Behavioural evaluation and activity monitoring of apprentice assistance dogs during their training programme

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dc.check.chapterOfThesisEmbargo placed on thesis for 3 years.en
dc.check.date2028-12-31
dc.contributor.advisorRamsay, Ruth
dc.contributor.advisorGalvin, Paul
dc.contributor.authorKenny, Jenniferen
dc.contributor.funderIrish Research Council
dc.contributor.funderIrish Guide Dogs for the Blind
dc.date.accessioned2025-10-09T14:45:37Z
dc.date.available2025-10-09T14:45:37Z
dc.date.issued2025en
dc.date.submitted2025
dc.description.abstractThis study investigated the behavioural assessment and activity monitoring of assistance dogs, focusing on their development during the early stages of training and their ability to meet the criteria for successful assistance work. The literature review provided an overview of current approaches to assessing assistance dogs, identifying a gap in the integration of objective, technology-driven methods, such as canine activity monitors, into traditional behavioural assessment protocols. Despite advances in behavioural assessment methods, the review highlighted the potential of integrating technology to improve the reliability and efficiency of assessments, especially in real-world training environments. The pilot study evaluated various activity monitoring devices and data collection methods for tracking the walk training of apprentice assistance dogs. The findings revealed varying levels of accuracy and reliability across the devices, with some more suitable for use in assistance dog organisations than others. These results underscored the importance of selecting appropriate technology and integrating it into everyday training and assessment practices. Use of the Assistance Dog Test Battery (ADTB) was also explored. First focusing on inter-rater reliability by comparing non-expert and expert raters. The results revealed significant variability in rater agreement, particularly with subjective behaviours. These findings emphasise the need for standardised ethogram training protocols and more consistent descriptors to improve inter-rater consistency, ensuring more objective and precise assessments. Second, the ADTB was analysed to determine its predictive validity. Key behavioural traits, such as responsiveness, sensitivity, focus, and emotional regulation were strongly linked to training success. Successful dogs exhibited greater self-regulation and emotional stability, while withdrawn dogs struggled with adaptation. The study also found that foundational behaviours stabilised early, suggesting that assessments as early as week three in training may be sufficient for identifying key traits. This supports a “Fail Early” approach, whereby unsuitable dogs are identified and withdrawn from their training programme at an early stage. This approach enhances efficiency by enabling earlier reallocation of resources. Activity monitoring during training revealed that total walk duration did not predict success, but walk complexity played a significant role. Dogs that experienced more complex training environments, particularly urban and residential settings, were more likely to succeed. Progression through training phases, especially reaching Phase 3, was also associated with higher success rates. Additionally, free runs emerged as a beneficial complementary activity, suggesting that diverse exercise opportunities may enhance engagement and performance.en
dc.description.statusNot peer revieweden
dc.description.versionAccepted Versionen
dc.format.mimetypeapplication/pdfen
dc.identifier.citationKenny, J. 2025. Behavioural evaluation and activity monitoring of apprentice assistance dogs during their training programme. PhD Thesis, University College Cork.
dc.identifier.endpage336
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10468/18006
dc.language.isoenen
dc.publisherUniversity College Corken
dc.relation.projectIrish Research Council (Grant no. EPSPG/2021/217)
dc.rights© 2025, Jennifer Kenny.
dc.rights.urihttps://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/
dc.subjectAssistance dogsen
dc.subjectBehavioural assessmenten
dc.subjectActivity monitoringen
dc.subjectCanine activity trackersen
dc.subjectWorking dog performanceen
dc.subjectCanine behaviouren
dc.subjectCanine wearable technologyen
dc.titleBehavioural evaluation and activity monitoring of apprentice assistance dogs during their training programmeen
dc.typeDoctoral thesisen
dc.type.qualificationlevelDoctoralen
dc.type.qualificationnamePhD - Doctor of Philosophyen
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