthy adult service dog exhibiting acute environmental fears, hindering her job performance. The dog’s fear responses escalated in various settings, including school and home environments. Diagnostic evaluation ruled out medical pathology, leading to a diagnosis of nonsocial environmental fear and generalized anxiety. A multimodal treatment approach involving environmental management, antidepressant medication (fluoxetine), and behavior modification was implemented. Desensitization and counterconditioning protocols targeted specific triggers, such as shiny floors and elevators. Eight weeks after treatment initiation, the dog showed improvement, enabling a modified behavior treatment plan to be implemented as she gradually returned to work with reduced fear responses. Follow-up revealed sustained progress with additional dosage adjustment of fluoxetine.
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.
Despite over 70% of guide dog owners reporting that their emotional wellbeing had been affected by a dog attack on their guide dog, in-depth qualitative studies examining this issue are lacking. The aim of this work was to further our understanding of the impact of a dog attack on the overall, holistic wellbeing of the guide dog owner. A total of 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with guide dog owners whose dogs had been the victim of a dog attack. The data were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that a dog attack can have a long-term impact on a guide dog owner’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. As such, service providers who manage the aftermath of an attack should recognise the potentially multiple and long-term effects on guide dog owner wellbeing and the importance of more holistically oriented support.
Service dogs, also known as assistance dogs, are seen increasingly in public places, including healthcare settings. Whereas an earlier article reviewed literature relevant to the human‐animal bond in general, this, article recounts my personal and professional experiences as a volunteer for Canine Companions for Independence (CCI). Rehabilitation professionals are advocates for their clients, and this article provides important information about the issues, benefits, and challenges in obtaining, training, and living with a service dog. For additional information, sources available through the Internet and a bibliography are provided.
No Abstract available.
The aim of this study was to determine whether objective measures of laterality could be used to identify dogs with a high probability of successfully completing a Guide Dog Training Programme. Three categories of laterality (motor, sensory, and structural), were assessed in 114 dogs entering guide dog training. Significant predictors of success were identified: the direction of laterality (P = 0.028), paw preference category in the ‘Kong’ test (P = 0.043), hindpaw clearance height (P = 0.002), laterality indices for a number of measures in the Sensory Jump test, and chest hair whorl direction (P = 0.050). This is the first study to report a structural marker of canine behaviour. All three categories of laterality may be used to predict the suitability of dogs for guiding work, and by identifying predictors of success, resources can be more efficiently utilised on dogs with greater potential.
Research on the psychosocial effects of service dogs (SDogs) on veterans’ family members is relatively limited and often centers veterans’ perspectives rather than those of the family. This exploratory study aimed to examine how Canadian veterans’ family members perceive veterans’ SDog and how they affect different psychosocial outcomes, specifically family quality of life and caregiving. A mixed-methods design utilizing an online questionnaire and follow-up interviews was employed. A non-probability sample of veterans’ family members (i.e., spouses, parents, siblings, friends) were recruited via convenience and snowball sampling methods. Participants (N = 35) completed an online questionnaire containing scales measuring their perceptions of and bond with the SDogs, their experience of caregiving, and overall family quality of life. Interviews with veterans’ spouses (N = 7) expanded on these topics. We analyzed quantitative data with descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative data with content analysis. Overall, family members had positive perceptions of and felt bonded to the SDogs. Caregiver scores were relatively high suggesting risk of burnout. Interviewed participants reported no change in their caregiving duties, but they worried less about the veterans because of the SDog. Family quality of life scores were relatively high and SDogs were generally well-integrated into the family, but families seemed to need some support concerning their own emotional well-being. Findings from this study highlight some of the psycho-social benefits of SDogs for veterans’ families from their perspectives. Optimizing these benefits may require awareness of and managing drawbacks related to SDogs, acknowledging limits of the SDog role, and that SDogs’ role can overlap with that of family pets.
Welfare of Assistance Dogs
This paper examines one approach to the ethics of companion animals, which emerges from the dominant historical tradition and is increasingly familiar in everyday life as well as in work on companion animals in the social sciences. I label it the “utilization with welfare-safeguards” model, or, more gently worded, “seeking benefits while ensuring welfare.” Some of the “benefits” considered are complex ones (like guiding the sight impaired) and others simpler (like reducing stress or providing affection). I explore several problems involved in this approach (including the sometimes jarring inappropriateness of “benefit” terminology). I then offer an alternative account where the primary moral obligation toward companion animals is to develop, nurture, respect, and protect the loving relationship between them and their human companions, since thriving in such a relationship, I claim, has become part of their evolved telos (to use Bernard Rollin’s term) or evolved nature. This priority naturally leads to ensuring welfare, but the highly pro-active approach involved takes the obligation beyond standard welfare provision and “TLC” (“tender loving care”). Some implications of this position are explored.
This study explored the relationships between adults with disabilities and service dogs through leisure participation. The relationships between service dog and owner and perceptions of and access to leisure were explored via semi-structured interviews. Emergent themes included feelings of interdependence and a lifelong emotional connection. Themes related to perceptions of and access to leisure included service dog orientation and the influence of lifestyle. Owners felt that having a service dog was a positive influence on leisure activities. The emotional connection between owner and service dog was multidimensional, inclusive of trust, maintaining independence, increased socialization, and creating a need to participate in leisure experiences. The cognitive hierarchy model, and experiential learning and transformational learning theories were applied.
