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Things that I’ve noticed about the dogs:

-They’re named after Reindeer. (Obviously. XD) Beyond their having just been given as Christmas presents, this might be significant because of what the reindeer were: a group that worked together to complete a task.

-The birth date. The labs have had these dogs for a little over a year… and obviously (not just because we know there’s something special/plotty to do with these dogs), they’ve been trained for a particular task. Otherwise, after the puppies were weaned at 6-8 weeks, they would have been given to the islanders. Also, so many of the comments relate to their learning curve and their trainability. Although I originally seized on “I’d put my money on this one” as thinking that they were training all of the dogs for the same task… the fact that all eight dogs have found their way to owners hands suggests against this, unless it’s truly a betting scenario. Perhaps there is actually a bet, of sorts, going on in the labs, to see which of the 8 completes a certain task/attains a certain…level? Going into this possibility a little later. Basically, going back to what I was saying- it seems somewhat more likely that they have each been trained for a specific task, and that together, the group of them will work together for something. (Or a small cadre within the 8 will work together.) That possibility is based on the sake of their names, as well as the fact that they have all been ranked, in a way, by their lab workers, as well as listing a very specific personality, which suggests to me ways they might be used (or be unable to be used: i.e., easily spooked, watches moving objects, etc.).

I think… that the lab reports were not intended, originally, for the islanders- that’s suggested by the way they’ve been written- in a tone that suggests they’re writing to a supervisor, or in the very least, someone who knows what they’re talking about. (Also, they’re written as feral labs property, confidential, serial numbers, etc, also suggesting this.) The point of my bringing this up is… I think it could be that these were written quite a while back (there is no date on them, after all)- during their training. That could explain, if they’re indeed a part of a cohesive group, why one would say ‘outlook good’ for one, or ‘put my money on this one’ for another: there are, in this possible scenario, a number (whether it be 8 or less) specific ‘jobs’ or ‘tasks’ that needed to be filled within the group- and these lab workers/trainers could have been saying to their supervisors: this is the leader, this is the linchpin. Also, they said “continue training” in some of the comments- which also suggests that the comments were intended originally for a supervisor, or at least just for notes for project keepage- I doubt they were talking to individual islanders, and telling them to continue training. What I think is, these were interim training notes, and then, after the training was complete… and Christmas came about, the dogs were dispersed.

They’re all Australian Shepherds- a breed that is trained to be outgoing (a cover and/or something to help ingratiate them to their new owners) and that shepherd/guide… which suggests to me… maybe that’s something to do with their task.

Anyway, back to something I said earlier, about a possible ‘bet’. There’s a possibility, I suppose, that there is a sort of bet going on, to see which gets to a certain point/level/achieves a task first or best. I still lean towards them working together as either a whole group or a smaller one… but there’s something about a few of the dogs that says maybe they’re being geared individually. (The ‘bet on this one’, and ‘outlook good’ could also be seen as this.) Actually, there’s something about cards that sticks out, though I’m sure it’s nothing. They seem to have a favorite, being Donner- the ‘ace’. Given, this is just the individual lab worker’s comments, and not all of the team’s opinion- but the fact that this particular notesheet was chosen out of (assumedly) the dog’s whole collection of project notes, suggests that it’s an accurate picture of the dog’s abilities/standing within the group. They also have a joker, of sorts… Prancer. Prancer is a fascinating one, at least to me- because he’s a wild card, and a joker (again the card thing popped up to me- but, it’s probably just a writer thing, not a real plot thing ^^)… the lab hasn’t even been able to assess his learning curve (it’s assumed) or his trainability. This dog could just be a joker. But he could also be one that refuses to be cubbyholed. That’s really interesting.

Another thing I tried to do, though have, as of yet failed- is to find a corresponding group of eight that this group could correlate to, maybe to help explain what… or even ‘who’ these dogs are, or what they might be used for. I could explain this a little more, but it’s a little strange, so at your own risk, folks. ^_^

A few other things: most of their comments suggest things that happen if they are not given attention/left alone. Some will get fat, others sluggish, some loud, try to escape, etc. I don’t know if this means anything, or if it’s just another incentive for the islanders to rp them. They were given to active islanders, after all. They want them to be roleplayed- likely so that the ‘secret’, or the plot- can be discovered.

I don’t think their lab serial numbers are anything important (though at first, with the 1983 at the stead, I wondered if they correlated to… say, an important date or a year, but I’ve since moved away from that, and figured they were more-or-less randomly assigned. …Either that, or one of the staff members OOC likes the year 1983, and incorporated it into the #’s. XD)

I’ve also entertained that these dogs aren’t… legitimate dogs, and that they’ve been created/engineered, quite possibly in the same vein/tradition of Moreau’s most favored way to… create animals. Or just the opposite?

[C&P from AIM]

you know, I had a thought about the Aubrey incident and the dogs
Well, remember how several islanders were injected with something to make them go "feral" for a few days?
Nita was still human at the time, but she was also injected and functioned as the control.
I was looking over the notes for all the dogs, and Comet is normal. Average. Typical canine behavior, blah blah.
So it's like she's the 'control' of the litter