"Poop-sniffing dogs work for wildlife researchers"

[Koa]

THURSDAY, JULY 2, 2015, 5:22 A.M.
Poop-sniffing dogs work for wildlife researchers
By Rich Landers

Shelter dogs too intense or feisty to be adopted are helping wildlife scientists by doing what comes naturally – running through the woods and sniffing for the poop of other animals. “But they don’t get to roll in it,” said Jennifer Hartman of Conservation Canines. “We’ve heard those jokes.” The noses of the canine misfits are being put to use in Pend Oreille County in a pilot project seeking more information about the interrelationships of wolves and other carnivores – as well as with their prey.

Read the full article here:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2015/j ... s-rewards/

What do you guys think of this?
It'd be interesting to see if these canine-poop-finders ever make their way to another certain project:
http://www.wolfquest.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=76676

[paperpaws]

Wrong board? ^^;

This actually made me pretty happy to read.. It's nice to see that, instead of being stuck at the shelter or even getting put down, these dogs get to act on their instincts while at the same time benifitting wildlife research (and the animals being researched). Also pretty impressed that they even aid in seeking out killer whale feces - I knew dog noses were strong, but I honestly didn't expect that.

I don't know exactly what about the article it is, but the general tone of it seems really warm, and like I said, it made for a happy read. Thank you for the share.

[Koa]

I thought it was rather pleasant, as well. I am glad you enjoyed it. ^o^
Yeah... you're right. IWC had it up on their site, and I immediately thought of the previous article they posted so I settled on posting it here. I think Nature and Wildlife would be more appropriate.

[Nor-easter Forecast]

Haha, good for them! I know some Conservation Canines people and they are an awesome program. If they could combine the dogs (to find it) and that machine (to analyze it), we would have mountains of data. I am a full supporter of this whole scat detection idea. It's so much less invasive and expensive and it gives the same information.

A project of their's I've been involved with is this:
http://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/re ... mexico.xml

Jemez Mountains salamanders—a candidate for the Endangered Species List found nowhere else on Earth except north-central New Mexico—are in rapid decline. A warmer, drier climate in the state has impacted the salamanders’ habitat—threatening their long-term survival.

They are also very hard to find. And that’s where the dogs can help.

This study is part of the Conservancy’s Southwest Climate Change Initiative, an effort to develop adaptation strategies that make the Jemez Mountains healthier and more resilient for salamanders, other animals and plants, and humans, too.

And they've been making great progress. Pretty much the same thing; its amazing how versatile the use for these dogs can be.