1. How do We Predict the Success of a Potential Service Dog?
Emma Blumstein, Evan L. MacLean, PhD, and Brian A. Hare, PhD
Duke University
Results from this Summer
Research Question
Can cognitive tests be run
with the dogs currently in
a training program to help
us predict whether or not a
dog will successfully
graduate from the training
program?
Methods
Task 1: Mutual Gaze
- Experimenter vigorously played with a squeaky, plush dog
toy for ten seconds
- After ten seconds, experimenter abruptly stopped playing
- Experimenter recorded the amount of time the dog made
eye contact over a period of twenty seconds
Mutual Gaze*
(s)
Inhibitory Control
Laterality
%
Released
Dogs
Successful
Dogs
Released
Dogs
Successful
Dogs
Released
Dogs
Successful
Dogs
Mutual Gaze:
- There was an observable positive relationship between how long a dog made eye contact with the
experimenter and success in the training program
Inhibitory Control:
-There was a significant difference between the performance of the dogs who were soon released from the
program and those that were successful in the program
- Dogs that were later released made fewer preservative errors than the dogs who later graduated
Laterality:
- Of the dogs that graduated from the training program, most tended to have a significantly dominant paw
*Statistic calculated using data from Summer 2012 as well as Summer 2011
Task 2: Inhibitory Control
Discussion
Familiarization:
- Dog watched as experimenter placed a small piece of dog
food and a kong toy inside a black, opaque cylinder
- Dog was given 30 seconds to retrieve food using the two
open sides
It may be entirely possible to determine which of the hundreds of dogs entering the program have the greatest
potential to successfully graduate from the program and the relationship between these three paradigms and
the dogs’ later success gives us hope that we are not far from our goal.
Test Trials:
- Opaque cylinder was replaced with a
transparent cylinder and dog was given 30
seconds each trial to retrieve the food
- Experimenter recorded whether or not the
dog was able to inhibit the impulse to lunge
for the food straight on thus touching the
front of the cylinder apparatus
Task 3: Laterality
-Dog was guided to sit on top of a small
platform
-Experimenter called dog and recorded
whether the dog’s first step was with the left
or right paw
With more research and data, it shall be only a matter of time until
we are able to save canine service training programs immense
amounts of time and money by assessing each dog’s individual
potential to graduate from the rigorous training program.
Acknowledgements
A great thanks goes out to the Hare Lab for accepting me into their lab as well to
the Duke Undergraduate Support Office for making my involvement in the lab
possible.
Lastly, thank you to Canine Companions for Independence for welcoming us with
open arms!