The field of welfare, behavior, and sensory science of working animals is an emerging area of research that addresses the unique needs and challenges faced by animals employed in various critical roles, such as law enforcement, homeland security, medical monitoring, and contraband detection. Unlike pets or hobby animals, working animals have distinct nutritional, physical, and psychological requirements due to the demanding nature of their tasks. Despite their significant contributions, the working animal market remains a small fraction of the multi-billion dollar pet industry, with minimal advocacy and public awareness. Current research often over-generalizes findings from pet studies to working animals, leading to ethical and practical concerns. This gap underscores the need for dedicated scientific inquiry to better understand and support the welfare and performance of working animals.

This research topic aims to provide a robust scientific foundation for addressing controversies and challenges within the working animal community. By focusing on the specific needs and conditions of working animals, the research seeks to answer critical questions and test hypotheses related to their training, stress management, injury prevention, and overall welfare. The objective is to generate data-driven insights that can inform best practices and policies, ultimately enhancing the quality of life and effectiveness of working animals in their respective roles.

To gather further insights into the welfare, behavior, and sensory science of working animals, we welcome articles addressing, but not limited to, the following themes:
- Use of electronic training tools
- Differentiation between types of stress: distress and eustress
- Effects of kenneling or confinement (short term or long term)
- Injuries unique to working animals
- Behavioral euthanasia
- Compare/Contrast training versus operational environments
- Best practices for creating, maintaining, collecting, and interpreting data from training records/logs
- Applicability and practicability of force-free, purely positive, positive reinforcement only, training techniques for working animals
- Research needs for the working animal community
- Legal status of working animals with respect to access to public spaces and transportation

All article types accepted by Frontiers are welcome.

Submit your idea

Impact

Frontiers in Veterinary Science

Submit your idea

Impact