tag:theconversation.com,2011:/africa/topics/animal-training-13734/articlesAnimal training – The Conversation2024-01-07T19:03:59Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2048132024-01-07T19:03:59Z2024-01-07T19:03:59ZDogs are incredible – if unlikely – allies in conservation<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565576/original/file-20231213-15-j64ksb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=10%2C10%2C6699%2C4436&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source"> UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dogs have been working with people for centuries. Think hunting dogs, herding dogs, police dogs or search and rescue dogs. But have you heard of conservation dogs?</p>
<p>Conservation dogs fall mainly into two categories: guardian dogs and sniffer dogs (also called scent, detection or detector dogs).</p>
<p>Guardian dogs protect vulnerable species from predators, while sniffer dogs locate targets of interest using their powerful sense of smell.</p>
<p>In the past 15 years, dogs have begun to play a <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/2041-210X.13560">crucial role in conservation</a> around the world. So let’s take a closer look at them, with a focus on their work in Australia. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/koala-detecting-dogs-sniff-out-flaws-in-australias-threatened-species-protection-121118">Koala-detecting dogs sniff out flaws in Australia's threatened species protection</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>The nose that knows</h2>
<p>Guardian dogs were made famous by the 2015 movie <a href="https://www.imdb.com/title/tt3401748/">Oddball</a>. The film is based on the true story of <a href="http://www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au/maremma-dogs#:%7E:text=In%20a%20world%2Dfirst%2C%20Maremma,for%20the%20Middle%20Island%20Project.">Maremma dogs</a>, 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. The breed was chosen for its long association with guarding sheep in Europe. </p>
<p>But most conservation dogs are sniffer dogs, because there are so many uses for them. They can be trained to find animals or plants, or “indirect” signs animals have left behind such as poo or feathers. </p>
<p>Dogs can detect <em>anything</em> with an odour – and <em>everything</em> has an odour.
<a href="https://www.ecolsoc.org.au/?hottopic-entry=detection-dogs-provide-a-powerful-method-for-conservation-surveys">Sniffer dogs</a> are trained to detect a target scent and point it out to their human coworker (sometimes referred to as handler or <a href="https://roguedogs.org/iwanttobeabounder">bounder</a>).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A photo of a sniffer dog during training, dropping to the ground to show where she found the target odour in a jar" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=401&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565582/original/file-20231213-26-j686k1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">During training, sniffer dog Billie Jean drops to the ground when she finds her target odour.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Russell Miller, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sniffer dogs have been trained for various missions such as:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>finding rare and endangered species</p></li>
<li><p>detecting invasive animals during eradication or containment such as <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/sniffer-dogs-help-fight-battle-against-fire-ants-in-queensland/6623876">fire ants</a> or <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/US/python-sniffing-dogs-floridas-newest-weapon-fighting-invasive/story?id=74776821">snakes</a> </p></li>
<li><p>locating <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/canberra-saturdaybreakfast/oakley-the-conservation-dog-helping-the-act/102722540">pest plants</a></p></li>
<li><p>supporting wildlife surveys by detecting scats (<a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-17/koala-poo-sniffing-dog-recruitment/7176218">poo</a>), urine, <a href="https://blog.csiro.au/sniffing-out-solutions-detection-dogs-are-helping-threatened-species/">vomit</a>, nests, carcasses and even <a href="https://molecularecologyblog.com/2019/08/19/interview-with-the-author-detecting-pathogens-in-koalas-dogs-versus-qpcr/">diseases</a>. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>They have worked in extreme conditions on land (including on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-11/wonder-dog-protects-island-from-rodents/12338438">sub-Antarctic islands</a>) and <a href="https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/dio-the-dog-goes-sniffing-for-whale-poop/">at sea</a>, and can even detect <a href="https://www.nationalgeographic.com/animals/article/sniffer-dogs-conservation-sea-turtles-florida">scent located underground</a>. Sniffer dogs have also trained to recognise <a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/4496200">individual animals such as tigers</a> by scent.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A sniffer dog poses with an open copy of a french book about the incredible nose of the dog by Frank Rosell" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/566063/original/file-20231215-23-tvog7v.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sniffer dog Maya poses with a french copy of a book about the incredible nose of the dog by Frank Rosell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Romane Cristescu, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The ultimate scent detection machine</h2>
<p>A dog’s nose is estimated to be <a href="https://press.uchicago.edu/ucp/books/book/chicago/S/bo27611471.html">100,000 to 100 million times</a> more sensitive than a human nose (depending on the dog breed). A much larger proportion (seven to 40 times larger) of the dog’s brain is dedicated to decoding scent. </p>
<p>That means dogs can detect very low scent concentrations – the equivalent of <a href="https://www.exploratorium.edu/blogs/spectrum/dogs-smell-time#:%7E:text=With%20up%20to%20300%20million,continuously%2C%20even%20as%20they%20exhale">a teaspoon of sugar in five million litres of water (or two Olympic-sized swimming pools)</a>. They can also differentiate between very similar odours. </p>
<p>Dogs analyse the air from each of their nostrils independently, detecting tiny variations in scent concentration. This gives them a directional sense of smell that can guide them left or right until they’ve honed in on the origin of the scent.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2871809/">Thanks to very sophisticated nostrils</a>, dogs can avoid contaminating an odour with their own breath (exhaling air through the nostrils’ sides). They also can analyse odours continuously regardless of whether they are inhaling or exhaling. </p>
<p>Besides being the ultimate scent detection machine, dogs are great ambassadors for conservation – melting hearts all the way to <a href="https://ew.com/movies/2019/11/28/tom-hanks-twitter-nice-tweets/">Hollywood</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A still from a video on twitter featuring Hollywood actor Tom Hanks reading and responding to tweets including one about the koala detection dog Bear." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=361&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565570/original/file-20231213-27-awguev.JPG?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=453&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">While reading a tweet about our IFAW / UniSC koala detection dog Bear, Hollywood actor Tom Hanks said: ‘This is a Disney movie that must be made’, before suggesting a title: ‘The story of Bear: The Koala Detection Dog’. ‘I like bear!’</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">X/Twitter</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1723910643353587775"}"></div></p>
<h2>Finding the right candidate for the job</h2>
<p>Some organisations rescue their dogs. They look for the toy-obsessed kind – those dogs that never stop playing.</p>
<p>In many cases these dogs were abandoned for that very reason. They require constant entertainment and become difficult to care for in a normal family setting, where people have to leave for work and devote time to activities other than entertaining their dog. </p>
<p>A sniffer dog gets to be with their handlers almost every day of the week. That work consists of long walks with lots of play. </p>
<p>Trainers use toys and play as a reward, so dogs learn to associate this reward with the target scent.</p>
<p>Learning through association – called <a href="https://open.lib.umn.edu/intropsyc/chapter/7-1-learning-by-association-classical-conditioning/">classical or pavlovian conditioning</a> – is very easy for dogs. It’s so easy that the scent-learning part of the job is usually the quickest. Training a dog to feel confident and be safe in the natural environment is more challenging. And if the dog had a troubled background before being rescued, rehabilitation is the most time-consuming and difficult component of the training. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Rear view of two sniffer dogs sitting with their handler in a grassy hilltop gazing into the distance" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=393&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/565581/original/file-20231213-25-h9ef4v.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=493&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sniffer dogs with their handler Russell Miller near Gympie region in Queensland, Australia.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Katrin Hohwieler, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What type of dog can become a sniffer dog?</h2>
<p>The most important aspect of the association learning process is having the right dog – one with obsessive behaviour. And <a href="https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/2041-210X.13560">any breed, sex and age of dog</a> can present this personality type.</p>
<p>Some breeds might tend to have higher proportions of obsessed and toy-focused dogs, but all breeds, including crossbreeds, have been successfully deployed as sniffer dogs.</p>
<p>Some breeds do have better sniffers – the bloodhound is the champion of olfactory performance – but depending on the target scent, most dogs’ noses are still extremely efficient and more than capable of the task.</p>
<p>Robust, agile and high-energy breeds are better suited to working outdoors. Medium-sized breeds are usually better able to crawl under and jump over obstacles, while also light enough to be easily carried by their human coworker as needed.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A wildlife rescuer wearing fire protective gear carries detection dog Bear" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/553803/original/file-20231015-23-54t3en.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">International Fund for Animal Welfare IFAW / UniSC koala detection dog ‘Bear’ was deployed during the Black Summer fires (2019-20) to find survivors. Pictured here with the author Romane Cristescu at Two Thumbs Wildlife Trust sanctuaries in Cooma, New South Wales.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kye McDonald, UniSC Detection Dogs for Conservation</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">Scientists find burnt, starving koalas weeks after the bushfires</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Top jobs for conservation dogs</h2>
