Dogs have an incredible sense of smell that is thousands of times more powerful than humans. Scientists are realizing that dogs can be used to solve a variety of problems, such as detecting cancer, drugs, explosives, and predicting seizures. One unusual scent that dogs have been trained to detect is whale poop. In the US, there is a team of dogs specifically trained to sniff out whale scat. Let’s take a closer look at how they do it and why it’s important.
Signs Your Dog is Tracking a Scent
It’s well-known that dogs have a strong sense of smell, and dog owners have witnessed their pets’ incredible sniffing abilities. When a dog has picked up a scent, they become completely focused on tracking it down, ignoring everything else around them. They may have their nose to the ground or in the air, inhaling and exhaling rapidly to catch the scent. They will then follow the scent until they satisfy their curiosity, often ignoring commands and distractions. In the case of dogs trained to detect whale scat, they will lean over the boat’s bow to point their handlers in the right direction.
Body Language
There are several body language cues that indicate a dog is tracking a scent, such as being alert, wagging their tail, turning their head, stalking, and having their ears up. Other signs include sniffing the air or ground, moving to track the scent, and ignoring distractions.
The History of Dogs Sniffing for Whale Poop
The Conservation Canine program at the University of Washington’s Center for Conservation Biology has been using dogs to locate wildlife scat samples since 1997. These dogs have sniffed out scat from various threatened and endangered species. The program decided to train dogs to detect whale scat because the orcas of Puget Sound are highly polluted and little is known about their population decline and health issues. By studying their scat, scientists hope to gain insights into these problems and conserve the orcas.
The Science of Dogs Smelling Whale Poop
The founder of the Conservation Canine program, Samuel Wasser, adapted narcotic dog training methods to teach dogs to track endangered wildlife. Dogs’ powerful sense of smell allows them to detect even tiny traces of odor. Any breed of dog can be trained for this work as long as they are active, energetic, and ball-crazy. Tucker, a Labrador-cross, became a famous scat tracker despite his aversion to water. Over the years, the program has trained more than 40 detector dogs to sniff out scat from various species.
Training Dogs to Smell for Whale Poop
The training of scat detection dogs revolves around their love for balls. Dogs that are high-energy and enjoy retrieving balls can potentially excel at this work. Training involves associating specific scents, like orca scat, with the reward of playing fetch with a ball. Dogs gradually progress to searching complex environments for scat. Training dogs to track scents on water is more complicated, but it can be done with gradual introductions to the scent and using cues to locate the scat.
With the help of dogs like Tucker, scientists hope to better understand the issues facing the orcas of Puget Sound and work towards their conservation.
“From tracking cancer to sniffing out whale poop, dogs are proving their incredible scenting abilities are a force to be reckoned with.”
Tips & Things to Know
1️⃣ Dogs have an incredible sense of smell that can be harnessed for various purposes, such as sniffing out cancer, detecting drugs or explosives, and predicting epileptic seizures.
2️⃣ When your dog is tracking a scent, they will display certain body language cues, such as being alert, wagging their tail, turning their head, stalking, and having their ears up.
3️⃣ Dogs can be trained to detect specific scents, like whale poop, through positive reinforcement using their love for balls. Training involves associating the scent with the reward of playing fetch and gradually progressing to complex environments.
Frequently Asked Questions, Answered ✅
1. What are some examples of problems that dogs with a strong sense of smell can help solve?
– Dogs can sniff out cancer in humans, detect drugs or explosives, and predict epileptic seizures before they occur.
2. How do you know if your dog is tracking a scent?
– Signs that your dog is tracking a scent include ignoring everything else going on around them, having their nose pressed to the ground or thrust in the air, and heading off in the direction of the smell.
3. Why are dogs being trained to sniff out whale scat?
– Dogs are being trained to sniff out whale scat to help scientists understand why the orcas of Puget Sound are struggling to survive and to study the effects of toxicity on their health.
4. How do dogs detect scents buried underground or floating in water?
– Dogs have amazing olfactory powers that allow them to detect minute traces of an odor. By adapting narcotic dog training methods, dogs can be trained to track scents in various environments.
5. How are dogs trained to track scents, such as whale poop?
– Dogs are trained using their love of balls as a reward. They associate specific scents, like orca poop, with the reward of playing fetch. Training gradually progresses to searching complex environments for scat, including training on water.
