We have several detector dogs in our company, and there are times when some dogs are kept in the company kennel as opposed to staying kenneled at their human partner's house.

It seems to me that the dogs that are kept at their partner's house maintain better health than those kept at the kennel. Due to appropriate oversight, I know it's not due to better care at the homes. It would seem to me that it is a phychological issue for the dogs. That the dogs feel like they are _somebody's dog_ in that that is "their" human and they are their partner's dog.

I was wondering if anyone else had noticed this phenomenon or had any comments. Thanks.

Do you mean something like the non home dogs are feeling more stress from a lack of an established pack? And therefore more subject to illness.

All things being equal out in the field though, do both groups work at the same par (so to speak)?
If I'm not learning, I'm not paying attention.
Randy

Not so much more subject to stress as much as perhaps a reduced ability to thrive??

The dogs work equally well. It just seems to me that when I compare how a dog looks before he gets partnered up to how he looks after just a few months of being kenneled at the partner's home, he just seems much more healthy overall.

Kinda a difference between healthy and "glow-in-the-dark" healthy. Content, if you will.

I guess what I"m asking is if this is an actual phenomenon or if I'm just projecting my feelings into this.

Genie,
I'm not in a position to be able to say one way or the other. I do find it an interesting proposition though. As well as one that I find rather compelling.
If indeed there is a case to be made for such an elusive quality as a 'better overall bearing' one would think that sooner or later it would show up statistically. Either in the work of the dog, in the working life span, in the vet records (added stress in life I would think effect dogs much the same as it does us, more medical problems as one ages), and perhaps even in the life span of the dog (as in how long the dog lives). Can you access any past records? If so you could chart the progress of each dog through the years and compare each point of reference, a pattern should emerge if it's more than just a projection of feelings on your part.
Heck, if no one else has done it, you could be the first to prove that dogs who stay with their handlers work better, have longer working lives, and lower health issues over the long haul!

If I'm not learning, I doing something wrong.
Randy

After some extensive study of the Leerburg website (THANKS YALL!!), I have recently instituted a change in record-keeping, which will make it MUCH easier to track a particular dog's records. Right now, it would be incredibly tedious to pull up the kind of info you're talking about in the prior records.

I can provide some anecdotal evidence, however. My current partner, 9yo yellow lab Toby, is a good example. When I started working with him 4 years ago, he had been in the main kennel without a partner for several months. He was underweight and his coat was dull. (Again, this was not due to poor kennel care.)

After kenneling him at my house for a couple of months, he put on an appropriate amount of weight and he "slicked off" and had a healthy-looking coat. His attitude was more settled and he seemed to be almost as happy with a reward of praise as with the ball. Several other of our dogs have demonstrated similar responses to home-kenneling.

Our dogs in general are able to work up to around 11yo. These are not police service dogs, so they don't have the high-impact work schedule of K9s (ie: no apprehension or bite work). However, we do extensive contraband inspection along with a lot of education at schools. Basically, as long as they still love the work and are physically capable, we keep working them.

For example, we retired two dogs, one because he wasn't interested in "the game" anymore (11yo Golden, incidentally still alive at 13) and another because she had developed shoulder problems (10 yo). She would still try to load in the van when we weren't looking, tho. She has recently passed on due to cancer.

With the new reporting, though, I can probably get some actual data to back up my observations.

Good luck on the mission Genie!

If my dog isn't learning, I'm doing something wrong.
Randy