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Commentary the Modern Working Dog—A Call for Interdisciplinary Collaboration

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Commentary the Modern Working Dog—A Call for Interdisciplinary Collaboration Commentary The modern working dog—a call for interdisciplinary collaboration Patricia N. Olson, DVM, PhD n September 11, 2001, a guide dog named Roselle dogs are now provided access to public facilities and Oskillfully guided her blind partner, Michael transportation through the Americans With Hingson, from his office in the World Trade Center Disabilities Act (ADA). The first guide dog school in down 78 flights of stairs after the building was struck the United States was established on the East Coast in by a plane that had been hijacked by terrorists. The 1929 (The Seeing Eye, NJ). In 1942, the first guide dog team immediately demonstrated for the nation the school was established on the West Coast (Guide Dogs power of the human-animal bond and what skilled for the Blind, Calif) in anticipation of blinded veterans working dogs like those trained at Guide Dogs for the returning from World War II. Sergeant Leonard Foulk Blind can do for humans. The story captured the pub- was the first veteran to receive a guide dog after being lic’s attention nationally and internationally by being blinded in the battle of Attu.4 Canine Companions for featured by a host of media sources, including “Larry Independence (Santa Rosa, Calif) and the San King Live,” “The Early Show,” CNN, CBC, New York Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Times Magazine, and National Geographic. In each Animals Hearing Dog program are examples of excel- interview, Hingson emphasized the partnership and lent programs whereby dogs are trained to assist peo- trust between him and his guide dog. He also praised ple with disabilities other than blindness. Dogs are also the numerous professionals at Guide Dogs for the being used in expanded roles as assistance and therapy Blind. Among those professionals were veterinarians, dogs, largely because of the efforts of the Delta Society guide dog instructors, nurses, psychologists, and social (Renton, Wash). Thus, in the United States today, workers. working dogs may include guide dogs, service dogs, Guide dog schools provide an excellent example of assistance dogs, therapy dogs, or dogs that search air- how various allied professions can work together to planes for explosives, monitor our borders for the further enhance the human-animal bond of a working entry of illegal drugs and plants, or search for people team—whether the team contains service or assistance who are lost in avalanches, the wilderness, and in nat- dogs, search and rescue dogs, patrol dogs, detection ural or man-made disasters. dogs, companion dogs, or other pets. The working partnership between a person and dog has somehow evolved and magnified throughout Background the years, apparently because such a partnership bene- Man and woman’s best friend may also be humans’ fits both the canine and human member of a team. The oldest animal friend. New genetic information suggests human-animal bond is at the center of the modern that primitive humans may have begun to domesticate working dog team, with dogs providing much more dogs 135,000 years ago. This is 10 times earlier than than work for their humans partners. In fact, 94% of the oldest known fossil evidence of human-canine dog owners list companionship as a key benefit for the cohabitation, which dates from about 14,000 years partnership.5 The companionship that dogs provide ago.1 Included in evidence are the 14,000-year-old has allowed them to become central working figures in remains of a man, woman, and a dog found near promoting the physical and emotional health of Oberkassel, Germany, making the dog the oldest humans. recorded companion animal in history.2 By the fourth millennium B.C., Egyptian rock and pottery drawings Supportive Investigational Studies show hounds hunting with men, driving game into The potential benefits of the human-animal con- nets.3 Dogs have been used in various working roles— nection have been reported by many investigators. farming, hunting, protection—for centuries, but in Dogs may guide, guard, detect, rescue, and patrol, more recent times, animals have also come to help peo- thereby providing services to enhance our safety and to ple in other remarkable ways. Guide dogs and service protect our very lives. Dogs also seem to enhance our dogs have been providing essential tasks for their overall physical and emotional health by their mere human partners for several decades. As such, these presence, ability to receive affection, and acceptance of many human frailties. In one study,6 the one-year sur- From the Guide Dogs for the Blind, 350 Los Ranchitos Rd, San vival rate of patients after discharge from a coronary Rafael, CA 94903. care unit was 94% for pet owners and 72% for those 352 Views: Commentary JAVMA, Vol 221, No. 3, August 1, 2002 who did not own pets. The difference could not be sionals from local and national humane organizations. explained on the basis of dog owners