Abstract
Tests
of motor laterality and behavioral reactivity, as well as salivary
cortisol concentrations, were examined in this pilot study to identify
dogs best suited to guide dog work. Over a 14-month period,
lateralization tests were conducted and cortisol concentrations were
determined on 3 separate occasions, and temperament testing was
performed on 2. Potential guide dogs (N = 43) involved in this study
were 5 golden retrievers (4 males, 1 female) and thirty-eight Labrador
retrievers (8 black males, fifteen yellow males, 5 black females, and
ten yellow females). Results from these tests were then compared with
the ultimate success of the dogs in the Guide Dogs NSW/ACT training
program. This comparison produced evidence that motor lateralization
(particularly the rate at which both paws were used during the Kong Test
and the lateralization index during the Tape Test), reactions to an
unfamiliar dog, the latency for dogs to drop and rest during an
uninterrupted period, and the dog's color and breed were predictive of
ultimate success. This study also identified 14 months of age as a more
accurate time to assess dogs for these traits than either 6 months of
age or at the age at which they completed their training (ranging from
14 to 20 months of age).
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