<p>Meet dogs working in conservation around the world:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><a href="https://whalesanctuaryproject.org/dio-the-dog-goes-sniffing-for-whale-poop/">detecting orca poo</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.australiandoglover.com/2016/06/detector-dogs-saved-macquarie-island.html?m=0">making</a> and <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-06-11/wonder-dog-protects-island-from-rodents/12338438">keeping</a> World Heritage-listed islands and Antarctica pristine </p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/scientists-find-burnt-starving-koalas-weeks-after-the-bushfires-133519">wildlife search and rescue</a></p></li>
<li><p>working as <a href="https://www.warrnamboolpenguins.com.au/maremma-dogs">guardians</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-07-16/sniffer-dogs-help-fight-battle-against-fire-ants-in-queensland/6623876">containing fire ants</a></p></li>
<li><p>leading weed eradication on <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/rural/2022-01-23/weed-sniffing-dogs-unleashed-n-tasmanian-central-highlands/100773942">land</a> or <a href="https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/canberra-saturdaybreakfast/oakley-the-conservation-dog-helping-the-act/102722540">water</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/aec.13220">monitoring wind farms</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/queensland/how-a-vomit-sniffing-dog-is-helping-save-endangered-owls-20190124-p50tg6.html">finding vomit</a> (rejected owl pellets, to be precise)</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-02-13/sniffer-dogs-could-help-win-the-battle-against-extinction/7163098">supporting environmental assessments</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://theconversation.com/meet-moss-the-detection-dog-helping-tassie-devils-find-love-142909">helping Tasmanian devils find mates</a></p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://molecularecologyblog.com/2019/08/19/interview-with-the-author-detecting-pathogens-in-koalas-dogs-versus-qpcr/">detecting diseases</a>.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>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!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/204813/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>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.</span></em></p>Conservation dogs perform vital roles across Australia. Some are guardians protecting wildlife from predators while others put their powerful sense of smell to use as sniffer dogs or detection dogs.Romane H Cristescu, Researcher in Koala, Detection Dogs, Conservation Genetics and Ecology, University of the Sunshine CoastLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1789412022-03-14T15:48:21Z2022-03-14T15:48:21ZHow to train your dog in basic ‘life’ skills - and why it’s important<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451574/original/file-20220311-23-12daoxw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/woman-training-her-dog-park-796728268">O_Lypa/shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every year at <a href="https://www.crufts.org.uk/">Crufts</a>, the UK’s largest dog show, canines and their people can participate in all manner of exciting competitions. Whether heelwork-to-music (essentially dancing with dogs) or obedience, or the high-speed relay races of flyball, it can be a marvellous feast of fun for performance dogs.</p>
<p>Of course, the reality is that most companion dogs will never enter the dog show ring – what they need to learn are the skills for everyday life. </p>
<p>The importance of a “<a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/dog-training/good-citizen-dog-training-scheme/taking-part-in-the-good-citizen-dog-training-scheme/">canine good citizen</a>” – a dog that can happily co-exist in human society – cannot be underestimated. A well trained dog <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10071-020-01458-0">benefits humans and dogs</a> alike by enhancing the bond between animal and owner. And well behaved dogs are less likely <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fvets.2021.734973/full">to be relinquished</a> too. </p>
<p>So, helping our dogs learn how to conduct themselves is one of the most important things we can do. But what skills are “must have” and what factors do we need to take into account before beginning the training process? Here are some things to think about.</p>
<h2>The key “essential” skills</h2>
<p>Having dogs brings with it many responsibilities. The Kennel Club’s <a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/3046/gcds-canine-code.pdf">canine code</a> highlights issues such as what identification your dog should wear on their collar and the importance of cleaning up after your dog defecates in a public place.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-to-talk-to-your-dog-according-to-science-71049">How to talk to your dog – according to science</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>But our dogs also need to be able to function in society. This means they need to be able to cope with other people, other dogs and a whole host of situations. If not, dogs can become fearful or start to display other <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7058607/">problem behaviours</a> that can decrease their quality of life.</p>
<p>We can teach <a href="https://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jvms/75/2/75_12-0008/_article">young dogs</a> how to behave appropriately through building positive associations with everyday situations and <a href="https://bvajournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1002/vetr.89">rewarding the behaviours</a> we want. Allowing them to rehearse and repeat good behaviour is key.</p>
<p>Recall – your dog returning to you when called – is one of the most crucial skills for all dogs, and it can be <a href="https://www.gov.uk/control-dog-public">dangerous to others</a> if it’s not well learned. </p>
<p>Every time our dogs return to us whether called, or spontaneously, we should reward and “pay” them well. That ensures that they will want to come back to us when called, rather than follow their urge to chase the runner or squirrels, or go to greet other dogs in the park. </p>
<p>The principle of rehearse and reward applies to all the life skills we want from our dogs, from <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/14/8/936">walking calmly on lead</a> to interacting with people and other animals in a friendly way – or simply sitting quietly beside us while we have a coffee. Training our dogs to be able to spend time alone is also important to avoid <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8479053/">problematic separation-related behaviour</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Irish setter sits by its owner at an obedience class" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451968/original/file-20220314-119643-13pds44.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A training class can be a good option for dogs who are not over-excitable.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/irish-setter-dog-lies-next-owner-1564276219">Osetrik/shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Reward-based training <a href="https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/3152130.3152146">works for older dogs too</a>. Dogs that have been rehomed, and perhaps had a less than ideal start to life, can begin to regain confidence and learn (or relearn) skills while also <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6626146/">building a close partnership</a> with their new human.</p>
<h2>Doggy differences</h2>
<p>It’s important to remember that different dog breeds and types have <a href="https://bmcecolevol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/1471-2148-8-28">different “inbuilt” skill sets</a>. Thousands of years of selective breeding means that dogs are one of the most diverse species on the planet, varying in shape, size, overall appearance and behaviour.</p>
<p>Different dog breeds and types, from gundogs to hounds, terriers to toy dogs all have <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4785826/">individual characteristics</a>. Some, such as gundog breeds – which include spaniels and retrievers – will be more likely to carry items or <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7132425/">sniff when on lead</a>. Others will be more likely to chase and be interested in moving objects, such as collies and terriers. Dogs that are <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/9/12/1162">mixed breed</a> will often show mixed characteristics too. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-scientist-at-crufts-why-this-dog-show-is-more-than-a-canine-beauty-pageant-55885">A scientist at Crufts: why this dog show is more than a canine beauty pageant</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>Learning all about your <a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/search/breeds-a-to-z/">dog’s breed</a> and <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0172720">personality traits</a> is important for effective training and rewarding. </p>
<p>It will allow you to channel instinctive behaviours in a positive way to minimise the chance of <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8093277/">problem behaviour developing</a>. Instead of developing an interest in chasing the local cats or wildlife, for example, terriers can be encouraged to partake in controlled chasing of toys. Hounds who love to sniff everyone and everything can be trained in <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159118304325?via%3Dihub">scent work</a> as a fun way to exercise their nose, brain and body in a managed way. </p>
<h2>Trainers are available</h2>
<p>It is our responsibility to help our dogs learn the key skills for a happy life in a fair and effective way. Dog training has come a long way from the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159114000264">excessively regimented</a>, domineering and sometimes <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8463679/">punishment-based training</a> of before.</p>
<p>Skilled training now involves working as a partnership and building a good relationship with your dog. Training in this way also makes the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159106000736?via%3Dihub">experience enjoyable</a> for our dogs, and more likely that they will engage with us. </p>
<p>If you are looking for a trainer to work with you and your dog, find someone who is <a href="https://www.dogstrust.org.uk/help-advice/behaviour/finding-behaviour-and-training-support">knowledgeable, appropriately qualified</a> and can make training fun and fair for both you and your dog – after all, much of dog training involves training their humans too. You can also join a training class, and it’s always a good idea to go and view a session or speak to the trainer in advance of signing up.</p>
<p>To ensure we have a happy canine companion we must equip our dogs with the skills that will help them to enjoy a fulfilling and stress-free life. And who knows, maybe next year you’ll want to join your canine chum in the <a href="https://www.crufts.org.uk/dog-exhibitors/good-citizen-dog-training-scheme">“Good Citizen”</a> ring at Crufts, where less show-savvy dogs can demonstrate their life skills in a fun and less formal atmosphere.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/178941/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jacqueline Boyd is affiliated with The Kennel Club (UK) through membership, as Chair of the Activities Health and Welfare Subgroup, member of the Dog Health Group and Chair of the Heelwork to Music Working Party. Jacqueline also writes, consults and coaches on canine matters on an independent basis, in addition to her academic role.
