Dog copying style influences avalanche search team’s performance.

Avalanche search dogs are an invaluable resource in case of environmental disasters. The “Alpine Rescue of Guardia di Finanza Project” is a broad research project aimed to identify the limiting factors affecting dog-handler teams’ performance. In this study, we investigated if dog’s search strategy influences team’s performance during an avalanche search trial. This consisted in discovering a warm scent article, buried under the snow (-20cm), avoiding olfactory pollution, in fields prepared to resemble an avalanche fall environment (10mt x 15mt; 2170masl). Twelve search dogs (6 years average) were video recorded during replicated trials. Videos were analysed through focal animal sampling of dog’s behavioural categories (standing, walking, running, standing sniffing, exploring sniffing, digging, intensive digging, signs of stress, change of direction). Principal component analysis included 9 behavioural traits and extracted one principal component (PC) explaining 41% of the variation, named "Dog’s coping style". Items loading low in PC were standing, walking, running and signs of stress, behaviours expressing a passive copying style. Conversely, positive loads, indicative of a proactive copying style, were found for exploring sniffing, digging, change of direction, standing sniffing and intensive digging. High score of PC increased the likelihood of success (odd ratio= 0.021; 95% CI= 0.001–0.458; p=0.014). Dog’s proactive search strategy, including intensive exploratory behaviours and a problem-focused strategy, probably positively affect team’s performance because allowed the dogs to spent more time interacting with the environment. Further studies are required to investigate the reliability of proactive-passive dimension to optimize rescue operations strategies.