Working Dogs: Behavioral, Ethical, and Societal Dimensions of Human–Animal Teaming
A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Human-Animal Interactions, Animal Behaviour and Emotion".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 May 2026) | Viewed by 508
Editor
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Unlike standard pet ownership, which is mostly based on affection and companionship, the relationship between humans and their working dogs in contexts such as search and rescue missions is focused primarily on professionalism and teamwork. Understanding the dynamics of such a relationship is crucial to improving the efficacy of the operation. Working dogs play critical roles in various domains due to their olfactory acuity, trainability, and social intelligence. However, their success is often not purely a function of individual skill, but of the quality of the relationship between the dog and handler. Bonding in human–working dog teams fosters trust, enhances communication, and improves resilience under pressure. As organizations increasingly rely on canine teams, understanding the relational dynamics between handlers becomes vital for performance and welfare.
The aim of this Special Issue is to bring together the latest findings concerning the behavioral, ethical, and societal dimensions of human relationships with working dogs. Original research papers, as well as literature reviews from different research areas, such as welfare, behavior, interactions between humans and animals, ethical considerations of using working animals, and others, are welcome for submission in this Special Issue. Additional topics and interdisciplinary studies will also be considered.
Dr. Heather Lum
Guest Editor
Manuscript Submission Information
Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.
Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-anonymized peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Animals is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.
Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2400 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- working dogs
- working teams
- human–animal interaction
- animal welfare
- animal behavior
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