A new study led by the University of Bristol has revealed intriguing findings about the role of emotional states in the performance of medical detection dogs. These dogs, trained to use their exceptional sense of smell to detect diseases or assist individuals with chronic health conditions, showed varying levels of performance based on their emotional outlook.
Published in PLOS One, the study explores the link between dogs’ emotional states, assessed through judgment bias tests, and their performance in detection tasks. Judgment bias tests assess animals’ emotional states by evaluating how they respond to ambiguous cues. Dogs that approach intermediate locations in search of a treat are considered more “optimistic,” indicating a positive emotional state, while those who are more cautious or hesitant are considered “pessimistic.”
The study, which involved 27 medical detection dogs and 39 dogs in training, found that “optimistic” dogs tend to perform better overall in scent detection tasks. These dogs, as well as older dogs and those who scored higher on tests for confidence, food orientation, and playfulness, were rated higher by their trainers in terms of detection ability.
However, the study also revealed that “pessimistic” dogs exhibited greater specificity in scent detection. These dogs were more focused and precise in their searches, although their overall detection ability was lower than that of their more optimistic counterparts. The researchers suggest that these findings might indicate that dogs’ emotional and cognitive states influence their performance in detection tasks, with “optimistic” dogs demonstrating higher overall abilities and “pessimistic” dogs excelling in more targeted, specific tasks.
The authors propose that these insights could be valuable for improving the selection, training, and support of medical detection dogs. Understanding how different emotional states affect a dog’s performance may help trainers choose the right dogs for specific tasks and optimize their training regimens. Additionally, the researchers highlight that judgment bias testing, which is a simple and inexpensive method, could potentially serve as a useful screening tool for identifying dogs suited for detection work.
While the study does not establish a direct cause-and-effect relationship, it opens up important questions about how dogs’ personalities and emotional states impact their working ability. Further research will be needed to explore these connections in more depth.