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Lifelong Health and Performance in Working Dogs: Physical and Psychological

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Dr. Melissa Singletary

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Department of Anatomy, Physiology and Pharmacology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Auburn University, Auburn, AL, USA
Interests: olfactory neuroscience and canine performance; development; health; welfare

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Working dog health and performance is a dynamic transdisciplinary topic. Performance is at the intersection of health, both physical and psychological, and the environment. This topic involves understanding the factors that influence health and performance throughout all life stages of a working dog. A lifelong consideration encompasses breeding, development, training, deployment, and retirement. Bringing together the fields of canine cognition and behavior in concert with veterinary medicine and canine health can provide a comprehensive perspective on working dog performance and welfare across a lifetime. This collection of studies aims to bring awareness to working dog professionals and encourages further research interests in this important topic.

The scope of this research topic is broad, inclusive of a wide spectrum of themes and topics related to the health and performance of working dogs. Submission of articles are encouraged, but not limited to, the following topics:

Canine Breeding Management, Health and Welfare;
Canine Early Development and Learning;
Working Dog Performance and Evaluation;
Canine Aging;
Career Longevity and Occupational Health;
Canine Nutrition;
Canine Enrichment and Socialization;
Canine Husbandry and Housing;
Physical Fitness and Performance;
Human–Animal Bond;
Canine Cognition and Behavior.

Dr. Melissa Singletary
Guest Editor

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Research

22 pages, 2273 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

What Makes Canine Search and Rescue Successful? Insights into Environmental, Management, and Personality Factors

by Silvia Silvestri, Gabriele Brecchia, Olimpia Barbato, Alda Quattrone, Marco Valsecchi and Laura Menchetti

Animals 2026, 16(4), 664; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani16040664 - 19 Feb 2026

Viewed by 910

Abstract

This study examined the effects of environmental conditions, behavioral history, management practices, and personality traits on the operational performance of search and rescue (SAR) dogs and dogs admitted to SAR certification testing. Thirty-two handlers completed a questionnaire collecting demographic data, as well as information on their dogs’ behavioral history, management practices, and personality descriptors. Each dog–handler unit also undertook a search trial consisting of locating a hidden person in a wooded area, which was evaluated both by professional instructors and the handlers through ratings of critical behavioral indicators. Objective measurements were obtained through a weather station and GPS devices. Handlers described their dogs mainly in terms of work-relevant traits, such as socio-cognitive engagement, assertiveness, and arousal. The performance evaluation form was practical and efficient, though the Distraction parameter may require refinement, and handler ratings suggested a self-reporting bias. Temperature and wind speed were negatively associated with performance, whereas higher humidity was positively associated with it. Performance was also associated with litter size, age at adoption, dog experience, and management-related factors. Finally, speed, ground coverage, and a canine profile characterized by high arousal and reactivity were strong determinants of good search performance (|ρ| ≥ 0.3; p < 0.05). Although these findings require confirmation in larger samples, search performance appears to be a multifactorial construct shaped by the interplay of extrinsic and intrinsic factors. Defining the contribution of each factor could help optimize performance and dogs’ welfare. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lifelong Health and Performance in Working Dogs: Physical and Psychological)

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11 pages, 1275 KB

Open AccessFeature PaperArticle

Fleece-Lined Whelping Pools Associated with Reduced Incidence of Canine Hip Dysplasia in a Guide Dog Program

by Lynna C. Feng, Alexandra Philippine, Elizabeth Ball-Conley and Sarah-Elizabeth Byosiere

Animals 2025, 15(2), 152; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani15020152 - 9 Jan 2025

Viewed by 7221

Abstract

Using genetic selection, Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB) has reduced the incidence rate of canine hip dysplasia (CHD). However, given that CHD is polygenic and multifactorial, environmental factors may impact the expression of this developmental condition. The objective of this original, correlational research was to investigate the relationship between the substrate in the whelping pool used from birth to 3 weeks of age and CHD diagnosis. This retrospective study included 5649 dogs (Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers, and Labrador–Golden Retriever crosses) at GDB. A total of 2785 dogs were whelped between 1 July 2012 and 28 November 2015, when the whelping pools were lined with newspaper, and 2864 dogs were whelped between 5 March 2016 and 29 December 2019, when the whelping pools were lined with fleece. Bayesian regression modeling of the CHD diagnoses and PennHIP distraction index scores identified that dogs in the fleece group had a lower risk for CHD diagnosis but similar PennHIP scores compared to the newspaper group. Golden Retrievers had the highest risk of CHD diagnosis and PennHIP scores, followed by Labrador–Golden Retriever crosses and finally Labrador Retrievers, with the lowest risk of CHD diagnosis and PennHIP scores. No sex differences were identified for CHD diagnosis, but males had lower PennHIP scores than females. These results provide correlational evidence that housing-related environmental factors during the first three weeks of development—specifically, the substrate in the whelping pool—are associated with lifelong orthopedic health. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Lifelong Health and Performance in Working Dogs: Physical and Psychological)

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