Cobb Mia, Branson Nick, McGreevy Paul, Lill Alan, Bennett Pauleen
Anthrozoology Research Group, School of Psychological Sciences, Monash University, Victoria, Australia.
Deakin Research, Deakin University, Waurn Ponds, Victoria, Australia.
Behav Processes. 2015 Jan;110:96-104. doi: 10.1016/j.beproc.2014.10.012. Epub 2014 Oct 31.
Working and sporting dogs provide an essential contribution to many industries worldwide. The common development, maintenance and disposal of working and sporting dogs can be considered in the same way as other animal production systems. The process of 'production' involves genetic selection, puppy rearing, recruitment and assessment, training, housing and handling, handler education, health and working life end-point management. At present, inefficiencies throughout the production process result in a high failure rate of dogs attaining operational status. This level of wastage would be condemned in other animal production industries for economic reasons and has significant implications for dog welfare, as well as public perceptions of dog-based industries. Standards of acceptable animal use are changing and some historically common uses of animals are no longer publicly acceptable, especially where harm is caused for purposes deemed trivial, or where alternatives exist. Public scrutiny of animal use appears likely to increase and extend to all roles of animals, including working and sporting dogs. Production system processes therefore need to be transparent, traceable and ethically acceptable for animal use to be sustainable into the future. Evidence-based approaches already inform best practice in fields as diverse as agriculture and human athletic performance. This article introduces the nascent discipline of canine performance science, which aims to facilitate optimal product quality and production efficiency, while also assuring evidence-based increments in dog welfare through a process of research and development. Our thesis is that the model of canine performance science offers an objective, transparent and traceable opportunity for industry development in line with community expectations and underpins a sustainable future for working dogs. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Canine Behavior.
工作犬和运动犬对全球许多行业做出了重要贡献。工作犬和运动犬的繁育、饲养及淘汰过程可与其他动物生产系统一样看待。“生产”过程包括基因选择、幼犬饲养、招募与评估、训练、住房与管理、训导员培训、健康及工作寿命终点管理。目前，整个生产过程的低效导致犬只达到工作状态的失败率很高。出于经济原因，这种浪费程度在其他动物生产行业中是会受到谴责的，并且对犬类福利以及公众对犬类相关行业的认知都有重大影响。可接受的动物使用标准正在发生变化，一些历史上常见的动物用途已不再为公众所接受，尤其是在因被视为微不足道的目的而造成伤害或存在替代方案的情况下。公众对动物使用的审查可能会增加，并扩展到动物的所有角色，包括工作犬和运动犬。因此，生产系统流程需要透明、可追溯且在道德上可接受，这样动物使用才能在未来持续下去。基于证据的方法已经为农业和人类运动表现等不同领域的最佳实践提供了依据。本文介绍了新兴的犬类性能科学学科，该学科旨在促进最佳产品质量和生产效率，同时通过研发过程确保犬类福利基于证据的提升。我们的论点是，犬类性能科学模型为行业发展提供了一个符合社会期望的客观、透明且可追溯的机会，并为工作犬的可持续未来奠定基础。本文是名为《犬类行为》的特刊的一部分。
