New Zealand farm working dogs 12 Dog Trials

--> By Dr Clive Dalton

History 

Photo of Old Hemp bred in Northumberland (UK) and now has his DNA in dog trial and working dogs around the world.

Dog trials have been part of New Zealand life since the establishment of sheep farming.  The late Neil Rennie’s research found that the first NZ trial was probably held at Wanaka in 1867 although it was not reported in the press. 

However, Neil found a trial reported in the Oamaru Times (now the Oamaru Mail) of July 9, 1869 as the third trial held on June 22-23 at Wanaka.  So these trials certainly outdated what was considered to be the worlds first dog trial at Bala in North Wales in 1873!  Neil was always very thrilled with this historical fact!

The first trials were a bit sporadic, and it wasnt until dog trial clubs were formed that regular events took place.  The first trial, which included huntaway events Neil found was at Black Forest station in 1870.

Dog trialing in NZ is controlled by the NZ Sheep Dog Trial Association which is made up of affiliated member clubs with meetings starting with the summer A&P shows and culminating in regional and national finals in about June.  There are shepherds trial and maiden dog trials for the less experienced held throughout the year.

Dog trialing, while still an important way to select top dogs, has through Television become a competitive sport with great public interest.

Entry qualifications for trials

The only qualification for a dog to enter a trial is its ability to work sheep.  Pedigree, colour, age or sex are not important.  Handlers can be of any age and there is no sex discrimination!  Competitors must be the bona fide owner of the dog being run, and should have owned the dog for at least 6 weeks before the competition.

Each trial has its rules of entry. At some you may have to pre-enter some days before with runs pre-scheduled to keep to a strict timetable.  In others you enter on the day but may have to wait till dusk to compete!

Most trial organisations now insist that dogs have a current hydatids treatment certificate

Check the rules

Its very important for competitors to check the rules of the particular SDTA before they start.  You can get them from any Dog Trail Club secretary and are fairly common to all trials.  However, there may be some non-standard events which are displayed at the trial. 

In almost all NZ trials one dog works three sheep.  The running of "doubles" where a shepherd works two dogs or more is a British practice and is only used here for television presentations to provide more entertainment for the viewer. 

Standard classes

There are four main standard classes for trials run under the NZSDTA.

Class 1: - Heading dogs - long head or long pull.

The competitor and dog stands in a ring from 200-500m in diameter, and in a direct line away from where three sheep are set free by a "liberator" or "slipper".  When the judge calls "time" the dog is sent on its "outrun" or "cast".  It should be free-running and the dog should not waver, tack or stop.  Most long-head runs start on a hill and finish on the flat, depending on the trial location.

A pear-shaped outrun is ideal and it can be to the left or right of the handler.  Generally most courses favour a right-hand cast.  A very wide outrun as used in a big paddock is not wanted but its also important that the dog does not run so direct at the sheep that it panics them and they take flight.

When the dog completes the outrun, it should stop in such a position that when the sheep move, they come in a straight line to the handler.  This is known as "stopping on balance," before the dog "lifts" the sheep or starts them moving.

The dog now executes the "pull" or drive the sheep straight towards the handler.  The sheep should not stop on their journey and the pull is completed when the sheep enter the ring where the handler stands.  This is the "hold" and is "claimed" by the handler standing still with outstretched arms.  After the "claim" the judge will call "right".

To go for the perfect hold the handler moves around the sheep as they enter the ring so the final scene is the sheep facing the dog with the handler behind them. 

The time allocated for this event is usually about 9 - 14 minutes.

Class 2: - Heading dogs - short head and yard

The competitor and dog stand in a pegged quadrangle or "quad".  As in Class 1, the dog makes an outrun and pulls the sheep to the handler, entering the quad between the front markers.  Even if the sheep escape, they must be taken back to enter the quad through "the front door", and the handler cannot leave the quad until this is completed.

Competitor and dog then move the sheep along a pegged 20m-wide lane towards two parallel hurdles.  They cannot stray outside the lane on this "first drive".  The handler can move across "the drive" but shouldnt get ahead of the shoulder of the leading sheep or move backwards.

