Tjänstehund - verktyg eller självständig aktör? En studie om hur hundförare upplever hundens roll i arbetet

Sammanfattning: The study was conducted with a qualitative design to explore dog handlers' experiences of the roles assumed by the dog when they work together in actual operations and to determine if there is an interaction that qualifies as socially distributed cognition. In the study, handlers working in the Swedish Police Authority, the Swedish Armed Forces, and the Swedish Customs were interviewed based on three research questions: how they perceive the dogs’ contributions, the dogs’ limitations, and the relationship with the dog. The interviews can be summarized that dog handlers experience a strong bond with the dog. The relationship is characterized by interaction and trust, but with different perceptions of how the dog should be guided. Handlers describe the dog as a tool but at the same time they see the dog capable to act independently. The results are compared against a theoretic framework of socially distributed cognition between humans and service dogs (Amon & Favela, 2019). The results indicate that the handlers' experience of interaction with the dog may qualify as socially distributed cognition. The conclusion of the study is that dogs have diverse roles, shifting between being a tool and an independent actor. The results may challenge the criteria for social distributed cognition, indicating a need for supplementation, particularly concerning the significance of the relationship, communication, and how initiative shifts between the handler and the service dog. Therefore, the study suggests that further research is required to better comprehend the diversity of the dog's roles and the importance of the relationship.