Dogs Understanding
September 14, 2020
The findings were recently published in Animal Behaviour and may also be used to determine the best future working role for Canine Companions puppies.
At Canine Companions’ national headquarters in California, 168 Labrador, Golden Retriever and Lab/Golden cross puppies from 65 Canine Companions litters were assessed in more than a dozen cognitive and temperament activities at around 9 weeks of age. Specifically, some tasks required the puppies to use communicative cues, such as human pointing, to locate a hidden treat. Based on the puppies’ success levels during these games, results confirm the early emergence of sensitivity to human communication in dogs.
We are in a unique position at Canine Companions that allows us to have ongoing follow up with every puppy born within our exemplary breeding program, says Dr. Brenda Kennedy, director of canine health and research at Canine Companions. Finding these early indicators of cooperative-communicative gestures between our puppies and humans may inform the process in which Canine Companions dogs are trained or evaluated for working roles in the future – ultimately helping us place more expertly trained service dogs with more individuals with disabilities.
Canine Companions, the first and largest provider of service dogs for people with physical disabilities, has held the top spot in canine cognitive and behavioral research within the service dog industry for over a decade. Additional studies with the Duke Canine Cognition Center, the Arizona Canine Cognition Center, DARPA and more, have provided valuable insight into the canine brain and cognition. With more than 6,500 service dog placements since its founding in 1975, Canine Companions is dedicated to ensuring happy, healthy puppies with a purpose are placed in the best roles for the dogs’ temperament and skillset. Each service dog and a lifetime of follow up is a $50,000 investment by the organization; however, Canine Companions service dogs are provided entirely free of charge to clients.
Most Recent News
Former Victoria man’s diabetic alert dog helps him get back to life
When Luke Hengen’s diabetes worsened in his early twenties, it stripped him of the outdoor activities where the country kid felt at home. Countless wilderness adventures and years of hard-fought football games took a toll on his body, to the point where he could no longer sense when his blood sugar was too high or […]
Students Get Therapy Dog
When middle school students return to class on Jan. 11, they’ll find a new face at the door: Daisy. Daisy is a therapy dog and the personal pet of Rob Kreger, principal of the Rock L. Butler Middle School. The five-year-old golden retriever is not a school pet or mascot, but rather a working dog […]
Therapy Dogtor
Last March, Caroline Benzel, a third-year medical student, began to notice the stress and discomfort her nurse friends were feeling from the pressures of the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic. “[Personal protective equipment] can be really rough on the skin,” Benzel, 31, tells PEOPLE. Benzel and her 3-year-old Rottweiler, Loki (who’s also a therapy dog) hatched a […]
Therapy Dog Pups
When Stanley the miniature fox terrier’s owner passed away, the little dog started a ‘paw-some’ new role – bringing puppy love to some of the Gold Coast’s oldest residents. After Carinity Cedarbrook Diversional Therapist Julianne Staff adopted Stanley, he began visiting the aged care community at Mudgeeraba as a therapy dog. Therapy dogs help to […]
Puppy Cams
A nonprofit is providing an unusual form of therapy for those on the front lines of the coronavirus pandemic – puppy cams! “You spend five minutes with a puppy and try not to smile,” said registered nurse Robin Lingg Lagrone. Lingg Lagrone says watching little furballs wag their tails and prance on their paws helps […]
Pet Committee
When Moore County’s school doors were abruptly closed earlier in 2020, two- and four-legged volunteers from the Moore County Citizens’ Pet Responsibility Committee (PRC) were in their 12th year of presenting a six-session Pet Responsibility Education Program for fourth-graders. The PRC quickly shifted gears and placed its program materials online as part of a home […]