</span></em></p>A happy and fulfilling relationship with your canine companion is built on good trainingJacqueline Boyd, Senior Lecturer in Animal Science, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1677852021-09-13T20:03:36Z2021-09-13T20:03:36ZWe managed to toilet train cows (and they learned faster than a toddler). It could help combat climate change<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420696/original/file-20210913-23-jsaxck.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=76%2C85%2C5607%2C3698&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Can we toilet train cattle? Would we want to? </p>
<p>The answer to both of these questions is <em>yes</em> — and doing so could help us address issues of water contamination and climate change. Cattle urine is high in nitrogen, and this contributes to a range of environmental problems.</p>
<p>When cows are kept mainly outdoors, as they are in New Zealand and Australia, the nitrogen from their urine breaks down in the soil. This produces two problematic substances: nitrate and nitrous oxide. </p>
<p>Nitrate from urine patches leaches into lakes, rivers and aquifers (underground pools of water contained by rock) where it pollutes the water and contributes to the excessive growth of weeds and algae.</p>
<p>Nitrous oxide is a long-lasting greenhouse gas which is 300 times more potent than carbon dioxide. It <a href="http://www.nzagrc.org.nz/domestic/nitrous-oxide-research-programme/the-science-of-nitrous-oxide/">accounts for</a> about 12% of New Zealand’s greenhouse gas emissions, and much of this comes from the agricultural sector. </p>
<p>When cows are kept mainly in barns, as is the case in Europe and North America, another polluting gas — ammonia — is produced when the nitrogen from urine mixes with faeces on the barn floor. </p>
<p>However, if some of the urine produced by cattle could be captured and treated, the nitrogen it contains could be diverted, and the environmental impacts reduced. But how might urine capture be achieved?</p>
<p>We worked on this problem with collaborators from Germany’s Federal Research Institute for Animal Health and Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology. Our research is published today in the journal <a href="https://protect-au.mimecast.com/s/B5BtCk81xOH4A7lAi2ScIs?domain=cell.com">Current Biology</a>. It forms part of our colleague Neele Dirksen’s PhD thesis.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/feeding-cows-a-few-ounces-of-seaweed-daily-could-sharply-reduce-their-contribution-to-climate-change-157192">Feeding cows a few ounces of seaweed daily could sharply reduce their contribution to climate change</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Toilet training (but without the nappies)</h2>
<p>In our research project, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, we applied principles from behavioural psychology to train young cattle to urinate in a particular place — that is, to use the “toilet” </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A calf at the start of alley, at the far end." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420701/original/file-20210913-15-1ggwxwc.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The calves were required to walk down an alley to enter the latrine pen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Behavioural psychology tells us a behaviour is likely to be repeated if followed by a reward, or “reinforcer”. That’s how we <a href="https://caninehabit.com/dog-training-operant-conditioning/">train a dog</a> to come when called. </p>
<p>So if we want to encourage a particular behaviour, such as urinating in a particular place, we should reinforce that behaviour. For our project we applied this idea in much the same way as for toilet training children, using a procedure called “backward chaining”.</p>
<p>First, the calves were confined to the toilet area, a latrine pen, and reinforced with a preferred treat when they urinated. This established the pen as an ideal place to urinate. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Cow urinating in a latrine pen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=289&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420704/original/file-20210913-24-i4lzuj.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=364&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The cow urine could be ‘captured’ in the latrine pen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Reserach Institute for Farm Animal Biology</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The calves were then placed in an alley outside the pen, and once again reinforced for entering the pen and urinating there. If urination began in the alley, it was discouraged by a mildly unpleasant spray of water.</p>
<p>After optimising the training, seven out of the eight calves we trained learned to urinate in the latrine pen — and they learned about as quickly as human children do. </p>
<p>The calves received only 15 days of training and the majority learned the full set of skills within 20 to 25 urinations, which is quicker than the toilet-training time for three- and four-year-old children.</p>
<p>This showed us two things that weren’t known before.</p>
<ol>
<li>cattle can learn to attend to their own urination reflex, because they moved to the pen when ready to use it</li>
<li>cattle will learn to withhold urination until they’re in the right place, if they’re rewarded for doing so.</li>
</ol>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Calf consumes the reward." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=399&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420708/original/file-20210913-25-ej7nx3.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Calves were given a tasty treat after using the latrine pen.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The next stages</h2>
<p>Our research is a proof of concept. Cattle can be toilet trained, and without much difficulty. But scaling up the method for practical application in agriculture involves two further challenges, which will be the focus in the next stage of our project.</p>
<p>First, we need a way both to detect urination in the latrine pen and deliver reinforcement automatically — without human intervention. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Calf exits through a gate." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=905&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/420709/original/file-20210913-13-vokafv.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1137&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The calves exited the pen through a gate.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This is probably no more than a technical problem. An electronic sensor for urination wouldn’t be difficult to develop, and small amounts of attractive rewards could be provided in the pen. </p>
<p>Apart from this, we’ll also need to determine the optimal location and number of latrine pens needed. This is a particularly challenging issue in countries such as New Zealand, where cattle spend most of their time in open paddocks rather than barns. </p>
<p>Part of our future research will require understanding how far cattle are willing to walk to use a pen. And more needs to be done to understand how to best use this technique with animals in both indoor and outdoor farming contexts. </p>
<p>What we do know is that nitrogen from cattle urine contributes to both water pollution and climate change, and these effects can be reduced by toilet training cattle. </p>
<p>The more urine we can capture, the less we’ll need to reduce cattle numbers to meet emissions targets — and the less we’ll have to compromise on the availability of milk, butter, cheese and meat from cattle.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/virtual-fences-and-cattle-how-new-tech-could-allow-effective-sustainable-land-sharing-119398">Virtual fences and cattle: how new tech could allow effective, sustainable land sharing</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/167785/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Douglas Elliffe has received research funding from the Volkswagen Foundation. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lindsay Matthews receives funding from VW Foundation. He is affiliated with Matthews Research International. </span></em></p>Capturing cow urine could allow us to reduce the amount of damaging nitrate and nitrous oxide that ends up in the environment.Douglas Elliffe, Professor of Psychology, University of Auckland, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLindsay Matthews, Honorary Academic, Psychology Department, University of Auckland, Waipapa Taumata RauLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1518322021-01-13T13:20:18Z2021-01-13T13:20:18ZThe scent of sickness: 5 questions answered about using dogs – and mice and ferrets – to detect disease<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378085/original/file-20210111-15-1b5qelp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=18%2C6%2C2026%2C1355&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Moose, a mixed-breed dog from the Nebraska Humane Society, trains in odor-detection work. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Bill Cotton/CSU</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>Editor’s note: As COVID-19 continues to spread worldwide, scientists are analyzing new ways to track it. One promising approach is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-020-03149-9">training dogs to detect people who are infected</a> by smelling samples of human urine or sweat. Research scientist Glen Golden, who has trained dogs and ferrets to detect avian flu in birds, explains why certain animals are well suited to sniff out sickness.</em></p>
<h2>1. Which species have a nose for disease?</h2>
<p>Some animals have highly developed senses of smell. They include rodents; dogs and their wild relatives, like wolves and coyotes; and <a href="https://www.britannica.com/topic/list-of-mustelids-2058294">mustelids</a> – carnivorous mammals such as weasels, otters and ferrets. These species’ brains have three or more times more functional olfactory receptor neurons – nerve cells that respond to odors – than species with less keen smelling abilities, including humans and other primates. </p>
<p>These neurons are responsible for detecting and identifying volatile olfactory compounds that send meaningful signals, like smoke from a fire or the aroma of fresh meat. A substance is volatile if it changes readily from liquid to gas at low temperatures, like the acetone that gives nail polish remover its fruity smell. Once it vaporizes, it can spread rapidly through the air.</p>
