The University of Lincoln, Carolyn Menteith and Zigzag, the UK’s Number 1 puppy training app, are conducting new research into puppy behaviour in order to help puppy owners across the world build a better understanding and emotional connection with their pets.
This research will explore the impact of a new training programme on the growth of a puppy into a well-adjusted dog.
Award-winning behaviourist and trainer, author and consultant Carolyn Menteith says “ In my 20+ years working as an accredited behaviourist and trainer, I have long been convinced that the secret to having a healthy, happy dog who fits into their guardians lifestyle and family – and remain there for all of their life – is found in those early weeks. I am therefore very excited to be a part of this exciting new research into puppy development”
Research into puppy development and behaviour can be challenging for many reasons, including recruiting enough puppies for large scale studies. Zigzag provides a solution to this, offering access to potentially hundreds of thousands of puppies across the world via users of the app.
Using data from puppy owners who complete an online survey, the University of Lincoln, Carolyn Menteith and Zigzag’s first endeavour will be to investigate the impact of engaging with the Zigzag programme on puppy behaviour and puppy owner relationships.
The collaboration ultimately aims to improve the lives and wellbeing of dogs around the world, helping owners to better understand them, and further refining the development of the Zigzag training programme, ensuring more dogs live a healthy and happy life.
Lorna Winter, Co-founder and head of training at Zigzag, says “Like humans, puppy behaviour and characteristics transform over time and as a result, training methods applied years ago will no longer necessarily be efficacious in today’s world. This partnership will use data from the hundreds of thousands of puppies that have been through the Zigzag programme and combine it with the knowledge from the most reputable researchers in the world. There are still so many unknowns when it comes to puppy development, such as individual breed specificity and we want this new research to provide the wider training and behaviour community with answers and methods that better suit puppies living in the world with us today.”
The UK’s first Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at the University of Lincoln, Daniel Mills, will lead the research. His previous research has focused on the assessment of emotion in companion animals and the human animal-bond. This work has seen him elevated to one of the top scientists in the world in his field.
Daniel will be assisted by veterinary specialist in Behavioural Medicine, Helen Zulch. Helen has spent the majority of her working life in the field of companion animal behaviour; lecturing on undergraduate and postgraduate programmes, consulting for pet owners and engaging with research across a range of areas in animal behaviour, learning and cognition.
Not only will this collaboration investigate whether puppies completing the Zigzag training programme are less likely to experience future behavioural issues, but it will also explore future research opportunities aimed at benefiting dog welfare, the wider scientific community, the training industry and dog caregivers.
Daniel Mills, Professor of Veterinary Behavioural Medicine at Lincoln University, says “This is an exciting opportunity to explore what factors in the real world affect puppy and dog development. Science and our understanding has moved a lot since the classic work on the importance of sensitive phases in puppy development, so I really hope this new collaboration will give us a chance to take a fresh look at many common assumptions and improve things for dogs globally.”
Founded in March 2021, Zigzag is the only app 100% dedicated to puppy coaching. It has been designed by a team of experts and backed by leading behavioural experts and organisations to provide a tailored training programme based on a puppy’s breed, age and environment.