having increased As important as it is to address physical ailments, it is activity, suggesting that some other protective factor equally important that the emotional needs of working was responsible. Dogs in particular seem to buffer dogs are considered. Working dogs are now expected humans from the impact of stressful life events.7 to work in extremely difficult environments. For a Compared with other pet owners, dog owners spend guide dog, this could include safely guiding a blind more time with their animals and reported that their person amidst increased traffic and complex street pets were more important to them. Dogs can be crossings in many urban settings. Animal behaviorists, extremely important for elderly owners, providing an professional dog trainers, veterinarians, and psycholo- aging person with companionship and serving as an gists have the challenging role of addressing various object of attachment and affection. In support of this factors that affect the emotional health of a working concept was a study7 of 938 Medicare enrollees in a team. For example, if not addressed, an attack by an health maintenance organization who were followed uncontrolled dog or exposure to other fearful situa- for one year. Reliance on physicians was less, and the tions may affect a working dog’s ability to perform in ability to deal with stressful situations was seemingly the future. Similarly, it is important to address the emo- improved for those enrollees who owned pets, suggest- tional health of the human members. The emotional ing that the pets were somehow associated with challenges are intense for those search and rescue improved physical and emotional health. teams who do not find living victims following natural Guide and service dogs also enhance the emotion- or man-made disaster, regardless of the team’s out- al health of their human partners. Allen and Blascovich8 standing efforts and abilities. studied 48 individuals with severe and chronic ambula- tory disabilities. Participants in the study were matched Guide Dog Schools as a Model for on age, sex, marital status, race, and the nature and Interdisciplinary Collaboration to Sustain severity of the disability to create 24 pairs. Within each Working Dog Teams pair, one member received a trained service dog while The relationship between a blind person and guide the other member remained on a waiting list for a dog. dog has often been referred to as the gold standard for the In addition to the work performed by service dogs (eg, human-animal bond, involving a 24/7 relationship opening and closing doors, turning switches off and on, whereby mobility is enhanced for the blind person and pulling a person up from a sitting or lying down posi- enjoyable work is performed by the guide dog. Guide tion), the study dogs also seemed to provide other cru- dog schools provide an excellent example of how various cial benefits to their human partners. For example, sub- allied health professions can work together to improve stantial improvement in self-esteem, internal locus of the quality of life for blind and visually impaired students control, and psychologic well-being occurred within six and graduates and their canine partners. months after study participants received service dogs. The National Academies of Practice (NAP), estab- Community integration, attendance at school, or lished in 1981 in recognition of the need of interdisci- employment at work increased after the disabled people plinary collaboration in healthcare, consists of 10 were matched with a service dog. In addition, the health care professions (dentistry, medicine, nursing, employment status of blind people (n = 385) who optometry, osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, podiatric returned for a successor guide dog improved for 124 medicine, psychology, social work, and veterinary (32%) students, remained the same for 248 (65%) stu- medicine) dedicated to improving the health for all, dents, and was reduced for 13 (3%) students.9 Thus, through interdisciplinary education, research, policy working dogs enhance the human experience in many and care. All 10 of the NAP professions work effective- wonderful and diverse ways. ly together to maintain a working guide dog team.12 Students who apply for guide dog training are required The Bond Between Members of a Working to meet certain criteria regarding legal blindness Team (optometry) and physical health (medicine, osteopath- The human-animal bond has been described as the ic medicine). Nurses (nursing) can accompany the mutually beneficial and dynamic relationship between instructor staff when students and dogs leave the cam- people and other animals that is influenced by behav- pus for various training routes. A number of students iors essential to the health and well-being of both. This training to use a guide dog are diabetic and may require includes, but is not limited to, emotional, psychologic, medical assistance to monitor and maintain a normal and physical interactions of people, other animals, and blood glucose concentration.13 Changes in exercise the environment.
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