<p>When one of these animals detects a meaningful odor, the chemical signal is translated into messages and transported throughout its brain. The messages go simultaneously to the olfactory cortex, which is responsible for identifying, localizing and remembering odor, and to other brain regions responsible for decision-making and emotion. So these animals can detect many chemical signals over great distances and can make rapid and accurate mental associations about them. </p>
<h2>2. How do researchers choose a target scent?</h2>
<p>In most studies that have used dogs to detect cancer, the dogs have identified physical samples, such as skin, urine or breath, from patients who either have been diagnosed with cancer or have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2004.04.008">undiagnosed cancer at an early stage</a>. Scientists don’t know what odor cue the dogs use or whether it varies by type of cancer.</p>
<p>The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/programs/nwrc">National Wildlife Research Center</a> in Colorado and the <a href="https://monell.org/">Monell Chemical Senses Center</a> in Pennsylvania have trained mice to detect <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0075411">avian influenza in fecal samples from infected ducks</a>. Bird flu is hard to detect in wild flocks, and it <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/flu/avianflu/avian-in-humans.htm">can spread to humans</a>, so this work is designed to help wildlife biologists monitor for outbreaks. </p>
<p>The Kimball lab at Monell taught the mice to get a reward when they smelled a confirmed positive sample from an infected animal. For example, mice would get a drink of water when they traveled down the arm of a Y-shaped maze that contained feces from a duck infected with avian influenza virus. </p>
<p>By chemically analyzing the fecal samples, researchers found that the concentration of volatile chemical compounds in them changed when a duck became infected with bird flu. So they inferred that this altered smell profile was what the mice recognized.</p>
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<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/0UxLt3yugUA?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Members of the mustelid family, such as ferrets, badgers and otters, have highly developed senses of smell. Here a wolverine sniffs out frozen meat buried deep in the snow.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Building on that work, we’ve trained ferrets and dogs to detect avian influenza in fowl, such as wild ducks and domestic chickens, in a collaborative study between Colorado State University and the National Wildlife Research Center that is currently under review for publication.</p>
<p>With ferrets, we started by training them to alert, or signal that they had detected the target odor, by scratching on a box that contained high ratios of those volatile compounds and to ignore boxes that contained low ratios. Next we showed the ferrets fecal samples from both infected and noninfected ducks, and the ferrets immediately began alerting to the box containing the fecal sample from an infected duck. </p>
<p>This approach is similar to the way that dogs are trained to detect known volatile odors in explosives or illegal drugs. Sometimes, though, we have to let the detector animal determine the odor profile that it will respond to.</p>
<h2>3. Can animals be trained to detect more than one target?</h2>
<p>Yes. To avoid confusion about what a trained animal is detecting, we can teach it a different behavioral response for each target odor. </p>
<p>For example, the dogs in the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s <a href="https://www.aphis.usda.gov/aphis/ourfocus/wildlifedamage/programs/nwrc/sa_spotlight/sniffing+out+disease">Wildlife Services Canine Disease Detection Program</a> respond with an aggressive alert, such as scratching, when they detect a sample from a duck infected with bird flu. When they detect a sample from a white-tailed deer infected by the prion that causes <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/prions/cwd/index.html">chronic wasting disease</a>, they respond with a passive alert such as sitting down.</p>
<p>Research at the University of Auburn has shown that dogs can remember and respond to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s10071-020-01362-7">72 odors during an odor memory task</a>. The only limitation is how many ways a dog can communicate about different odor cues. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Sign showing images of a dog and the SARS-CoV-2 virus." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/378089/original/file-20210111-21-8ff0si.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=502&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">A sign notifies travelers about a pilot study at Helsinki airport that offers free coronavirus tests using dogs to detect infections by smell.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/airport-signs-illustrate-the-new-covid-19-canine-test-news-photo/1228704590">Shoja Lak/Getty Images</a></span>
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</figure>
<h2>4. What kinds of factors can complicate this process?</h2>
<p>First, any organization that trains animals to detect disease needs the right type of laboratory and equipment. Depending on the disease, that could include personal protection equipment and air filtering. </p>
<p>Another concern is whether the pathogen might infect the detection animals. If that’s a risk, researchers may need to inactivate the samples before they expose the animals. Then they need to see whether that process has altered the volatiles that they are teaching the animals to associate with infection. </p>
<p>Finally, handlers have to think about how to reinforce the desired response from detection animals in the field. If they are working in a population of mostly noninfected people – for example, in an airport – and an animal doesn’t get a chance to earn a reward, it may lose interest and stop working. We look for animals that have a strong drive to work without stopping, but working for a long time without reward can be challenging for even the most motivated animal. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1254696791003541505"}"></div></p>
<h2>5. Why not build a machine that can do this?</h2>
<p>Right now we don’t have devices that are as sensitive as animals with well-developed senses of smell. For example, a dog’s sense of smell is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2005.07.009">at least 1,000 times more sensitive than any mechanical device</a>. This could explain why dogs have detected cancer in tissue samples that have been <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.applanim.2004.04.008">medically cleared as not cancerous</a> </p>
<p>We also know that ferrets can detect avian flu infection in fecal samples before and after laboratory analysis shows that the virus has stopped shedding. This suggests that for some pathogens, there may be changes in volatiles in individuals who are infected but are asymptomatic. </p>
<p>As scientists learn more about how mammals’ sense of smell works, they’ll have a better chance of creating devices that are as sensitive and reliable in sniffing out disease.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/151832/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Glen Golden receives funding from the United Stated Department of Agriculture.</span></em></p>Scientists are experimenting with using dogs to sniff out people infected with COVID-19. But dogs aren’t the only animals with a nose for disease.Glen J. Golden, Research Scientist/Scholar I, Colorado State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1226162020-02-05T19:01:56Z2020-02-05T19:01:56Z8 things we do that really confuse our dogs<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312698/original/file-20200130-154292-27dn98.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=1%2C1%2C997%2C664&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Dog behaviour is extraordinarily flexible – this is why we can keep them in our homes and take them to cafes with us at the weekend. </p>
<p>Nevertheless, there are ways in which evolution has not equipped dogs for the challenges of living in our world, and puppies must learn how to cope.</p>
<p>These are some of the things we do they struggle to understand. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-dog-happy-ten-common-misconceptions-about-dog-behaviour-97541">Is your dog happy? Ten common misconceptions about dog behaviour</a>
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<h2>1. We leave them alone</h2>
<p>As born socialites, dogs make friends easily. Puppies are intensely interested in spending time with other dogs, people, and any species willing to interact with them socially. They usually play, rest, explore and travel with company. Yet we often leave dogs alone: at home, in kennels or the vet clinic.</p>
<p>In these situations, naive dogs can’t be sure we’ll ever return to collect them. Only after experience are they likely to expect a reunion, and even then, their experience depends on the context. </p>
<p>At home, we may try to enforce dog-free zones. Naturally, many dogs protest. How can they stay with their (human) social group when they’re separated behind impenetrable barriers (doors)? This explains why dogs so often demand to be let inside when their human family is there, and why those with separation-related distress frequently find some solace in being indoors.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=464&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312699/original/file-20200130-154297-1ahdaio.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=584&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Dogs want to be with their group (you) at all times.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>2. We are visually driven</h2>
<p>Dogs live in an olfactory world, while ours is chiefly visual. So, while TVs may offer a visual feast for humans, parks and beaches are an olfactory banquet for dogs. </p>
<p>An additional challenge is dogs move while investigating the world, whereas we often sit still. They may not relish the inertia we enjoy in front of a noisy, flashing light-box.</p>
<h2>3. We change our shape and smell</h2>
