狗在我们的社会中扮演着各种不可或缺的角色,从事包括援助在内的工作(例如,服务犬,导盲犬)和检测疗法(例如,搜救犬,爆炸物探测犬)和防护(例如,军事和执法犬)。然而,在这些角色中取得成功,这要求狗满足具有挑战性的行为标准并接受广泛的训练,远不能保证。因此,加强选择过程对于工作犬计划的有效性和效率至关重要,并且有可能优化资源在这些计划中的投资方式,增加可用的工作犬的数量,提高工作犬福利。在本文中,我们回顾了实现这一目标的两种主要方法:(1)开发选择测试和标准,以有效地从整个候选狗池中确定理想的候选人,(2)制定提高绩效的方法,在个人和人口层面,通过改善饲养,培训,和繁殖。我们总结了实证文献中关于评估最佳实践的关键发现,选择,改进工作犬,并为工作犬组织提出未来的步骤和建议,育种者,培训师,和研究人员。
Dogs perform a variety of integral roles in our society, engaging in work ranging from assistance (e.g., service dogs, guide dogs) and therapy to detection (e.g., search-and-rescue dogs, explosive detection dogs) and protection (e.g., military and law enforcement dogs). However, success in these roles, which requires dogs to meet challenging behavioral criteria and to undergo extensive training, is far from guaranteed. Therefore, enhancing the selection process is critical for the effectiveness and efficiency of working dog programs and has the potential to optimize how resources are invested in these programs, increase the number of available working dogs, and improve working dog welfare. In this paper, we review two main approaches for achieving this goal: (1) developing selection tests and criteria that can efficiently and effectively identify ideal candidates from the overall pool of candidate dogs, and (2) developing approaches to enhance performance, both at the individual and population level, via improvements in rearing, training, and breeding. We summarize key findings from the empirical literature regarding best practices for assessing, selecting, and improving working dogs, and conclude with future steps and recommendations for working dog organizations, breeders, trainers, and researchers.