DOGMATICS
Project presentation
The DOGMATICS (DOG Matching by Analysis of Trajectories, Interaction and Compatibility Scores) doctoral project, running from October 2025 to October 2028, is part of a research initiative aimed at better understanding the factors that determine compatibility between a guide dog and its future beneficiary.
The aim of this research is to contribute to the development of a matching tool for professionals involved in the selection and allocation of guide dogs, particularly dog trainers.
More specifically, the project consists of analysing:
- the walking characteristics and behaviour of guide dogs
- the walking characteristics of blind or visually impaired people who move around, or are required to move around, with a guide dog
- the interactions between these different variables, in order to identify indicators of compatibility within the human-dog pair
The aim of the project is therefore to better characterise the factors likely to promote a suitable, stable and functional match between a guide dog and its beneficiary.
Partners
This doctoral work is being conducted as part of a partnership between the GEOLOC laboratory at Gustave Eiffel University and the Mira Foundation.
The project thus lies at the intersection of scientific research, mobility analysis and field expertise in the field of guide dogs.
The Mira Foundation is a non-profit organisation founded in 1981. It is recognised as the first French-speaking school in Canada to offer a guide dog programme.
Its mission is to provide free guide dogs and assistance dogs to people living with visual or motor impairments, as well as to young people with autism spectrum disorder. As part of the DOGMATICS project, this partnership provides essential practical application, linking the scientific challenges of analysing gait, trajectories and interactions to the concrete practices of matching guide dogs with beneficiaries.
Research objectives
The pairing of a guide dog with a visually impaired person is a crucial step in forming a functional partnership. This process is based on an expert assessment of multiple criteria, including behavioural, functional and relational factors.
With this in mind, the DOGMATICS project aims to explore the extent to which the joint analysis of:
- walking trajectories
- observed behaviours
- interactions within the pair
- compatibility scores
can be used to objectively assess certain parameters involved in the success of a pairing.
Ultimately, this work could contribute to the formalisation of complementary assessment methods to support the expertise of professionals in the sector.