<p>Shoes, coats, wallets, briefcases, bags and suitcases: countless smells cling to these items after we take them into shops and workplaces, then back to our dogs. Cleaning products, soaps, deodorants and shampoos also change the scents our dogs are used to. </p>
<p>Towels, hats and bags change our shape when we’re using them. And when we’re pulling them on, jumpers and coats alter our visual outline and may catch dogs unaware.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/training-my-dog-taught-me-that-its-people-who-really-need-training-99443">Training my dog taught me that it's people who really need training</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<p>Dogs change their coats at least once a year. In contrast, we change our external cladding every day. This means the odours we carry are changing far more than dogs have evolved to expect.</p>
<p>In their olfactory world, it must be puzzling for dogs to encounter our constantly changing smells, especially for a species that uses scent to identify familiar individuals and intruders.</p>
<h2>4. We like to hug</h2>
<p>How humans use their forelimbs contrasts sharply with how dogs do. We may use them to carry large objects a dog would have to drag, but also to grasp each other and express affection.</p>
<p>Dogs grasp each other loosely when play-wrestling, and also when mating and fighting. Being pinned by another dog hinders a quick escape. How are puppies to know what a hug from a human means, when that behaviour from a dog might be threatening? </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312700/original/file-20200130-154314-v6e5bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Dogs might feel threatened by our enthusiastic hugs.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>5. We don’t like to be bitten</h2>
<p>Play-fighting is fun for many puppies and helps them bond with other dogs. But they must monitor the behaviour of other dogs in play-fights and know when they’ve used their tiny, razor-sharp teeth excessively. </p>
<p>Humans are much more susceptible to pain from playful puppy jaws than other dogs are, and so we can react negatively to their attempts to play-fight with us. </p>
<p>Dogs interact with objects almost entirely with their muzzle. And to feed, they use their jaws, teeth and tongue. </p>
<hr>
<p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/understanding-dog-personalities-can-help-prevent-attacks-120224">Understanding dog personalities can help prevent attacks</a>
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<p>Dogs also “mouth” other dogs when playing, expressing affection and communicating everything from “more” to “please don’t” to “Back off!”. So, naturally, they try to use their mouths when communicating with us, and must be puzzled by how often we take offence.</p>
<h2>6. We don’t eat food from the bin</h2>
<p>Dogs are opportunists who naturally acquire food anywhere they find it. In contrast, we present them with food in dishes of their own. </p>
<p>Puppies must be puzzled by our reaction when we find them snacking from benches and tables, in lunchboxes and kitchen bins. We should not be surprised when dogs unearth food we left somewhere accessible to them.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/whose-best-friend-how-gender-and-stereotypes-can-shape-our-relationship-with-dogs-84273">Whose best friend? How gender and stereotypes can shape our relationship with dogs</a>
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</em>
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<h2>7. We share territories</h2>
<p>We visit the territories of other dogs, bringing back their odours, and allow unfamiliar human and canine visitors to enter our dogs’ home. Dogs have not evolved to accept such intrusions and threats to their safety and resources. </p>
<p>We shouldn’t be surprised when our dogs treat visitors with suspicion, or when our dogs are treated with hostility when we bring them to the homes of others.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/312701/original/file-20200130-154302-eg8l0d.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Dogs would not naturally share territories.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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</figure>
<h2>8. We use our hands a lot</h2>
<p>Sometimes our hands deliver food, scratches, massages and toys. Other times, they restrain dogs, trim nails, administer ointments or tablets, and groom with brushes and combs that may pull hair.</p>
<p>No wonder some dogs grow to fear the human hand as it moves about them. We can make it easier for dogs to accept many types of hand-related activities if we train them to cooperate with rewards.</p>
<p>But humans often misread their fear and may even greet it with violence which compounds the problem. Hand-shy dogs can easily become defensive and find their way into pounds and shelters, where life expectancy for nippers and biters is poor.</p>
<p>On the whole, dogs show a remarkable ability to adapt to the puzzles we throw at them. Their behavioural flexibility offers us lessons in resilience and how to live simply and socially. Our challenge is to understand the absence of guile and malice in everything they do.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122616/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Melissa Starling works for Hanrob Dog Training Academy.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Paul McGreevy receives funding from the Australian Research Council</span></em></p>Taking a walk in a puppy’s paws can help us understand humankind’s best friend.Melissa Starling, Postdoctoral researcher, University of SydneyPaul McGreevy, Professor of Animal Behaviour and Animal Welfare Science, University of SydneyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1221502019-08-21T11:40:08Z2019-08-21T11:40:08ZDog training for babies? Stop trying to train kids and nurture them instead<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/288891/original/file-20190821-170956-7bd9kp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3710%2C2460&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/little-boy-puppy-150890819?src=Wa5H01y-wGPbhUdZ3zJNbw-1-15">Otsphoto/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.change.org/p/channel-4-cancel-train-your-baby-like-a-dog">Despite calls to cancel the programme</a>, Channel 4 in the UK aired a new documentary “<a href="https://www.channel4.com/press/news/channel-4-air-train-your-baby-dog">Train Your Baby Like a Dog</a>” on August 20. To give a brief synopsis of the show, parents were encouraged to shape their child’s behaviour by using dog training techniques such as using clicker training and giving treats to encourage and reward good behaviour. </p>
<p>Thankfully, some of the techniques used in the show were far gentler than its title and sound bites suggested, including not leaving young children to cry. But supporting a baby’s development requires far more than using positive reinforcement.</p>
<p>Babies and toddlers need loving support to help them <a href="https://www.who.int/maternal_child_adolescent/child/nurturing-care-framework-first-draft.pdf">understand and regulate their emotions and behaviour</a> as they grow and learn. They can’t help their “challenging” behaviour – such as waking at night or crying. Babies only have so many ways of communicating and processing what is going on around them. And it’s really important that television shows like this recognise these normal needs, even if they are difficult for all involved. </p>
<h2>Bringing up baby</h2>
<p>No one particularly relishes another sleepless night or trying to soothe an inconsolable baby. But how to best deal with this? Well, evidence suggests that when parents are responsive to their child’s needs – by recognising when a child is tired and needs help sleeping, or is overwhelmed and needs help calming down – their <a href="https://www.scielosp.org/article/bwho/2006.v84n12/991-998/en/">children</a> go on to have fewer behavioural problems, higher IQ scores and better social interactions with their peers. </p>
<p>When the needs of babies and children are met in a gentle way, they feel secure and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0191886907004254">develop confidence and self assurance</a>. Meeting their needs with empathy appears to <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2352154614000321">help them develop their own empathy</a> and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/1066480710387486?casa_token=FpiEtsg796IAAAAA:l52nKY6U_O-4YkHHRqisMs1SZ648RXE73LkqahIeRwiUOZBa5ppfPKPcnV8cJpQGlHwy1G7i0g">emotional intelligence</a>. </p>
<p>Although praise is an important part of a child’s learning, it’s important to remember that dogs and children have <a href="https://www.theatlantic.com/health/archive/2016/02/perils-of-sticker-charts/470160/">different cognitive abilities</a>. Children need to be able to understand their behaviour as they grow and learn or it can backfire once they’re no longer being rewarded. Using treats to shape behaviour may sometimes appear to work in the short term but pairing reward with treat foods can set children up to develop an unhealthy relationship with food, <a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.01849/full">increasing their risk of obesity</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/289588/original/file-20190827-184234-mrqttt.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Responsive parenting can help children grow up emotionally healthy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/pretty-happy-young-modern-sexy-mom-1422078086?src=-1-2">S.thara/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Some may dismiss the advice in this show as simply entertaining viewing, but the show’s title aligns with some <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/news/2018/jan/16/baby-advice-books-industry-attachment-parenting">popular baby and toddler care books</a> which promote “training” babies out of normal behaviours. These suggest only feeding at set times, allowing your baby to cry without giving comfort and refusing to make eye contact if they wake at night. Not only does this fly in the face of research which supports responsive parenting, but the techniques they recommended discourage maternal behaviours that we know help keep babies safe and healthy. </p>
<p>In our research, we found that the advice given in <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/mcn.12858">these books</a> prompted mothers to delay responding to their baby’s cries, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1087079210001322">which can increase levels of infant stress hormones</a>. It also encouraged parents to put their baby to sleep in another room, <a href="https://www.lullabytrust.org.uk/safer-sleep-advice/">against safe sleep guidance</a>, and even spurred them to reduce how much they cuddled their baby. </p>