Points are lost for excessive movement or running, or for the competitor and dog changing sides during the drive.  This first drive ends at a peg in the middle of the lane, 10m away from the hurdles through which the sheep have got to be driven.

After all the sheep have passed the peg, the handler may move about freely to help the dog drive the sheep through the hurdles.  The sheep are now in the "free working area" ready to pass through the hurdles that are 3m apart.  All sheep and the handler must pass through the hurdles.  So if any slip past, they must be brought back.

The "second drive" is similar to the first and ends at a line 10m from the yard.  Once over this line, the competitor can go to the 2m square yard and open the gate until it hits a stop that prevents it opening more than 90 degrees.  Once the hand is on the gate, it cannot be released until the sheep are completely inside the pen.

The gate cannot be used to frighten the sheep and drive them in.  Thats the dogs job!  No part of the competitor, including the stick which must be no more than 1m long, is permitted to come forward of the line extending along the gate and out from its head.  Only behind this line can the competitor move about to assist the dog.

The run is completed when the sheep are penned and the gate shut.  The time for this event is usually about 10 - 14 minutes.

Class 3:  Huntaways - Zigzag hunts

For the "zigzag" or "huntaway with slew" the competitor stands at the bottom of the course, usually in a pegged area and facing a steep hill.  Three sheep are liberated at the top of the course and at the call of "time" the trial starts.

The competitor directs the dog to hunt the sheep in a straight line through the first two pegs marked on the course.  The sheep must then change direction or "slew" towards a second set of makers and then proceed to the top markers in line with the first.

The dog must "face-up" to the sheep.  In other words it must bark at the sheep, and not at the handler.

The time for this event is usually around 8 - 10 minutes.

Class 4:  Huntaways - straight hunt

This begins in the same way as the zigzag but the only markers are those at the top of the course.  The sheep have to be hunted directly to the centre of these top markers - in as straight a line as possible.

At some trials, class 3 and 4 are run on the same course, with the two sets of markers being ignored for the straight hunt.

Time allowed for this event is usually about 8 - 10 minutes.

General points

·      The aim of trials is to demonstrate a high level of stock handling and dog control.

·      The challenge is to be able to assess quickly the sheeps strengths and weaknesses.

·      The aim is to direct force at stock from a distance.  The dog must be careful but firm.

·      The first contact of the dog with the sheep is a critical time and must be accomplished with great care.

·      There is no disgrace in not finishing a run.  Its better to withdraw with grace than hound some other persons sheep to injury or exhaustion.

·      Withdrawal is indicated by a wave to the judge or walking off the course.  If you cannot control the sheep, then leave them for the officials to handle.

Judging

Judges are all experienced dog trialists who aim to judge each run with impartiality and to a uniform standard.  Judging in nearly all NZ trials is by one judge who takes points off the perfect score of 100.  There are a large number of reasons to deduct points.  Here are some major ones:

·      Not completing the run.

·      A dog that loses concentration and stops to sniff an area or urinate.

·      A huntaway that shows inattention to the sheep, eg looks back and barks at the handler called "barking off the stock".

·      A heading dog that makes a slow outrun without much purpose

·      A heading dog that bites sheep.

Cattle dog trials

Although sheep dogs work cattle, trials to demonstrate this skill have not been popular in New Zealand.

The Stud Book

The NZ Sheepdog Stud Book, in which all dogs that win trials can be entered started in 1940.  It is run by a stud book committee and a registrar. 

Further information

New Zealand Sheep Dog Trail Association, PO Box 307, Hastings, New Zealand.

Further reading

Burns, M and Fraser, M.N. (1966).  Genetics of the Dog.  London: Oliver and Boyd

Dalton, D.C.(1983).  Farm Working Dogs.  Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries AgLink advisory leaflets.  FPP 613, 695, 696, 697, 698,699, 700, 701, 702, 703,704, 775.

Fox, M.W. (1965).   Canine Behaviour. Springfield: C.C. Thomas.

Fox, M.W. (1972).   Understanding Your Dog. New York: Coward. McCann and Geoghegan.

Kelly, R.B. (1958).   Sheep Dogs. Sydney: Angus and Robertson.

