Method Developed to Predict Puppies Suitable for Guide Dog Work

[FAM Times reporter Jennylyn Gianan] A new method has been developed to predict whether a young puppy is likely to become a guide dog.

Researchers at the University of Nottingham in the UK created a questionnaire called the PTSQ (Puppy Training Supervisor Questionnaire) through a collaborative study with a charity.

The researchers and the charity developed a way to select suitable puppies before beginning the costly process of training guide dogs for blind people.

A young puppy has a 16.9% chance of completing the training, but the success rate is expected to rise to as high as 84% if the questionnaire is used to select and train suitable puppies.

Lead researcher Dr. Naomi Harvey said, “Predicting which puppies are suitable to become guide dogs has been a challenge we have tackled for years. As anyone who has ever raised a dog knows, every dog has its own personality and temperament. This is because these traits are heavily influenced by the surrounding environment.”

Harvey added, “The questionnaire-based behavioral assessment we developed can identify puppies with the potential to become guide dogs. It can screen them from an early age and can also identify unsuitable dogs among those already in training.”

In addition to identifying dogs unsuitable for training, the PTSQ helps guide dog trainers improve their training methods.

According to Chris Muldoon, guide dog research and development manager, “This questionnaire and the extensive research project are improving our understanding of canine behavior. This allows us to design training programs tailored to each dog and improve training effectiveness.”

The researchers said they would continue the study by tracking the lives of dogs working as guide dogs. This follow-up research could reveal various factors that may influence a dog’s success.

Jennylyn Gianan fam1@pcss.co.kr