Working and Hunting Dogs Medicine

Dear Colleagues,

From their domestication, traced back to prehistoric times, the dog has accompanied humans throughout the ages, serving in roles that have certainly contributed to the advancement of mankind.  Although the dog has now assumed an important complex social role as a companion animal, working dogs represent an irreplaceable resource and their capabilities are continuously used in new areas. The different tasks these dogs have to perform (search and rescue, explosives and narcotics detection, service/therapy work, herding work, hunting practice, etc.) require specific medical considerations from veterinarians, as well as a specific approach to selection, breeding and training.     

Among working dogs, hunting dogs deserve specific attention. In fact, hunting practice is characterized by a dynamic interaction between wildlife, domestic animals, and humans. In this scenario, the circulation of pathogens from domestic canids to wildlife and vice versa could be facilitated.  In this way, hunting dogs can act as sentinel animals for the monitoring of wildlife zoonotic infections, as they are exposed to potential wild animal reservoirs sharing the same environments.

In this Special Issue, we will collect scientific works from across the broad field of working dogs medicine (selection, breeding, training, sports medicine, preventive health care, infectious and parasitic diseases, etc.) in order to optimize their veterinary care and management.   

Prof. Dr. Diego Piantedosi
Prof. Dr. Vincenzo Veneziano
Prof. Dr. Edward B. Breitschwerdt
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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• working dogs
• hunting dogs
• sporting dogs
• dog-assisted therapy