By Jane Koska
Lots of dogs have jobs. Think sheepdogs, service dogs, drug- and explosive-sniffing dogs, retrievers. Some dogs even have jobs in science—including in wildlife biology. Scientists have capitalized on dogs’ instincts, work ethic, desire to please, and sensitive sense of smell in innovative ways that advance the important work of conservation. As the Conservation Dog Collective says, these dogs are “making a snifference.”
The part of a dog’s brain that analyzes smells is around 40 times greater than ours. Despite today’s advanced technology, no man-made instrument has been made that can match dogs’ ability and efficiency in tracking scents. Dogs can detect anything that has a smell—and that means everything! Just like the more familiar sniffer dogs that we see working in airports or with law enforcement to find contraband or explosives, conservation dogs are trained to detect specific scent targets and alert the person they’re working with.
Conservation dogs don’t need to be a specific breed; in fact, researchers have great success with shelter dogs, including some returned by potential adopters for being too energetic. The best candidates for this job are playful, energetic dogs who are driven to play or chase. The reward, like a favorite toy or game of fetch, for successfully finding their target keeps them interested and motivates them to keep working. Other important qualities in conservation dogs are focus, adaptability, friendliness, and stamina. A strong bond between dog and handler is also key to success.
Sometimes a conservation dog’s job is to find animals or plants, but often it’s to find what animals have left behind, because just like that kids’ picture book says, “everyone poops.” Wildlife biologists and naturalists use a specific term for the solid waste left by an animal in its habitat—scat. Using conservation dogs to find scat yields information that is more reflective of the animal’s day-to-day life. Other wildlife data collection methods include trapping an animal to collect blood or fur samples or to place tracking collars or tags. While these methods have yielded lots of relevant data, they can affect the animal’s behavior.
If you’re wondering what the point is of collecting scat, scientists can analyze a single small sample in the lab and collect data on the animal’s diet, hormone levels, exposure to toxins, whether a female animal is pregnant, the kinds of bacteria in their digestive tract, the amount of microplastics in their system, and the presence of parasites, bacteria, and fungi.
Dogs in the University of Washington’s CK-9 program have located scat from species including spotted owls, mountain lions, caribou, wolves, armadillos, and tigers. Dogs from other organizations have found scat from snow leopards, koalas, pangolins, pocket mice, gorillas, and even caterpillars and bumblebees.
Among the most fascinating dog detective jobs is helping scientists study whales. Researchers have always faced challenges in collecting data on cetaceans (whales, dolphins, and porpoises) for many reasons. Most species spend 90% of their time underwater. Some travel 50–100 miles in a day; others migrate thousands of miles annually. Also, because whales are simply so big, there’s always some risk involved in getting close enough to get a sample of skin or blubber, not to mention the challenge of doing so from a moving boat.
With their amazing noses, plus favorable wind and weather, dogs can smell tiny amounts of scat up to a mile away. They can even detect whale scat slightly below the surface. The dogs guide scientists to the location by orienting toward a specific direction and by wagging, whining, or otherwise showing how excited they are about finding their target. Once the boat arrives at the scat, the scientists use a glass jar on a long pole to retrieve a sample—and the dog gets its favorite toy!
One of the most important uses of conservation dogs in whale research is to help scientists studying the southern resident killer whales (also called orcas). Whales in this highly endangered population—there are only 74 of them—spend most of their time in the Salish Sea and Puget Sound off Washington State. These whales are at risk due to a sharp decline in their primary food source, Chinook salmon, increased exposure to toxic chemicals, and disruptive ship and boat traffic and noise.
Because there are so few southern resident killer whales, researchers have identified every individual by their markings and fin shape. With conservation dogs’ help, scientists can respond quickly enough that they know which whale the scat belongs to. Conservation dogs’ detection abilities have contributed to important research that correlated the amount of toxins in pregnant whales with high rates of stillbirth, a troubling finding for such a small population.
Data like these are vital to informing the government and regulators about the hazards faced by these animals so that our wild neighbors can be protected. Thanks, conservation dogs, for your work—you deserve a lot of toys and treats!
About the Author: Jane Koska lives in Washington, DC. None of her friends would be surprised to learn that she found a way to write about whales in a story about dogs.
Resources:
Dogs and drones: how scientists are saving Washington’s endangered orcas – The Guardian
Meet the dogs sniffing out whale poop for science – Smithsonian Magazine
How conservation dogs are trained to sniff out endangered species – Discover Wild Science
Dogs are incredible – if unlikely – allies in conservation – The Conversation
Meet the dogs saving endangered species – BBC Earth
The secret to finding one of the most endangered bumblebees in the US? Dogs – The Guardian