期刊
JOURNAL OF VETERINARY MEDICAL SCIENCE
卷 75, 期 1, 页码 63-67出版社
JAPAN SOC VET SCI
DOI: 10.1292/jvms.12-0148
关键词
behavioral traits; Distraction; guide dogs for visually-impaired people; puppy-raising period; questionnaire
资金
- Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology, Japan [21380172]
- Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research [21380172] Funding Source: KAKEN
Guide dogs help visually impaired persons both physically and psychologically. More than half of all candidate dogs do not qualify, mainly for behavioral reasons. Improved training efficacy is desirable, and earlier prediction of qualification-related traits would be beneficial. In a previous study, we identified 'Distraction', assessed during the training period, as an important behavioral trait for judging the qualification of guide dogs at the Japan Guide Dog Association. As a second step, we aimed to develop an index that can predict during the puppy period. In this study, candidate guide dogs, 5-month-old Labrador retrievers, were assessed by puppy raisers using a newly developed questionnaire that consisted of 20 items. The same dogs were assessed later, at 15 months, by trainers to determine 'Distraction'. In principal components analysis, nine items, including excitability toward strangers, initiative while out for a walk, and exploration, composed the first principal component (PCI). When we compared PCI points with 'Distraction' points, the two categories were positively correlated (n=110, r(s)=0.31, P=0.0009). Although the accuracy of the questionnaire should be increased, the results of the present study suggest that it may be possible to assess and predict 'Distraction', which is associated with disqualification for guide dogs, early in the puppy-raising period.
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