Longton, T and Hart, E (1969).   Your Sheep Dog and its Training.  Battle (Sussex):  Alan Exley.

Lorenz, K (1953)   Man Meets Dog.  London:  Penguin Books.

Rennie, N (1984).   Working dogs.  Shortland Publications, Auckland NZ.  96p

Scott. J.P. and Fuller, J.L. (1965).  Genetics and Social Behaviour of the Dog.  Chicago: University of Chicargo Press.

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How Much to Park Your Dog

Dog Parker is a new start-up business with 5 locations in Brooklyn, New York.

Its basically a lock box that sits outside shops with a security card which unlocks the box and charges you for time. Theres a padded floor inside, and the box is (supposedly) temperature controlled.The charge is 20¢ a minute, plus a $25 annual fee. For the math-challenged, thats $6 for a half hour. Members can use a box for a maximum of 3 hours every 12 hour period. If the temperature gets below 32°F or above 85ºF, the Dog Parkers are (supposedly) closed until the weather improves.

The whole idea seems to me to be a disaster on stilts waiting to happen.  Thoughts?  Yes, I do know a similar scheme is being tried somewhere in Sweden, as I recall.

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Dog Meets His Mechanical Robot Overlord

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Dogs and Cats in the Home Happiness for all

(Source)

Hi Mia!

Looking forward to hearing more about your upcoming conference, ‘When coping is not enough - Promoting positive welfare states in animals’.

I was recently thinking about positive welfare in animals, sort of by accident. This past Monday, I was part of a Cats In Context conference at Canisius College in Buffalo, New York. The conference was put together by ISHAR, the Institute for the Study of Human Animal Relations. Last year’s conference covered The Future of Zoos -- and all those talks are available online -- and this years focus was cats, cats and more cats. Topics included genetics, domestication, cognition, nutrition, behavior problems, vet and health issues, shelter and feral welfare, cats and wildlife and cats and hoarders. 
 
Apparently, all talks and discussions from Cats in Context will be posted on the ISAHR website so you can see how much coffee and grapes I consumed over the course of 7 hours.

Lucky for me, the conference came with a side of dogs! My talk covered Dogs and Cats in the Home. While approximately 15.3% of pet-owning households own a combination of cats and dogs, cats and dogs, as a unit, havent receive that much attention from researchers.

Here’s a 100% made-up graph comparing the amount attention given to “Dog”, “Cat” and “Dog and Cat” behavior and cognition research. The point Im making is that dogs get the bulk of the attention, cats seem to get much less and dogs and cats as a unit are way down at the bottom.

I think many people picture this when they hear Dogs and Cats in the Home:

(Source)

But when I took a look at the limited literature, it suggested that many of the dogs and cats living together were more like this:

(Source)

One study used a questionnaire and in-home observations to explore the nature of the relationship between dogs and cats already living in the same household. The overarching finding was that many relationships showed signs of “mutual amicability.” For example, the researchers found that many dogs and cats displayed, “a motivation to initiate mutual play.”

Additionally, 75% of dog and cat pairs displayed nose-to-nose contact which is characteristic of friendly and affiliative relationships, specifically between cats. So, it’s pretty awesome that the researchers found this behavior between dogs and cats.

(Nose-to-Nose behavior between a cat and a dog -- Source)

(Typical Nose-to-Nose behavior between cats -- Source)

One of the major factors contributing to successful relationships between dogs and cats seemed to be age of first encounter, suggesting that early introductions promote subsequent amicable relationships. 

Of course, not all dogs and cats living in the home have amicable relationships, but what this does remind us is that amicable relationships can and do exist, they are not just the "stuff of movies!"

What’s your experience with dogs and cats in the home?? And do tell more about your upcoming talk at the conference, ‘When coping is not enough - Promoting positive welfare states in animals.’

Bye for now!

Julie

Reference
Feuerstein N. & Terkel J. (2008). Interrelationships of dogs (Canis familiaris) and cats (Felis catus L.) living under the same roof, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 113 (1-3) 150-165. DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2007.10.010

© Julie Hecht 2013

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New Zealand Farm working Dogs 1 Breeds

 

By Dr Clive Dalton

Whats a breed?