<p>Not only were these techniques harmful, but they only worked in getting infants to sleep <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/03004430.2017.1378650">around 15–20% of the time</a>. When they didn’t work, mothers felt even more anxious and frustrated than before, with some saying that they felt like a failure. Mothers who used the guidance had higher levels of stress and depression. </p>
<p>Why do parents feel so <a href="https://www.psychologytoday.com/gb/blog/the-squeaky-wheel/201703/the-unexpected-loneliness-new-mothers">stressed and isolated</a> that they think using training techniques is a good idea? It says a lot about the <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/marybethferrante/2018/08/27/the-pressure-is-real-for-working-mothers/">pressures</a> families are under today. Surely, a better solution to treating a baby like the family pet would be to teach parents the importance of responsive care and help them create the <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/amy-brown/mothering-the-mother-the-_b_18317834.html">environment they need to do that</a>? </p>
<p>Instead, parents are told not to meet their child’s normal emotional needs with love, but to treat them as an inconvenience that can be trained out of them.</p>
<p><em>This article was amended on August 23 2019 to clarify the content of the Channel 4 documentary How To Train Your Baby Like A Dog.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/122150/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Amy Brown has previously received funding from the ESRC, NIHR and Public Health Wales. She is author of three books published by Pinter and Martin Ltd - 'Breastfeeding Uncovered: who really decides how we feed our babies', 'Why starting solids matters' and the 'The Positive Breastfeeding Book'.</span></em></p>Clicker training and treats aren’t the way to raise a healthy and happy child.Amy Brown, Professor of Child Public Health, Swansea UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/994432019-07-24T19:59:27Z2019-07-24T19:59:27ZTraining my dog taught me that it’s people who really need training<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/285465/original/file-20190724-110149-e9v1aq.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Clara, keen as ever for some well-deserved attention.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">@anmore</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>As I watched my hunting dog standing off the lead and lined up with all the other <a href="https://klm-international.info/en/rasseportrait/">Kleiner Münsterländers</a>, awaiting her turn to swim out and bring back the dead duck (an important training item) thrown into the deep water, I felt a sense of pride.</p>
<p>It dawned on me that people may not always be the best teachers for dogs. Her desire to fit in was evident as she echoed the behaviour of the dogs around her. Unfortunately, that echoing had also become evident on daily walks with a crew of less well-trained dogs.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=252&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=252&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=252&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229215/original/file-20180725-194146-7bc1nv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=316&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Retrieving.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Let me be clear: I am not a hunter. While living in Denmark, under advice from locals and looking for a dog that was smart and a little challenging, I stumbled upon the Kleiner Münsterländer breed, originally bred in Münster in western Germany as a medium-sized hunting and family dog. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/is-your-dog-happy-ten-common-misconceptions-about-dog-behaviour-97541">Is your dog happy? Ten common misconceptions about dog behaviour</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>They are smart and fast, and the one I ended up with, Clara, was described as “hard-headed” and a natural leader. But that somewhat euphemistic description left me completely unprepared for the challenges ahead. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229206/original/file-20180725-194158-1yq19wm.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">It’s easy to learn bad behaviours; note the dog on left about to jump onto a table.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">@anmore</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>This dog was not like the loyal, steadfast, obedient Labradors I knew. This one was wilful, always looking to take the reins, always challenging me to think up new ways to interact, new games to play, new things to learn, new ways to do things. For example, I gave her a reward so she would drop the rubbish she had picked up. Her response was then to deliberately retrieve more rubbish to get more rewards. </p>
<p>Meanwhile, my research involved designing a set of <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-20898-5_62">vibrating and tactile vests</a> that people could wear to help them relax, and that inactive people could use to <a href="https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=3233858">become energised</a>. The vests were part of a larger European Union-funded project, <a href="https://cordis.europa.eu/project/rcn/106852/factsheet/en">CultAR</a>, involving <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-91593-7_5">various technologies designed</a> to help tourists to navigate around cultural sites in Padua, Italy. As such the vests signalled when and which way to turn, and when to stop on arrival. </p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/271608949" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Testing a vibrotactile vest for directions and stopping.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>I wondered whether similar research could be used to help dogs who were ageing, deaf or blind to continue exercising, but still be safe. Or even my dog, who understood Danish commands but not English ones when we were about to move to an English-speaking country. We set up a series of experiments to see whether dogs would easily receive and process commands if they were presented as vibrations, rather than as verbal commands. </p>
<p>We tried <a href="https://dl.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=2995391">testing “vibrotactile” commands on dogs</a>, but the already trained ones has little use for yet another system of commands, and my dog was too sensitive to bear the vibrating sensations. </p>
<h2>Tough training</h2>
<p>The Kleiner Münsterländer hunters were far tougher when training their dogs than I wanted to be with mine. At the extreme end, they used archaic methods such as shock collars or isolating their dogs in cold rooms. In dog training, as in parenting, I believe punitive measures to enforce obedience should give way to more modern ideas about ensuring well-being and creating a bond of affection and enjoyment with the handler, owner or trainer.</p>
<p>In addition, as a researcher, I was just as interested in what my dog could teach me. She was undeniably smart and I could learn a lot from her navigation skills alone. So I began looking at how to incorporate her intelligence into her learning and training program in a way that would enrich both of our qualities of life. </p>
<p>We tried a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/825781754201521/">socialisation school</a>. With it came a whole new set of leads, commands and ceremonies. Clara adjusted, although I could see she loved to be with her own breed. Kleiner Münsterländers are all a variation of each other; they become slightly mesmerised in each other’s company. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=275&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/229212/original/file-20180725-194143-5duzgp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=346&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Kleiner Münsterländers together.</span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>At a family Christmas in New Zealand, I bumped into <a href="http://www.markvette.com/">Mark Vette</a>, who trains animals for film and television, has worked with the celebrated animal behaviour researcher <a href="http://marcbekoff.com/">Marc Bekoff</a> and even ran a program to teach rescue dogs to drive – <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20614593">yes, really</a>. I was inspired to find other ways.</p>
<p>We moved to Australia in early 2017, and there was a lot to adjust to. Summers were far hotter than Denmark; indoors in winter was much colder. There was new language, new smells, different dogs to meet, and different landscapes to explore – no more dog parks in forests! </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=338&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/227298/original/file-20180712-27030-1g69uay.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=424&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Walking in the forest in Denmark – in the regions, the dog parks are usually large forested areas.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">@anmore</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Again, too, our training involved a new set of leads, commands and ceremonies. This time we were in a pack with leaders (both <a href="https://www.facebook.com/Dogknowledgy/photos/pcb.1748514508575126/1748514451908465/?type=3&theater">canine and human</a>) where the dogs (and the main trainer) were perceived as alphas, or leaders (wolves). Some methods involved negative reinforcement: giving the dogs an unpleasant experience to prevent them repeating that behaviour. </p>
<p>By now we had tried three different methods of dog training, each with their own failings. For example, my dog would be bored easily with repetitive acts, or we did activities that were not particularly useful or relevant in our daily lives, or she simply complied out of fear, but this was not the relationship I wanted to foster. Something began to dawn on me: the failings were ours, not the dogs’. </p>
