Clara Wilson, Molly Buis, Amritha Mallikarjun, Cynthia M Otto
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引用次数: 0
Abstract
Objective: To assess whether running-track length (25 or 40 m) impacted the repeatability of results across runs using the Penn Vet Working Dog Center sprint test. While the 25-m track is standard, the impact of a longer track remains unknown. Determining whether a longer track improves repeatability is crucial for ensuring accurate performance assessments and optimizing protocols.
Methods: A counterbalanced crossover design compared within-subject variability between the 2 course distances (25 and 40 m). Seventeen working dogs in training participated in the study. Dogs were a minimum of 8 months old. Exclusion criteria were any canine illness or injury, adverse health events on test days, or a history of heat injury. The study took place from November 28 through December 15, 2023, in a temperature-controlled indoor space, with data collected 2 days/wk for 3 weeks.
Results: Inter-run reliability within dogs was moderate for the 25-m track (0.67; 95% CI, 0.44 to 0.79) and good for the 40-m track (0.82; 95% CI, 0.66 to 0.91). Dogs reached the 25-m line significantly faster when it was the interim point within the 40-m track compared to when it was the finish line.
Conclusions: These results corroborate previous findings that the test produces repeatable results in healthy dogs, with the novel finding that the repeatability of results is improved when the track length is 40 m.
Clinical relevance: By using this test longitudinally, veterinarians, handlers, and trainers can make data-driven decisions about a dog's readiness for sport or work, helping to prevent overtraining or injury.
期刊介绍:
The American Journal of Veterinary Research supports the collaborative exchange of information between researchers and clinicians by publishing novel research findings that bridge the gulf between basic research and clinical practice or that help to translate laboratory research and preclinical studies to the development of clinical trials and clinical practice. The journal welcomes submission of high-quality original studies and review articles in a wide range of scientific fields, including anatomy, anesthesiology, animal welfare, behavior, epidemiology, genetics, heredity, infectious disease, molecular biology, oncology, pharmacology, pathogenic mechanisms, physiology, surgery, theriogenology, toxicology, and vaccinology. Species of interest include production animals, companion animals, equids, exotic animals, birds, reptiles, and wild and marine animals. Reports of laboratory animal studies and studies involving the use of animals as experimental models of human diseases are considered only when the study results are of demonstrable benefit to the species used in the research or to another species of veterinary interest. Other fields of interest or animals species are not necessarily excluded from consideration, but such reports must focus on novel research findings. Submitted papers must make an original and substantial contribution to the veterinary medicine knowledge base; preliminary studies are not appropriate.