Reliability of a New Bite Force Measure and Biomechanics of Modified Long Attack in Police Dogs

Abstract

Information on the biomechanics of police dogs’ tasks is important in understanding their work-related injuries and dysfunctions. This study aimed to develop and test a measurement tool for dogs’ functional bite force and to report modified long attack-related kinetic and kinematic values. Twenty Finnish male police dogs, 7 German Shepherd Dogs (GSDs) and 13 Belgian Shepherd Dogs, Malinois (BSDMs), were included. Dogs accelerated 25 m and bit the helper’s sleeve, fitted with three force sensors. Dogs were wearing a 3D accelerometer and were videotaped with a high-speed camera. The sleeve’s reliability for measuring the dog’s bite force was evaluated via intraclass correlation and Cronbach’s alpha. Otherwise, a Mann–Whitney U-test was used, with significance set at p = 0.05. The sleeve’s test-retest reliability was moderate to good (intraclass correlation of 0.75), and internal consistency was high (Cronbach’s alpha 0.75). The GSDs’ median bite force was 360.4 N (interquartile range (IQR) 628.6 N) and BSDMs’ 247.0 N (IQR 289.8 N). Median acceleration maximum was 7.1 gravitational force equivalent (g) and median deceleration maximum was 11.6 g, with highest recorded forces being 9.2 g and 13.1 g, respectively. The measurement sleeve was a reliable tool for measuring functional bite force in GSDs and BSDMs. Forces related to bite, approach and impact in the two breeds were reported.

Injuries and Associated Factors in Swedish Sporting and Utility Trial Dogs—A Cross-Sectional Study

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“…The dogs' success depends on their ability to jump, retrieve objects, perform scent tasks, focus on precision movement during heelwork, i.e., the dog's shoulder remaining level with the handler's leg throughout various maneuvers, and to complete tasks without faults according to a judge and dog sport-specific regulations [6,7]. The physical and mental requirements vary among disciplines, where disciplines such as agility, obedience, and utility involve tasks that require muscle strength and power, while rally obedience has a lower physical impact [1,7,8]. Utility disciplines, like tracking, searching and messenger, demand cardiorespiratory and muscular endurance from the dog [9][10][11].…”

Non-invasive methods to assess muscle function in dogs: A scoping review

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Quantifying canine interactions with smart toys assesses suitability for service dog work

“…Tools for measuring bite force continue to be developed, however, we can provide an approximation of expected bite forces per breed and by weight. Hyytiäinen et al constructed a bite sleeve embedded with compression force sensors and found that on average German Shepherd Dogs (GSD) (n = 7) and Belgian Shepherd Dogs, Malinois (BSDMs) (n = 13) police dogs produced a median bite force of 360.4 Newton (N) and 247.0 N, respectively (45). Lindner et al ( 46) use a rawhide-covered force transducer to measure bite force across 22 pet dogs that range in weight and size.…”