# Balancing Objectivity and Welfare: Physiological and Behavioural Responses of Guide Dogs During an Independent Certification Protocol

## TL;DR

This study examines if the Austrian certification process for guide dogs causes stress, finding that it does not significantly affect their welfare.

## Contribution

The study introduces a welfare-sensitive certification protocol for guide dogs that balances objectivity with animal well-being.

## Key findings

- Cortisol levels did not significantly differ between the two evaluation phases.
- Dogs turned around more in Phase 2, possibly seeking reassurance, but showed fewer stress-related behaviors.
- Verbal praise from the unfamiliar tester may have helped reduce stress.

## Abstract

Guide dogs support blind and visually impaired individuals by enabling safe, independent mobility. Austria is the first country to legally mandate that each guide dog be certified by an independent authority. This certification includes a two-phase evaluation: in Phase 1, the dog guides the familiar trainer; in Phase 2, he guides an unfamiliar blind tester. While Phase 2 ensures an objective assessment of guiding performance, it may also place considerable stress on the dog—potentially affecting welfare and performance. This study evaluated whether Phase 2 induces elevated stress in dogs and whether the protocol requires refinement by comparing the dogs’ responses in the two phases. The data was collected during a real guide dog evaluation. We measured salivary cortisol levels before the evaluation day and at several time points on the evaluation day (before and after each phase). We also recorded the dogs’ behaviour and analysed both short-term (first 5 min) and longer-term (15 min) responses in each phase. Human handler behaviours were included as well. Cortisol levels did not differ significantly between the phases. Dogs turned around more frequently when guiding the unfamiliar tester, possibly seeking reassurance, but showed a trend toward fewer stress-related behaviours. The tester gave more verbal praise, which may have helped reduce stress. Overall, the evaluation protocol appears not to cause undue stress and supports welfare-sensitive guide dog certification.

Guide dogs are essential in supporting the autonomy of blind and visually impaired individuals. Austria is the first country to implement a legally mandated, two-stage certification protocol for the official recognition of guide dogs, assessed by an independent authority. The first stage includes two evaluation phases: the dog guides its familiar trainer (Phase 1) and then an unfamiliar blind tester (Phase 2). While Phase 2 ensures an objective assessment of guiding performance, it may also introduce stress due to the unfamiliar handler and separation from the trainer that could impact welfare and behaviour. This study aimed to evaluate whether Phase 2 of the Austrian evaluation protocol elicits higher stress than Phase 1 in guide dogs and, hence, needs to be refined in this regard by comparing physiological and behavioural responses between the two test phases. Fourteen guide dogs were assessed during real evaluations. Salivary cortisol was collected before the evaluation day and at several time points on the evaluation day (before and after each phase). Behavioural responses were coded from video recordings of the first 5 and 15 min of each phase, including stress-related behaviours, task-related performance behaviours, and handler behaviours. Cortisol levels did not differ significantly between the phases. Dogs turned around significantly more often in Phase 2, potentially seeking reassurance, but showed a non-significant trend toward fewer stress-related behaviours. Verbal praise occurred more frequently with the unfamiliar tester. These findings suggest that the current evaluation protocol does not induce substantial physiological or behavioural stress when dogs are guided by an unfamiliar tester, supporting its continued use as a welfare-conscious and objective certification approach that could also potentially serve as a model for other countries.