| Background: Guide dogs are one of the components of barrier-free environment construction,and guide dog training has significant social significance.In China,guide dog training started late,has high requirements,and is difficult,while the demand for guide dogs is huge.To solve this problem,we should actively learn from foreign research experience based on China’s actual training work,find early screening methods suitable for guide dog training in China,clarify the training requirements of each stage,and thus improve the training success rate of guide dogs and reduce training costs.Good health and appropriate temperament characteristics are the main factors in the early screening of guide dogs.Animal behavior has consistency in time and environment,and the consistency weighting of multiple behavioral characteristics is called temperament characteristics.The temperament characteristics of dogs are classified according to different evaluation methods,including sociability,courage,playfulness,desire to retrieve,aggressiveness,and exploratory behavior.How to evaluate the temperament characteristics of dogs,the temperament characteristics required for guide dogs,and whether the training success rate can be predicted through temperament characteristic evaluation in the early stage of training are the main issues to be addressed in this study.Objectives: A three-stage tracking evaluation was conducted on the dogs based on the training process of guide dogs.The first stage was from the lactation period to the foster care period,the second stage was from the foster care period to the training period,and the third stage was from the training period to graduation/elimination.The main environmental factors of each stage were analyzed for their correlation with the behavior of dogs before and after each stage,in order to investigate whether maternal behavior,foster home environment,and training skills significantly affected the temperament of dogs.1.To establish a behavior method that can effectively evaluate the temperament characteristics of dogs.2.To screen the temperament characteristic types required for the successful training of guide dogs and establish an early screening model for guide dogs,thereby improving the success rate of guide dog training and reducing training costs.3.To explore the influence of maternal behavior level,foster family environment,and instructor training skills on the formation of dog temperament characteristics,and to provide theoretical basis and scientific suggestions for training work at various stages.Subjects and Methods: Subjects:The experimental subjects included 9 Labrador dogs from the Dalian training base for analysis of maternal behavior,112 puppies bred at the base from October 14,2020,to July 9,2022,for analysis of temperament features and the establishment of a predictability model for trainability,96 foster families of guide dog puppies for investigation of foster home environment,and 146 guide dogs and 71 eliminated dogs due to behavioral reasons that graduated from the Dalian training base from January 2015 to January 2022 for the establishment of a predictive model for training success rate.(The number of dogs mentioned above is only the number of dogs for which complete experimental data could be collected on the specified dates in this study.)Methods: 1.The influence of maternal behavior on the temperament of offspring in the first stage of guide dog training:(1)Observations and analysis of maternal behavior were conducted on breeding dogs,and videos were taken to record the duration of maternal behavior within 21 days after the birth of the puppies.The dogs were divided into two groups,high-level maternal behavior and low-level maternal behavior,based on principal component analysis scores.(2)The Puppy Test(PT)method was established by improving the Puppy Profiling Assessment(PPA)test items and rating criteria.The PT includes 10 sub-tests and 18 behavioral variables,including passive testing,following testing,restraint testing,chasing testing,sound testing,umbrella testing,game testing,slope testing,tunnel testing,and puppet testing,with a total testing time of approximately15 minutes,completed by three fixed experimenters(all female).The PT was used to evaluate the temperament of the puppies at 2 months,6 months,and 11 months old,and the factor analysis and internal consistency analysis of the PT scores were used to evaluate the different temperament characteristics of the puppies.(3)Foster caregivers filled out the Canine Behavioral Assessment & Research Questionnaire(C-BARQ),which includes 11sub-scales and 101 questions about trainability,dog-directed aggression,dog-directed fear,stranger-directed fear,nonsocial fear,sensitivity to touch,separation anxiety,excitability,attachment/separation-seeking,and behavioral problems.The questionnaire used a 5-level rating system.The temperament of the puppies was evaluated using the factor scores at 6months and 11 months.2.The influence of foster family environment on the temperament of puppies in the second stage of guide dog training:(1)A questionnaire survey was conducted on the foster family environment,and the primary foster caregiver of the puppies filled out a basic information questionnaire to collect information such as the caregiver’s age and gender.The NEO-FFI(Neuroticism Extraversion Openness Five-Factor Invento)was used to describe the five personality dimensions of neuroticism,extraversion,openness,agreeableness,and conscientiousness of the foster caregiver.