Testing and characterization of herding dogs' behaviors

Area of Science:

• Animal Science
• Veterinary Medicine
• Behavioral Science

Background:

• Traditional herding dog (HD) breeding relies on field trials inadequate for real-world livestock farming.
• Phenotypic assessment is crucial for selecting HDs suited for agricultural work.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel field trial with a scoring system to assess the adequate phenotype (AP) of young herding dogs.
• To determine the efficiency of this new trial in identifying HDs suitable for livestock farming.

Main Methods:

• A new field trial with a 28-item scoring system, including pre-test (PT) and test (T) phases, was designed.
• 460 French Border Collies (8-24 months) were evaluated using the trial.
• Statistical analysis, including recursive feature elimination, was employed to identify significant predictors of AP/NAP.

Main Results:

• The trial correctly identified 93.3% of AP dogs (sensitivity), with 96.1% specificity and 95.7% accuracy.
• Key predictors for AP included completing PT/T phases, keenness, correct handler positioning, and absence of prey drive.
• Environmental factors like trial session, owner experience, initial livestock contact, and livestock type significantly influenced AP/NAP outcomes.

Conclusions:

• The developed field trial is a short, standardized, and reproducible method for assessing herding dog phenotype.
• This trial and scoring system offer a foundation for phenotype-based herding dog breeding programs.
• Further testing and genetic analyses are recommended to fully integrate this method into breeding strategies.