Dogs for the Disabled is an organisation recently established in the UK to provide trained assistance dogs to enhance the mobility and independence of people with physical disabilities. Fifty-seven recipients of a Dog for the Disabled (90% of all recipients) took part in a questionnaire survey to assess satisfaction with their dog, commitment to the dog’s welfare, and other changes in their life brought about by obtaining their dog. Subjects reported an increased sense of social integration, enhancement to self-perceived health, and an affectionate, often supportive, relationship with their dog. Levels of satisfaction with the dog’s work and the quality of the recipient–dog relationship were greater in subjects for whom the idea to have a dog was their own than in subjects who were influenced by other people to acquire a dog. These differences were small but statistically significant and may be a useful predictor in future applicants of the success of the working relationship.
There is a growing interest in the “use” of service-dogs to enable persons living with disability to navigate the world more independently in North American culture. While this may appear to be progress, the question remains, for whom? Although there is evidence that the presence of a service-dog is beneficial for persons living with a variety of disabilities, this trend is not devoid of embedded assumptions and a related need for caution. How persons living with disability and nonhuman animals, in this case dogs, are treated both matter equally. One set of needs stemming from structural oppression must not eclipse another’s set of needs. The “use” of one party in order to emancipate another, is therefore fraught with necessary cautions. There are shared oppressions and rights at both ends of the service dog leash.
Despite over 70% of guide dog owners reporting that their emotional wellbeing had been affected by a dog attack on their guide dog, in-depth qualitative studies examining this issue are lacking. The aim of this work was to further our understanding of the impact of a dog attack on the overall, holistic wellbeing of the guide dog owner. A total of 20 in-depth semi-structured interviews were conducted with guide dog owners whose dogs had been the victim of a dog attack. The data were analysed thematically. Findings suggest that a dog attack can have a long-term impact on a guide dog owner’s physical, emotional, social, and spiritual wellbeing. As such, service providers who manage the aftermath of an attack should recognise the potentially multiple and long-term effects on guide dog owner wellbeing and the importance of more holistically oriented support.
Owners and trainers of assistance dogs must be able to manage the dog’s stress levels efficiently. These dogs are exposed to various situations every day and are expected to perform complicated tasks. It is a fundamental aspect that the dog’s welfare is maintained and monitored. The aim of this study was to investigate the use of blood prolactin level as an indicator of a chronic stress response.
Assistance animals play significant roles in human therapy and well-being and represent a rapidly growing demographic of animals in society. Most research in the field of assistance animals has been focused on the effect of these animals on people. Only recently has there been a growing interest in the welfare and well-being of these animals and the effect of the work on the animals themselves. The concept of retirement, or withdrawing the animal from its working life, is an important welfare consideration that has received minimal discussion in the scientific literature. The notion of retirement is typically regarded as a reward earned after a lifetime of work, but this inevitable phase of an animal’s working life has positive and negative implications for both animal and handler. Some of these implications include recognizing the emotional impact of this life-altering event on both animal and handler. The decisions of when and how to appropriately retire an animal are typically made at the discretion of the assistance animal agencies and handlers, but standard evidence-based guidelines for the proper retirement of assistance animals are currently unavailable. This review will provide considerations and recommendations for the retirement that assistance animals deserve.
This paper explores the intersection of assistance dog welfare and intelligent systems with a technological intervention in the form of an emergency canine alert system. We make the case that assistance dog welfare can be affected by the welfare of their human handlers, and examine the need for a canine alert system that enables the dog to take control over a potentially distressing situation thus improving assistance dog welfare. We focus on one specific subset of assistance dogs, the Diabetes Alert Dog, who are trained to warn their diabetic handlers of dangerously low or high blood sugar levels.
This chapter demonstrates how the use of therapy and assistance animals significantly enhances human health and well-being. It addresses whether this end morally justifies the means of achieving it. The goal is to re-examine the animal/human partnership from the animal’s viewpoint to see what the benefits might be for the animal, or to see if the raising, training, and use of therapy and assistance animals is causing significant degradation in their welfare. Further welfare challenges arise when therapy and assistance animals begin to age. There are many potential sources of chronic stress in the lives of therapy and assistance animals. Trainers, practitioners, and end-users of these animals should be educated to recognize the warning signs and act accordingly. Recent advances in avian medicine, nutrition, and behavior reveal that most of these birds have highly specialized needs relating to air quality, nutrition, lighting, housing, sleep, and both environmental and social enrichment. The lifecycle of the typical assistance animal generally involves a series of relatively abrupt changes in its social and physical environment. Assistance animals are expected to obey complex commands and perform relatively challenging physical activities that also create a potential for welfare problems.
Service dogs have been used in the adult population for decades. Recently, there has been a diversification in types of service dogs, specifically for the pediatric population. Although guide dogs and mobility dogs are accepted in society, autism assistance dogs, seizure alert and response dogs and diabetic alert dogs are relatively new. As pediatric service dogs attract more attention, pediatric providers need to be prepared to answer parental inquires regarding service dog use. The pediatric provider is well equipped to identify children who could benefit from a service dog intervention and should be able to make a referral to a reputable service dog provider. This article presents guidance on appropriate patient selection, making a service dog referral, and risks and benefits involved. Pediatric providers are ideally positioned to be leaders in implementing this evolving new assistive technology that can help to alleviate pediatric disabilities for both the patient and family.