(2)The foster caregiver’s parenting style evaluation questionnaire was filled out by the breeding department commissioner of the Dalian Guide Dog Training Base after more than 5 home visits and long-term daily communication to evaluate the parenting style,time and energy invested,and the effectiveness of the caregiver’s parenting.(3)The temperament of the puppies was evaluated using the PT at 6 months and 11 months old(same as the first part).3.The influence of skill training on the temperament of dogs in the third stage of guide dog training:(1)A survey was conducted on the training methods of the trainers.Thirteen trainers who participated in the study were recorded in more than 10 videos of later-stage training,and their training methods were divided into encouragement(emphasizing strong praise,touch,and food rewards when the dog performs well)and reward-punishment(emphasizing stern language education and leash corrections when the dog makes mistakes)based on the proportion of positive encouragement and negative education in the video recordings.The head of the training department of the Dalian Guide Dog Training Base was responsible for evaluating the trainers as either encouraging or reward-punishment trainers.(2)The temperament of the dogs was evaluated during the training using the Dog Mentality Assessment(DMA)test variables,which include sociability,sharpness,aggression,and defense drive,with a total of 15 test items.The temperament characteristics of the dogs were evaluated using factor scores.4.Predictive Analysis of Guide Dog Training Success Rate:(1)Evaluation of the training results of guide dogs: according to the national standard of Guide Dogs(GB/T36186-2018),the dogs were classified into graduated dogs and eliminated dogs through the skill assessment.(2)In the assessment of the trainability of the dogs,the dogs that failed to complete the training process during the establishment of the prediction model were evaluated by the trainer on walking for 3 months,and the dogs were classified into high trainability dogs and low trainability dogs by filling in the dog trainability assessment scale.(3)Establishment of prediction model: the temperament characteristics scores of dogs at 2,6,11,and 14 months of age were used as the independent variable,and the training success or trainability was used as the dependent variable to establish the prediction model of the success rate of guide dog training in different periods.Results: 1.The influence of Maternal Behavior Levels on Offspring Temperament Characteristics during the First Stage of Guide Dog Training:(1)Four variables were identified as effective indicators of maternal behavior in female Labrador Retrievers:duration spent in the nursing area(total time minus time spent alone outside the nursing area),physical contact,nursing behavior(including vertical,prone,and lateral nursing),and duration of licking the puppies.(2)Female Labrador Retrievers with high and low maternal behavior levels did not differ significantly in litter size,number of offspring,or proportion of male puppies(P >0.05).However,the average age of production in the low maternal behavior group was significantly higher than that in the high maternal behavior group(P = 0.05,Z = 1.96).(3)Factor analysis of puppy testing(PT)showed that this test can effectively evaluate temperament characteristics such as courage,sociability,retrieving desire,and confidence in slope tunnels in Labrador Retriever puppies at 2,6,and 11 months of age.(4)At 2 months of age,Labrador Retriever puppies in the low maternal behavior group had significantly higher scores in moderate stress tolerance(P = 0.056,Cohen’s d =0.54),sociability(P = 0.002,Cohen’s d = 0.95),and mild stress tolerance(P = 0.001,Cohen’s d = 1.0)than those in the high maternal behavior group,with a medium to large effect size.Low maternal behavior group puppies scored higher on most behavioral variables,which is more consistent with the temperament characteristics required for guide dog puppies.There were no significant differences in temperament characteristics between the high and low maternal behavior groups of Labrador Retriever puppies at 6 and 11 months of age(P > 0.05).(5)Labrador Retriever puppies in the low maternal behavior group had significantly lower scores on the owner attachment subscale of the C-BARQ questionnaire at 6 and 11 months of age than those in the high maternal behavior group,but the effect size was relatively small(P = 0.04,Cohen’s d = 0.28).2.The influence of foster family environment on the temperament of puppies in the second stage of guide dog training:(1)Male Labrador Retriever puppies fostered by male caretakers had significantly higher sociability scores at 11 months of age than those fostered by female caretakers(P = 0.001,Cohen’s d = 0.89).Labrador Retriever puppies fostered by caretakers with no experience in raising dogs had significantly higher sociability scores at 11 months of age than those fostered by caretakers with dog-raising experience(P = 0.048,Cohen’s d = 0.48).