Assistance animals

Re: Assistance animals

loopylou711 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:59:11 GMT

will have a look and see but doubt it!

Re: Assistance animals

Louise B — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:34:58 GMT

Anthrozoos might be a useful journal for you then but few unis subscribe to it.

Re: Assistance animals

loopylou711 — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 17:24:34 GMT

Thanks Princess,

Well its basically to explore the effects on the animal physologically and phyiscally and also look at different animals like donkeys and monkeys! We are also looking at support dogs being used with mentally ill people. Oh and its also to look at their welfare and all that sort of thing!

But cheers for the article!

Re: Assistance animals

Louise B — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 14:33:29 GMT

Found this abstract while doing my own work today!

Development of the attachment bond in guide dogs

Paola Valsecchi^a^,^,, Emanuela Prato Previde^b, Pier Attilio Accorsi^c and Gaia Fallani^a

^a Dipartimento di Biologia Evolutiva e Funzionale, Università degli Studi di Parma, viale Usberti 11 A, 43100 Parma, Italy

^b Dipartimento di Scienze e Tecnologie Biomediche, Sezione di Psicologia, Università degli Studi di Milano, via Tommaso Pini 1, 20134 Milano, Italy

^c Dipartimento di Morfofisiologia Veterinaria e Produzioni Animali, Università degli Studi di Bologna, Via Tolara di Sopra 50, 40064 Ozzano Emilia (Bologna), Italy

Accepted 17 December 2009.

Available online 15 January 2010.

Abstract

This study investigates ontogenetic aspects of attachment behaviour in guide dogs using the Strange Situation Test (SST). Seventeen dogs were tested three times in different periods of the guide dog training program. The first test was carried out when the dogs were 11–15 months old and before entering the training program; the second test took place after 4 months of training; the last test was carried out after more than 1 year of service as guide dogs. Therefore three different human figures were involved in the program: the puppy walker, the trainer and the blind owner. In each test the dogs’ behaviour was video recorded and subsequently scored using a 5-s point sampling method; furthermore heart rate (HR) was recorded both before (HR basal average) and during the SST.

Results of the present study show that when tested for the first time at the age of 11 months, dogs exhibited an intense play activity and a limited discrimination of the attachment figure: during separation from the puppy walker their attention was directed towards the stranger that could offer comfort rather than to the owner's exit from the room. On the contrary, the same dogs tested when adult, after 1 year of life with the blind owner were specifically interested in regaining contact with their owner despite the presence of another friendly human (the stranger) available for support. The three repetitions of the SST had only a limited impact on dogs behaviour: previous experiences with the room and the procedure of the test did determine a decrease of exploratory behaviour and of puppet fear, but not of the emotional response to separation from the owner. As the heart rate curve was available only for a limited number of dogs cautious conclusions are drawn on cardiac activity: when adult, dogs showed a higher cardiac activation despite a decrement in HR baseline. Overall, the outcome of the present study indicate that a full-fledged attachment is showed when guide dogs reach maturity and that repeated bond breaking is not detrimental to forming attachment later in life.

Re: Assistance animals

Louise B — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:32:28 GMT

What's the emphasis of the presentation? There is some - limited - info out there on the effects of being an assistance animal on the welfare of that animal. Some of it suggests that it is not that rosy an existence for the animal - depending on the programme, the animal, the owner, etc.

Re: Assistance animals

Louise B — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 09:30:29 GMT

There are at least a couple of guide-dog employees/ex-employees on this forum. One is now a vet nurse lecturer somewhere near Leeds (her name will come back to me in a mo) and she comes on the forum all the time so you may get a reply soon. The other person I cannot remember anything about - sorry - but if you searched the members you would find her.

Re: Assistance animals

SmegSlayer — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 07:10:29 GMT

when i was young one of my favourite books contained an extract of a book called "Enter Emma" about a young blind woman in the '60's beginning her guide dog journey and going to Leamington Spa. It's prob changed quite a bit but it was told by the blind person so all the anxieties and fears of getting an animal your dependant on really came through.

Re: Assistance animals

Dippy — Tue, 09 Feb 2010 05:57:01 GMT

I once went of for an interview with Guide Dogs and they told me all that kind of stuff when I asked. I found them to be really helpful so I'm sure if you contacted your nearest centre or their HQ in Leamington (Tollgate), they'd be willing to let you have some info. Same for Hearing Dogs, Support Dogs, Dogs For The Disabled etc. I have all the info to register Henri as a PAT Dog so can tell you a bit about what they require if you're including them.