Dogs in Research

The dog, (Canus familiaris), has been a staple of research for over 300 years. Dogs are descended from wolves and have been companions to man for approximately 400 years. Due to selective breeding, a number of sizes and confirmations exist. Ivan Pavlov studied conditioned responses in dogs in the period of 1890-1930[1], winning a Nobel Prize for the work in 1904.

Louis Pasteur used dogs and other animals, for his research on a rabies vaccine. Dogs have contributed to research into cardiac conditions, muscular dystrophy, influenza, and spinal cord injury. They have been used for physiology, pharmacology, toxicology and surgical studies. Dr. Michael DeBakey pioneered heart transplant surgery using canines.

Dogs are a good surgical model owing to their size and general structure. In addition, they are used for research into parasitology, vaccine trials, behavior studies, and breed- specific conditions. They also serve as surrogate models for canine endangered species.

The most commonly used dog in research is the beagle. It is medium sized, has a good disposition and temperament and is generally well characterized. For some research, larger dogs, such as mongrels or foxhounds, are preferred. Dogs have individual personalities, and will develop bonds with caregivers.

Dogs are carnivores, and require a balanced diet. Required space for dogs is defined by a formula measuring the animal from the tip of the nose to the base of the tail plus 6 inches, squaring that and dividing by 144 to find the square footage required for a particular animal.[2]

Dogs will breed only when the female is in estrus, which usually occurs roughly every 6 months. Observable physiological changes signal readiness to breed. Dogs by nature will select a den for privacy, driven by the safety of small spaces. Providing a sheltered area enriches the animal’s environment and provides a private area for whelping.

Dog enrichment plans must include exercise but not forced exercise. This is a requirement of the Animal Welfare Act. The best way to provide exercise for dogs is to allow play time either with conspecifics or humans. A toy is much more interesting when there is a human at the other end of it. Dogs are normally housed in caging or runs, and the new edition of the Guide for the Care and Use of Laboratory Animals indicates a preference for group housing; housing dogs in runs with adequate space for multiple animals fulfills the exercise requirement of the Animal Welfare Regulations.

Toys for dogs should be rugged enough to withstand gnawing without splintering or developing sharp edges. They should be easily sanitized. If a treat dispenser is used as an enrichment, do not use it every day; the animals will quickly tire of it. Instead, remove it and rotate one or two other toys to maintain the novelty of all the enrichment items.

Dogs are also used as service dogs, assisting disabled people and victims of post traumatic stress syndrome. Their acute sense of smell makes them useful for drug and explosive detection, search and rescue, and cadaver recovery.

Some recent advances in medicine involve dogs ability to sniff out cancer cells for a number of types of cancer. Some of the articles relating to this phenomenon are

http://www.cbsnews.com/2100-18560_162-665263.html, http://www.webmd.com/prostate-cancer/news/20100602/dogs-sniff-out-prostate-cancer, and http://www.scienceagogo.com/news/20060005201345data_trunc_sys.shtml.