(2)There is a significant correlation between the temperament scores of2-6-11-month-old puppies and the foster family environment.There is a significant interaction effect of the sex of the foster parent and the test time on the puppies’ umbrella courage score(P<0.05).The foster parent’s investment of time and energy and the test time have a significant interaction effect on the puppies’ noise courage score and swing doll courage score(P<0.05).The foster parent’s discipline type and the test time have a significant interaction effect on the puppies’ swing doll courage score(P<0.05).3.The influence of skill training on the temperament of dogs in the third stage of guide dog training:(1)The factor analysis results of the DMA test show that the test can effectively evaluate the sociality,playfulness,bite desire,social courage,and non-social courage of Labrador retrievers and Golden retrievers.(2)After skill training,the average scores of playfulness,bite desire,social courage,and non-social courage of dogs have all improved.The difference in social and non-social courage scores is extremely significant and has a large effect(P=0.001,Cohen’s d>0.8).In addition,the main effect of the change in social and non-social courage scores of dogs comes from the test time point,and the training method has no significant effect on the change in courage scores(P>0.05).4.Predictive Analysis of Guide Dog Training Success Rate:(1)There is no significant difference(P>0.05)in the PT scores of 2-month-old and 6-month-old Labrador retrievers in the high and low trainable groups.The 11-month-old courage/playfulness score(P=0.02,Cohen’s d=0.63),umbrella fright reaction score(P=0.002,Cohen’s d=0.70),umbrella tension score(P=0.04,Cohen’s d=0.49),umbrella play interest score(P=0.004,Cohen’s d=0.72),game play interest score(P=0.045,Cohen’s d=0.55),swing doll tension score(P=0.007,Cohen’s d=0.65),and swing doll play interest score(P=0.06,Cohen’s d=0.43)of the high trainable group are significantly higher than those of the low trainable group.Only the exploration range variable in the passive test in the social factor has a significant difference between the trainable groups(P=0.04,Cohen’s d=0.51)except for the courage/playfulness factor.(2)The 11-month-old PT test can predict the trainability of dogs.The binary logistic regression model includes the courage/playfulness variable,and the model has a prediction accuracy of 64.2% for repeated samples.The prediction accuracy for low trainable dogs is72.2%,and the prediction accuracy for high trainable dogs is 54.8%.(3)Graduation dogs have significantly higher non-social courage scores(P<0.001,Cohen’s d=0.99),playfulness scores(P=0.02,Cohen’s d=0.37),social courage scores(P<0.001,Cohen’s d=0.70),and social scores(P<0.001,Cohen’s d=1.12)than eliminated dogs,among which non-social courage,social courage,and social scores have larger effect sizes.(4)This statement describes a logistic regression model that uses a temperament assessment test(DMA)conducted on 14-month-old dogs to predict the success rate of guide dog training.The model equation is given as Logit(P)=13.48-0.538 Greeting S-1.28 Cooperation S+0.661Chasing2C-0.47 Avoidance G-0.955Hiding2GS-1.046 Startle M.The model has an accuracy of 76% in predicting independent samples,with an 81.8%accuracy rate in predicting graduation dogs and a 64.7% accuracy rate in predicting elimination dogs.(5)This statement describes a study on high-trainability Labrador dogs,which showed that the salivary cortisol levels of the dogs remained at lower levels after returning to the base.There were significant differences in cortisol levels between the two groups on the 7th day(F=6.04,P=0.02,Cohen’s d=0.56)and 14 th day(F=6.55,P=0.02,Cohen’s d=0.59)after returning.However,there was no significant difference in salivary immunoglobulin A levels between the high-and low-trainability groups of dogs(P>0.05).(6)This statement describes a study that found that male dogs had significantly shorter training periods than female dogs,with a moderate effect size(P=0.01,Cohen’s d=0.6).The study also found that dogs trained by trainers who used a clear reward and punishment system had significantly shorter training periods than dogs trained by trainers who used a reward-based system,although the effect size was smaller(P=0.04,Cohen’s d=0.3).Conclusion: In the first stage of guide dog training,low maternal behavior contributes to the development of greater courage and lower attachment in puppies.Breeding females with older age and larger litter sizes are more likely to exhibit low maternal behavior.In the second stage of guide dog training,interaction with male fosterers helps puppies develop better socialization and courage.Fosterers who invest standard levels of time and energy into the puppies are more conducive to the development of courage.In the third stage of guide dog training,temperament is the main factor determining whether a dog can be trained successfully.Skill training can increase a dog’s courage to a limited extent,but cannot change a dog’s socialization.In the early screening of guide dogs,the PT score of 11-month-old puppies can be used to predict their trainability,and the DMA score of 14-month-old dogs can be used to predict their success rate in guide dog training.Socialization and courage are important temperament features in guide dog screening.Dogs with high trainability have lower salivary cortisol levels after returning to the kennel.Male graduates require a shorter period of skill training. |
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