Dogs are incredible – if unlikely – allies in conservation

• Think hunting dogs, herding dogs, police dogs or search and rescue dogs.
• But have you heard of conservation dogs?
• Conservation dogs fall mainly into two categories: guardian dogs and sniffer dogs (also called scent, detection or detector dogs).

The nose that knows

• The film is based on the true story of Maremma dogs, trained to protect little penguins from foxes on Middle Island near Warrnambool in southwest Victoria.
• The penguin population had dwindled to fewer than ten before the Maremma dogs got involved.
• They can be trained to find animals or plants, or “indirect” signs animals have left behind such as poo or feathers.

Sniffer dogs have been trained for various missions such as:
finding rare and endangered species
detecting invasive animals during eradication or containment such as fire ants or snakes
locating pest plants
supporting wildlife surveys by detecting scats (poo), urine, vomit, nests, carcasses and even diseases.
They have worked in extreme conditions on land (including on sub-Antarctic islands) and at sea, and can even detect scent located underground. Sniffer dogs have also trained to recognise individual animals such as tigers by scent.

The ultimate scent detection machine

• A much larger proportion (seven to 40 times larger) of the dog’s brain is dedicated to decoding scent.
• Dogs analyse the air from each of their nostrils independently, detecting tiny variations in scent concentration.
• Besides being the ultimate scent detection machine, dogs are great ambassadors for conservation – melting hearts all the way to Hollywood.

Finding the right candidate for the job

• Trainers use toys and play as a reward, so dogs learn to associate this reward with the target scent.
• It’s so easy that the scent-learning part of the job is usually the quickest.
• And if the dog had a troubled background before being rescued, rehabilitation is the most time-consuming and difficult component of the training.

What type of dog can become a sniffer dog?

• The most important aspect of the association learning process is having the right dog – one with obsessive behaviour.
• And any breed, sex and age of dog can present this personality type.

Read more:
Scientists find burnt, starving koalas weeks after the bushfires

Top jobs for conservation dogs

Meet dogs working in conservation around the world:
detecting orca poo
making and keeping World Heritage-listed islands and Antarctica pristine
wildlife search and rescue
working as guardians
containing fire ants
leading weed eradication on land or water
monitoring wind farms
finding vomit (rejected owl pellets, to be precise)
supporting environmental assessments
helping Tasmanian devils find mates
detecting diseases.
These are just a few of the dogs making a difference in our fight to protect biodiversity. But we have barely scratched the surface of their potential!
Romane H Cristescu works for Detection Dogs for Conservation, at the University of the Sunshine Coast. She is receiving external funding through multiple government-funded, foundation association, not-for-profit group, and research council grants. She is a founding member and current executive of the Australasian Conservation Dogs Network.