The Effect Of Sociability On The Guide Dog Training Success Rate

Objective: To explore the effect of the sociality of dogs on trianing success rate for guide dogs.Method:1. We investigated the effect of the factors of the contaction social environment of dogs in the foster period on trianing success rate for guide dogs in the form of questionnaire.By sorting out and analyzing the investigation materials of 69 puppy raisers from Chinese Guide Dogs Training Centre of Dalian, the social environment exposed to the dogs can be divided into 3-5 group and 1-2 group for comparative analysis.2. We tested the dog’s sociability by the methods of behavior test. All dogs have been tested in this study were in the training period. By testing 34 dogs in the training period that supplied by the Chinese Guide Dogs Training Centre of Dalian, We established the methods and the grading standards of temperament test in order to test the dog’s sociability. We found the best behavior test to measurement dogs’ sociability. We graded different variates by dogs’ behavioral expression by established standard for evaluation. After dog training, we divided tested dogs into guide dog group and eliminated dog group according to the criteria for the assessment guide dog of Chinese Guide Dogs Training Centre of Dalian.Results:1. According to the analysis of the questionnaire of puppy raisers, we found that the training success rates of dogs of 3-5 score group(27/53(50.9%)) was significantly higher than that of 1-2 score group(2/16(12.5%))(P = 0.006) and all investigate samples(29/69(42.0%)).2. The result of dog’s sociability test showed: the temperament test in this study, Social Contact Test, Passive Test, Play 1 Test, Play 2 Test can be used for testing dogs’ sociability. The statistical results showed that: in social contact test, the guide dogs’ mean scores of greeting reaction variable was higher than eliminated dogs. However,there were no significant difference between guide dogs and eliminated dogs(guide dogs: x = 3.29, eliminated dogs: x = 3.18, P = 0.716). While the scores of cooperation and handling variables of guide dogs were significantly higher than eliminated dogs and there was a significant difference score respectively between cooperation and handling(cooperation: guide dogs: x = 4.29, eliminated dog: x = 3.41, P = 0.005; handling:guide dogs: x = 3.59, eliminated dogs: x = 3.00, P = 0.049). The scores of Play 1 Test(playing interest and tug of war) variables of guide dogs were significantly lower than eliminated dogs and there was no significant difference(playing interest: guide dogs: x= 3.24, eliminated dog: x = 3.88, P = 0.088; tug of war: guide dogs: x = 3.59,eliminated dog: x =3.71, P = 0.839). While the scores of retrieve variables of guide dogs equal to eliminated dogs and there was no significant difference(guide dogs and eliminated dog: x =3.71, P = 1.000). The scores of Passive situation variables(active degree I and active degree II) of guide dogs were significantly lower than eliminated dogs and there was a significant difference score respectively in active degree I and active degree II(active degree I: guide dogs: x = 1.47, eliminated dog: x = 2.35, P =0.003; active degree II: guide dogs: x =1.82, eliminated dog: x =2.82, P = 0.014). Play2 Test is a repeat of Play 1 Test. Because the less of samples of Play 2 Test, this part of the data was not analysed.Conclusion: In the stage which dogs live with the puppy raisers, dogs contacting more social environment contributes to dog training become guide dogs. In the temperament test, the social contact test and Passive situation can be used to predict the training success rate for guide dogs; Cooperation, handling, active degree I and active degree II can be used as effective behavior variables to predict the training success rate for guide dogs. But greeting reaction can not be used as effective behavior variables to predict the training success rate for guide dogs. While the play test can not be used to predict the training success rate for guide dogs, and three behavior variables of the play test can not be used as effective behavior variables to predict the training success rate for guide dogs.For the sociality of dogs could be shown in the social contact test and Passive situation by behavior, so the sociality can be used as effective temperament characteristics to predict the training success rate for guide dogs.