The definition of a breed is often rather vague.  All you can say is that its a group of animals with a common origin, that generally look similar.  Its really not very important to folk who want animals simply for their function - and that includes most shepherds and stock persons. 

Trouble starts with people who want animals for their looks and aesthetic traits.  Fortunately for people working stock - the show ring and breed society specifications have never influenced the farm dog.  Long may that be the way of things. 

The show ring has sadly been the cause of the loss of many working genes from some breeds - and this is a pity, as you never know when these could be needed in future.  We should have saved these working genes as frozen semen and embryos - a good idea far too late.

The Border Collie

Classical British Border Collie (Photo: Helen Brown)

This breed has been the foundation of most of the worlds working dogs.  It originated from the English-Scottish border, this small, long-haired dog that "clapped" on its belly while stalking stock, came to NZ with the early shepherds.   Selection for performance over time in New Zealand has changed it into an upstanding, long-legged and smooth-haired speedster.  It is not a barking dog except when excessively excited, and selection is firmly against this trait by dog trialists.  The instinct to grab and bite can be fairly strong and remains in some strains.  It was the final act to kill after the "stalk" in the primitive dog.

The NZ "eye" dog or "heading" dog does the bulk of speed gathering of stock and the quick-reaction close-quarter work such as shedding or catching sheep.  Border collies are mainly black and white although there are some black and tan strains and the occasional "blue merle", a gene associated with "wall" or pale blue eyes.  There are red (ginger) genes found and sometimes very white animals that are usually disliked.

NZ eye or heading dog

 However, border collies are now becoming popular as pets and are winning most obedience trials and agility tests.  This could be a threat to the farm working dog if these two strains separate and then get mixed up.  Not many shepherds want their dog to find their hankie or bring back a toy rabbit!  But fetching the paper from the gate is a useful trick some shepherds do teach their heading dogs though.

Border collies love to learn and there’s nothing wrong with teaching a working dog a few new tricks to keep its brain active.  Same principle applies to their owners.

The Huntaway

Typical huntaways

Huntaway x Beardie

 The Huntaway is truly "made in NZ" and is probably the best example in the world of an animal bred for performance alone, and not ruined by breed society rules and regulations!  A wonderful example of how to use a pool of genetic variation, out of which you select what is needed to do a specified task.  Its modern genetic theory used before such theory was worked out.

Huntaways come in many shapes and colours and there are there used to be three or four major strains.  They are big strongly-built dogs used for everything - heading (gathering by going round sheep), hunting (driving stock away from or towards the handler), forcing sheep by jumping on their backs, and handling all the hurly-burly work sheep yards and woolsheds.  They are all bred to bark (give noise).

Huntaways are mainly black and tan with variations of mainly black, and a ginger red colour.  These are genes clearly from their origins of border collie, beardie, fox hound, Labrador and goodness-knows what else!  Nobody today is concerned what went into the mix, but it would still be interesting to know how it was done.

(See blog on Huntaway)

The Beardie

Beardie

 Originated from Scotland where it would bark and gather sheep from bracken covered hills.  They were called "hunters" and this could be the origin of the Kiwi term "huntaway".  They are grey, white, and tan in colour and have long hair including a beard.  .  Great-natured, tireless dogs and despite their long hair, work well in heat.  They are better at hunting than heading and are always keen to bark.  They are very popular in dairy farms to bring cows in.

The Smithfield

A bit of a mystery dog, supposed to have come from the barking dogs used by drovers at Smithfield market in London.  The Australians have added confusion by calling Beardie-types "Smithfields".  The NZ Smithfield, if you can find one, is like a small conventional huntaway or beardie type, and sometimes has a naturally bobbed tail.  They look like small huntaways or handy dogs.

The NZ "handy" dog

These are great dogs that do everything!  It seems as if they are a strain of huntaway that some breeders have selected over time.   They are not a heading dog-huntaway cross, as these are generally disasters!  But they are varied in colour and mostly like huntaways.   Farmers comment that these old-fashioned dogs are now very hard to find, as dog trialists have selected for more specialist dogs and not the general-purpose dog so useful on farms for general-hands or less-experienced shepherds.  These dogs would definitely bring the paper from the gate.