<p>We might get frustrated with our dogs for not following our commands, but we are just as likely to let them down by getting distracted or being inconsistent in our reactions to particular behaviours. The dog is only trying to make sense of what we communicate, so if we give them mixed messages – perhaps by only responding to their barks if we’re not in the middle of something else more pressing – then confusion and stress ensue. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/are-you-walking-your-dog-enough-100530">Are you walking your dog enough?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>If consistency is the key, and the failure to be consistent is ours, what can we do to be more consistent and help our animals to live a stress-free life? Perhaps it is us who need a wearable vibrating device to remind us to stay on cue.</p>
<p>A small buzz on the wrist could “train” us to be more vigilant and attentive to our dogs, in situations where they are trying desperately to tell us something. (“There’s someone coming towards the house – I’d better keep warning my owner, more loudly this time, as I don’t think she’s heard me yet…”)</p>
<p>Wearables could also help alert us to the <a href="https://yourdogsfriend.org/help/fearful-shy/">small but telltale signs of stress</a> in our dogs: ears pinned back, hard focus of eyes, stiffening of body, and so on.</p>
<p>We already have a plethora of devices to help stave off boredom and loneliness for animals who are left at home alone for long hours. Maybe there’s a market for devices that ease our dogs’ stress when we’re hanging out with them too.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99443/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ann Morrison does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>It can be tough to train a dog – but mainly because humans are even more prone to distraction and inconsistency than our canine companions. Wearable technology might help us be a bit more consistent.Ann Morrison, Honorary Associate Professor, School of Mechanical and Electrical Engineering, University of Southern QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1156472019-04-25T09:56:34Z2019-04-25T09:56:34ZPets: is it ethical to keep them?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270427/original/file-20190423-175524-1mk91r9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to the UK veterinary charity The People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (PDSA), <a href="https://www.pdsa.org.uk/get-involved/our-campaigns/pdsa-animal-wellbeing-report/uk-pet-populations-of-dogs-cats-and-rabbits">half of Britons own a pet</a>. Many of these owners view the 11.1m cats, 8.9m dogs, and 1m rabbits sharing their homes as family members. But although we love them, care for them, celebrate their birthdays and mourn them when they pass, is it ethical to keep pets in the first place? Some animal rights activists and ethicists, myself included, would argue that it is not. </p>
<p>The institution of pet-keeping is fundamentally unjust as it involves the manipulation of animals’ bodies, behaviours and emotional lives. For centuries, companion animal’s bodies (particularly dogs, horses and rabbits) have been shaped to suit human fashions and fancies. And this often causes these animals <a href="https://www.peta.org/issues/animal-companion-issues/pet-trade/breeders/">considerable physical harm</a>. </p>
<p>Particular breeds, for instance, are highly susceptible to painful and frequently fatal genetic defects. Highly prized physical features – such as small and large stature or pushed-in noses – can cause discomfort and difficulty in breathing, birthing and other normal functions.</p>
<p>Even those animals who are not purpose-bred often face bodily manipulations which impede their comfort and safety. This can include confining clothing, painful leashes that pull at the throat, docked tails and ears, and <a href="https://www.humanesociety.org/resources/declawing-cats-far-worse-manicure">declawing</a>, which involves the severing of the first digit of each toe in cats. Pets are also often constrained in their daily movements, sometimes crated or caged, and regularly kept indoors – always at the whim of their human owners. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270430/original/file-20190423-175507-16b15zv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Making the case against pets.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Pets also symbolically reinforce the notion that vulnerable groups can be owned and fully controlled for the pleasure and convenience of more privileged and powerful groups. And this has implications for vulnerable human groups. For instance, sexism is partially maintained by treating women linguistically as pets – “kitten”, “bunny” – and physically by confining them to the home to please and serve the family patriarch. </p>
<p>Social workers further recognise the powerful link between <a href="https://www.nspcc.org.uk/globalassets/documents/research-reports/understanding-links-child-abuse-animal-abuse-domestic-violence.pdf">pet abuse and the abuse of children and women</a> in domestic settings. The idea that it is acceptable to manipulate the bodies and minds of a vulnerable group to suit the interests of more privileged groups is consistent with the cultural logic of oppression. </p>
<h2>Cannot consent</h2>
<p>Through this forced dependency and domestication, the lives of companion animals are almost completely controlled by humans. They can be terminated at any time for the most trivial of reasons – including behavioural “problems”, for belonging to a stereotyped breed, or the owner’s inability (or unwillingness) to pay for veterinary treatment.</p>
<p>In the mid 20th century, sociologist <a href="https://www.britannica.com/biography/Erving-Goffman">Erving Goffman</a> introduced the concept of a “<a href="https://www.jstor.org/stable/20009046">total institution</a>”. This sees inhabitants cut off from wider society under a single authority in an enclosed social space. Natural barriers between social spheres are artificially eliminated and an intense socialisation process takes place to ensure that inmates conform. </p>
<p>Sociologists typically study prisons, asylums and other physical spaces as examples. But I believe pet-keeping constitutes a sort of dispersed “total institution”. This is because nonhuman animals are unnaturally forced under human authority, restrained, and re-socialised. True consent is not possible under such conditions. Animals are groomed to participate and those who are unable to follow the rules of human social life are likely to be punished – sometimes fatally. </p>
<p>This is not in any way to suggest that dogs, cats and other species cannot express love and happiness as “pets”. But it is important to recognise that their complacency within the institution of pet-keeping is entirely manufactured (sometimes quite cruelly) by humans through behaviour “corrections” and the manipulative process of domestication itself.</p>
<h2>A world without pets?</h2>
<p>Some companion animal advocates, such as Nathan Winograd, the director of the US based <a href="https://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/">No Kill Advocacy Center</a>, argue that to stop keeping pets altogether would be a <a href="https://www.amazon.com/dp/1542725216/">violation of nonhuman animals’ right to exist</a>. Winograd believes the widespread killing of healthy companion animals can be curbed through a <a href="https://www.nokilladvocacycenter.org/statistics.html">restructuring of the sheltering industry</a>. He rejects the need to end pet-keeping given the abundance of humanity’s capacity for compassion and adoption. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/270433/original/file-20190423-175518-q05xxv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">By adopting a pet from a rescue centre, you can give an animal another chance at life.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Winograd’s pro-pet position reflects the <a href="https://www.huffpost.com/entry/killing-animals-petas-open-secret_b_59e78243e4b0e60c4aa36711">No Kill movement’s strong disapproval</a> of some animal rights organisations, which frequently support “euthanasia” policies to curb pet populations. But if a no kill society were to be achieved, many of the ethical violations – bodily manipulation, non-consensual confinement, enforced dependency, and vulnerability to human abuse – would remain. Even if, as Winograd supposes, an increase in legal protections could be obtained to improve domestic animal’s standards of living.</p>
<p>Ultimately, companion animals, by their very position in the social order, are not and cannot be equals. The institution of pet-keeping maintains a social hierarchy which privileges humans and positions all others as objects of lower importance – whose right to existence depends wholly on their potential to benefit humans. That said, the population of dogs, cats, rabbits and other domesticated “pet” animals currently rivals that of humans such that they are likely to remain a consistent feature of human social life. </p>
<p>And while it may not be ethical to pursue the future breeding of nonhuman animals for comfort, humans do have a duty to serve, protect and care for them. Recognising the inherent inequality in human and nonhuman relations will be vital in making the best of an imperfect situation.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/115647/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Corey Lee Wrenn does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The institution of pet-keeping is fundamentally unjust as it involves the manipulation of animals’ bodies, behaviours and emotional lives.Corey Lee Wrenn, Lecturer of Sociology, University of KentLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/997522018-08-07T21:57:05Z2018-08-07T21:57:05ZAfter the Humboldt crash: Truck driver health and training must be a priority<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230458/original/file-20180802-136649-1dvk4g6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">The wreckage of the fatal Humboldt Broncos bus crash outside of Tisdale, Sask., is seen on April, 7, 2018. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The horrific crash involving <a href="https://www.macleans.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan-truck-crashes-into-bus-carrying-junior-hockey-team/">a transport truck and the bus carrying the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team</a> on April 6, 2018, has focused a lot of attention on a risky profession. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatchewan/humboldt-bus-crash-driver-charges-reaction-1.4738243">Jaskirat Singh Sidhu, the truck driver involved in the crash, has now been charged</a> with <a href="https://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/rcmp-say-charges-laid-involving-fatal-humboldt-broncos-bus-crash/">16 counts of dangerous driving causing death and 13 counts of dangerous driving causing bodily harm</a>.</p>
