The Impact of Training Approaches on Experimental SetUp and Design of Wearable Vibrotactiles for Hunting Dogs

While designing a wearable vibrotactile solution to assist canine navigation we encountered multiple conflicting dog training methods that impacted heavily on design possibilities as well as the methods used in the experimental design. The VibroTactile Vest (VTV), was designed in an iterative process to provide vibrotactile commands to dogs, working with variable-intensity vibrating motors mounted to a modified hug shirt to keep the vibrators close but not restrict movement. We folded knowledge gained from instructional scenarios with trainers, handlers and owners and from working directly with four hunting dogs who had been trained in either obedience, hunting, competitive or non-competitive styles into the finished design. We contribute to research that incorporates technology to enhance communication and mobility with working and companion animals. We increment foundational research on wearable vibrotactile solutions for navigation that assist disabled dogs and/or dogs working at distances, highlighting the necessity to directly anticipate and address different training styles in the experimental set up in order to include a broader variety of dogs.