The Kelpie

 

This is the Australian all-round working dog that has NO dingo in it!  Kelpie breeders get very upset if you mention dingos!  Its the Aussie huntaway and is supposed to have been selected from strains of Border Collies.  Very tough either black or chocolate-coloured dogs.  In NZ it would be used mainly for cattle work.

Photo:  Kelpie (Source: Internet)

The Australian cattle dog 

Australian cattle dog (with red factor gene instead of blue)

 Also known as the "blue heeler", "Australian heeler" or "Queensland blue heeler" - and probably a lot of other unprintable things too.  These are tough dogs bred to heel and nose cattle - real Aussie battlers!  Their well-documented genetic origin contains "black bobtails" (presumably collie), definitely dingo to get rid of barking, as well as Kelpie, blue merle collie, Dalmatian, and probably a lot more.  Generally too tough for most shepherds unless you have stroppy cattle to handle.  A loyal and tough dog.

Surprisingly they are increasing in popularity in New Zealand as pets and show dogs, so their future as workers is clearly at risk.

The rough-coated collie

These are the dogs that "Lassie" made famous.  Useless as working dogs as their working genes have been lost through the show ring. 

The Shetland sheepdog or Sheltie

This is smaller version of the rough coated collie from Scotlands northern most islands.  They were the crofter’s working dogs but now useless as workers.

Sheltie (Source:  Internet)

Old English sheepdog 
A very old breed of working dog developed to handle intensive sheep on the English downland.   Now completely ruined as a working dog by show ring standards.  Many of these dogs now cannot see for facial hair - unless its tied up with a ribbon.  Modern shepherds as far as I know dont carry ribbons!

 Photo:  Old English sheepdog (Source: internet)





The Corgie

Once the tough little Welsh cattle dog, and you may still find some that will heel cattle.  Two strains exist - the Cardigan and the Pembrokeshire.  Now generally useless for working stock, but made popular because of Royal associations.

Pembroks Corgi (Source:  Internet)

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New perspective on dog breeding part 1 puppies conditioning in the womb

This article by Larry Mueller was published in Outdoor Life 15 years ago, in 1998. Since then the science of genetics and epigenetics have advanced tremendously but the conclusion has not changed that much. If you want to breed superdogs, youd better start really, really early in a dogs life. The next installment will present a current perspective on the points raised in Larrys article.

Building The Superdog

Beginning Before Birth

The where, when, why and how of starting a superdog

Larry Mueller

Hunting Dogs Editor, Outdoor Life, 1998

     The new century for dogs is now. Modern science has poised the dog world for a fastforward of unprecedented proportions. In the past, superdogs were rare accidents of nature - naturals that made even first timers believe they were great trainers. And now we know how those accidents happen. We hold the simple secrets to building our own superdogs from scratch.

  

How early can we begin the conditioning which could lead to a superdog? Five months? Eight weeks? Ninety days? Would you believe… in the womb? Its true. We have scientific evidence that the fetus is not sealed in isolation. It lives in its mothers world.

Interestingly, before Mendel discovered genes, breeders were hunting pregnant bitches to produce superior pups. After Mendels theory caught on, that practice was called an old wives tale. Genetics allowed us to break breeding down to numbers and predict a few traits like coat color. So, we assumed that breeding is a crap shoot of many-sided gene dice. All traits, behavioral and physical alike, were thought to be locked m place at birth. It was a neatly packaged theory that shrank nature to fit our head size. To believe it, however, required ignoring all the loopholes and protecting our ignorance against obvious evidence to the contrary.

  

But this is for the future. For now, were conditioning fetuses to become great hunting dogs: Proof that its possible comes from the Universityof California, Berkeley. Dr. Marion Diamond, professor of anatomy, divided laboratory rats into two groups. In one rats were housed singly in boxes with just food and water. In the other, groups of rats lived together and enjoyed toys which were changed periodically - a mentally challenging environment.

  

At maturity, Marion Diamond sacrificed some of both groups and physically measured the cortex areas of their brains. The cortexes had actually grown thicker in the challenged rats. For the first time, it was proven that the anatomy of an animal brain could be changed by experience. Subsequent maze tests m other laboratories proved that rats with thicker cortexes were smarter and quicker to learn.

     

In a second study, Professor Diamond placed pregnant rats in both deprived and challenging environments. Again, the challenged rats had the thicker cortexes. But get this: So did their offspring! Somehow, the mothers experiences had improved their babies ability to learn.

  

Can this happen in dogs as well as rats? Of course. As Dr. Diamond points out, the number of neurons in a single column of cortical nerve cells is the same in rats, dogs and man. The number of dendrites (branchlike extensions) and the resulting complexity of circuitry is what creates some of the differences between species.

I asked Professor Diamond whether given the olfactory propensity of dogs and the fact that scent is tasted as well as smelled - there might be a biological connection telling the fetuses that their hunting mother is excited and what odor is responsible. Sound reasonable? "It does," she said, cautioning, however, that she believes everything is possible until proven otherwise.

  

How might the fetus be conditioned by the mother s experience? My own theory is that tasted odor, like medicine held under the tongue, quickly enters the bloodstream. At the same time, excitement releases adrenaline into the bloodstream. Brain chemicals such as seratonin fire into the gaps between the dendrites. A percentage of those chemicals are recycled to be used again by the brain. The remainder enters the bloodstream, which, in a pregnant bitch, also flows through the unborns brain where it reproduces sensations much like the mothers.

  

Whether my theory is right or wrong (veterinary neurologist and Auburn Universityprofessor Larry Myers says Im close, if not dead on) were certain that challenging the pregnant bitch will enlarge the offsprings cortex. Training will be easier. And if my theory is right, the pups will likely have a strong preference for the scent that excites their mother. Deer chasing should be minimized.

  

I believe that the time to make the greatest impression on the fetus is the last 21 days of gestation. (Since this was published in Outdoor Life, NBC reported that Dr. David Min used ultrasound to track heartbeats and movements of human fetuses. They began responding to parents voices and music at 26 weeks, verifying the third trimester as the time of greatest opportunity for influencing the unborn.)

Additional support for hunting the pregnant bitch comes from Missourieducator, Red Setter breeder and trainer, Bruce Ludwig. Except for heat-of-summer litters, Ludwig hunts his bitches until the last week. "Ive definitely seen more pointing intensity in pups from hunted bitches, Bruce said. And as an educator I see a parallel in children. From all walks of life and degrees of intelligence, those mothers who are physically and mentally active during pregnancy bear children who react noticeably better to sight, sound, and touch. Its most apparent before learned responses form, but it carries over to superior grades later."

  

But will breeders hunt their pregnant bitches? Should we risk hunting ours? Weve always pampered them. I can only answer with more questions. Have you ever known a coyote who took off two months from hunting to have her pups? Have you ever known a young coyote that wouldnt hunt? Not hunting the pregnant bitch may well be the first step in producing all those worthless dogs we see.

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The 1 Show Dog in America Is a Mess

The #1 show dog in America is "Lockenhaus Rumor Has It V" which is pictured above, and below, walking on its metatarsus, with its hock almost touching the ground.

This dog won "herding" even though it cannot herd, and cannot even walk as a dog should.

A German shepherd should not walk on its metatarsals, and they did not used to.

Below is the gait of a wolf.

What have breeders done to wreck the German Shepherd?

Quite a lot. 

And what would it look like if we did the same thing to a horse?  

A lot like this:

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The Science Surrounding Children Dogs Part 1 The Good

(source)

Hi Julie,

Oh my, but KAWAII is cute! I guess that’s kind of the point? I love that cute is good for us.

All this talk of cute, a website and some observations at home got me thinking this week.  

I recently saw this image posted on Facebook and I don’t mind admitting that it tugged at my emotions. 

Around the same day, I was watching my two year old toddler (an unpublished and independent kawaii survey reports the toddler is somewhat cute) interacting with my dogs (they are cute, no survey required).

(source)

The toddler is currently learning (slowly) that the world is not 100% about the toddler. This involves me frequently coaching the toddler’s interactions with other people and children (“yes it’s very sweet that you love your friend and that you’re giving them a big hug, but now you’ve actually crash-tackled them to the floor and they’re crying, it might be time to give them space”) and more recently in a similar way with the dogs.

These home observations and website images got me thinking about how important my pets, and in particular, my dogs, were to me while growing up. 

(source)

It got me wondering - why do so many of us have enduring psychological attachment to our childhood dogs? 
And do our childhood experiences stay with us as firmly held attitudes into adulthood? 

I plan to spend my next posts looking at some of the science surrounding children and dogs: the good, the bad and the ugly.

Why are dogs good for children?

The biophilia hypothesis suggests that people are instinctively attracted to animals and nature. It proposes that our relationship with them may contribute on an intimate biological level to our sense of fulfilment and identity. In our current busy lifestyles, often lived in industrialised city environments removed from ‘nature’ in its purest form, dogs and other companion animals offer opportunities for these ‘biophilic’ relationships. 

These nurturing relationships with animals are considered particularly important during early and middle childhood. Some research suggests that humans have a higher degree of attachment to dogs than we do to other companion animals; however, this may be a flaw in the way such studies have assessed attachment.

Dogs may promote respect and compassion for animals and nature by offering a child valuable opportunity to experience and learn about animals and the ‘facts of life’. Dogs can assist children to learn about responsibility. They can encourage trust, self-belief as well as caring attitudes and behaviour. They may promote exercise and healthy development, offer social support and provide companionship, security, comfort. Dogs can be an important source of fun and have demonstrated they can act as an outlet for childhood affection.

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Research has shown that regular contact with two or more dogs in the first year of life is correlated with a reduced incidence of childhood allergies and asthma. The presence of a dog in a learning environment (such as a classroom) has been shown to contribute to children’s motivation and can speed task completion without compromising accuracy. Dogs in this context also aid emotional stability, improve children’s attitudes towards school and aid in the learning of respect, empathy and responsibility.

So it seems like there’s a lot to like about fostering a positive relationship between children and dogs. But what happens to children when such an important relationship ends? And do our childhood experiences stay with us into adulthood? 

Dont worry - I’ll be sure tell you more about that next time!

Mia

p.s. Dont forget to head over to our facebook page to keep track of the childhood dog photo challenge!

Further reading:

Serpell J. (1999). Animals in Childrens Lives, Society & Animals, 7 (2) 87-94. DOI: 10.1163/156853099X00013

OHaire M. (2010). Companion animals and human health: Benefits, challenges, and the road ahead, Journal of Veterinary Behavior: Clinical Applications and Research, 5 (5) 226-234. DOI: 10.1016/j.jveb.2010.02.002

Melson G.F. Child Development and the Human-Companion Animal Bond, American Behavioral Scientist, 47 (1) 31-39. DOI: 10.1177/0002764203255210

Blue G.F. (1986). The Value of Pets in Childrens Lives, Childhood Education, 63 (2) 85-90. DOI: 10.1080/00094056.1986.10521747

Zasloff R.L. (1996). Measuring attachment to companion animals: a dog is not a cat is not a bird, Applied Animal Behaviour Science, 47 (1-2) 43-48. DOI: 10.1016/0168-1591(95)01009-2

Holscher B., Frye C., Wichmann H.E. & Heinrich J. (2002). Exposure to pets and allergies in children, Pediatric Allergy and Immunology, 13 (5) 334-341. DOI: 10.1034/j.1399-3038.2002.02063.x

Anderson K.L. & Olson M.R. (2006). The value of a dog in a classroom of children with severe emotional disorders, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 19 (1) 35-49. DOI: 10.2752/089279306785593919

Gee N.R., Harris S.L. & Johnson K.L. (2007). The Role of Therapy Dogs in Speed and Accuracy to Complete Motor Skills Tasks for Preschool Children, Anthrozoos: A Multidisciplinary Journal of The Interactions of People & Animals, 20 (4) 375-386. DOI: 10.2752/089279307X245509

© Mia Cobb 2012

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