<p>Truck drivers are involved in about <a href="https://www.tc.gc.ca/eng/motorvehiclesafety/tp-tp15145-1201.htm#s310">one-fifth of accidents in Canada each year</a>. And the risks of the profession — to drivers themselves and to the public — go far beyond collisions.</p>
<p>As a road safety researcher, I have been funded by Transport Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research and the Alberta Ministry of Labour to investigate the health and wellness of truck drivers. My research shows that truck drivers are exposed to many risks affecting their health and their ability to drive safely, due to the nature of the job and the job market.</p>
<h2>Heavy loads, poor diet, fatigue and stress</h2>
<p>Truck drivers often work between 14 and 16 hours per day and have to load and unload their own trailers, often resulting in back injuries.</p>
<p>Proper diet is a problem because finding truck stops with adequate parking is difficult, and finding access to healthy foods is even harder. </p>
<p>There is not enough time in a driver’s day to find grocery stores with healthy food because if they do they may be delayed and miss their delivery, which may result in loss of money or loss of their job.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/230460/original/file-20180802-136679-1vkimch.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Truck driver Jaskirat Sidhu walks out of provincial court after appearing for charges due to the Humboldt Broncos bus crash, on July 10, 2018.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(THE CANADIAN PRESS/Kayle Neis)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Many drivers are exposed to health risk factors including long sedentary periods, lack of exercise, poor diet, fatigue and stress — which can in turn lead to various medical conditions such as hypertension, obesity, stroke, sleep apnea and diabetes.</p>
<p>In fact, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ajim.22293">almost half of all truck drivers have a combination of these risk factors and medical conditions</a>. Many of these medical conditions <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2016.08.024">such as sleep apnea are directly linked to crashes</a>.</p>
<p>As a result, <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aap.2013.12.012">truck drivers are a leading group for submitting worker compensation claims</a> in Canada and the United States and their injuries cost the health-care system millions of dollars in physician visits, treatments and medication use.</p>
<h2>Novice drivers, with inadequate training</h2>
<p>Truck driving is the <a href="https://www12.statcan.gc.ca/nhs-enm/2011/as-sa/99-012-x/99-012-x2011002-eng.cfm#a4">second most common occupation for men in Canada</a>. However, many skilled truck drivers who have been working for many years are now faced with health challenges, either from being injured or from developing medical conditions.</p>
<p>With many skilled employees not able to work, truck companies are faced with issues such as absenteeism and loss of worker productivity. This is making it necessary for companies to hire more drivers.</p>
<p>One solution is to recruit younger drivers who are healthy. While there are many advertisements for truck drivers, <a href="https://globalnews.ca/news/2703264/its-more-a-passion-than-a-job-canadian-trucking-industry-struggles-to-attract-drivers/">young adults are not applying for these jobs in sufficient numbers</a>, perhaps because they are aware of the health and safety challenges. </p>
<p>Because of the shortage of drivers, some companies are relaxing their employment criteria and hiring novice drivers, but often without adequately training them. </p>
<p>The courts will have to determine if this might have been a factor in the Humboldt tragedy, where the driver charged in the collision was young and inexperienced. <a href="https://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2018/07/06/humboldt-broncos-bus-crash-arrest-charges-laid-saskatchewan-rcmp_a_23476445/">The company was also newly established</a> and trying to get off the ground, and needed workers to begin driving routes as soon as possible.</p>
<h2>A health and training overhaul</h2>
<p>Until the health issues and the job training of truck drivers improve, the challenges of the trucking sector will not disappear.</p>
<p>The sector needs health and wellness programs, together with changes to the environment for drivers — such as more truck parking and better access to healthy foods. </p>
<p>The sector urgently needs new company policies that incorporate more flexible work hours and more intensive training.</p>
<p>This would result in companies retaining and recruiting drivers who can better contribute to the safety of our roads. </p>
<p>Currently, Ontario is the <a href="https://www.ontario.ca/page/new-mandatory-training-class-drivers-licence-applicants">only Canadian province with regulations requiring adequate driver training</a>, while <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/saskatoon/semi-drivers-training-1.4637434">Saskatchewan hopes to have a plan in place by early 2019</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/99752/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Alexander Crizzle receives funding from Transport Canada, the Canadian Institute of Health Research (CIHR) and the Alberta Ministry of Labour.</span></em></p>Truck drivers in Canada are exposed to many health risks. The horrific Humboldt bus crash should be a wake-up call for new regulations and wellness programs within the industry.Alexander Crizzle, Assistant Professor, University of SaskatchewanLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/964942018-05-16T11:46:21Z2018-05-16T11:46:21ZBabies and pets – a guide for new parents<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219170/original/file-20180516-155594-1ypnwg6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>It goes without saying that having a baby is a life changing event. Thankfully, there is a <a href="https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/pregnancy-and-baby/">wealth of information</a> about how best to raise this new tiny human and get through the early days in one – albeit sleep deprived – piece. However, there is relatively little information on how to prepare four-legged family members for the new arrival. </p>
<p>While there is anecdotal evidence that <a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/nature/dogs-sense-of-smell.html">dogs may know before their owners</a> that a baby is on the way, this doesn’t mean they have any concept of what is to come. To help prepare them for this big change, parents-to-be need to consider what their new domestic life will look like – from a pet’s point of view. </p>
<h2>Safety barriers</h2>
<p>The top priority is safety. Pets and children can grow up to have amazing relationships, but this ideal should not be assumed or taken for granted. Given that you should never leave <a href="https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media/20228/neverleavefinal.pdf">dogs and young children alone together</a>, it is wise to get your pets well accustomed to a new level of separation.</p>
<p>It isn’t fair to come home from hospital one day with a new baby and suddenly shut your dog away in the kitchen. That’s not to say you can’t shut your dog out of a room – indeed it can be the safer option. But they need to be taught in advance that being separated from you is totally fine and <a href="https://www.dogstrustdogschool.org.uk/training/i-want-to-train-my-dog/separation-anxiety/">an opportunity to relax</a>. Stair gates are a good way to create a physical barrier between rooms without shutting the dog out completely. </p>
<h2>Walkies</h2>
<p>If your dog tends to pull on a lead, it is worth training them in advance to walk politely on a loose lead <a href="https://positively.com/dog-behavior/basic-cues/loose-leash-walking/">alongside a buggy</a>. This way, after the baby is born, they already know what is expected of them and are happy to trot alongside. The risk of them pulling you and the buggy over is greatly reduced – and the walk becomes an altogether more pleasant experience. </p>
<p>Getting them used to you carrying a baby is also important. Start by carrying – and talking to – a small bundle of blankets. Bare in mind that we tend to talk to our pets in the the <a href="http://www.iflscience.com/plants-and-animals/oh-so-this-is-why-we-baby-talk-to-puppies/">same way we talk to babies,</a> so it would be reasonable for our pets to assume we are talking to them. Your dog might jump up to have a look at what you’re talking to and it is this which could be dangerous when you’ve actually got a newborn baby in your arms. Therefore we need to teach them not to jump up, and that good things <a href="https://www.fisherfixdogs.com/how-to-stop-your-dog-jumping-up/">happen when they don’t</a> (such as a tasty treat being tossed to the floor). </p>
<h2>Privacy</h2>
<p>Like humans, dogs and cats need their own space – somewhere they can retreat to for some peace and quiet. <a href="https://icatcare.org/advice/making-your-home-cat-friendly">Cats often like to be up high</a>, so create ways for them to reach the top of a wardrobe or bookshelf, and provide some comfy bedding there, too. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/219187/original/file-20180516-155584-1w5guy5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">I used to be the cute one in the family.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/little-boy-white-puppy-outdoors-summer-436334116?src=hw9X3CtnPz-AZR-RFStqOw-1-6">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For dogs, a covered crate in a quiet area of the house works well, but ensure it is easily accessible and large enough to stretch out in. By adding these spaces early on, pets will learn that if they need an undisturbed, safe space, it is available. </p>
<h2>Desensitise</h2>
<p>Babies can make a lot of noise – with some cries reaching <a href="https://encompass.eku.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1011&context=ugra">up to 120 decibels</a>. For animals new to these sounds (and with an acute sense of hearing) this can be stressful. Teaching them it’s a noise they can ignore is very beneficial. </p>
<p>Recorded clips of babies are easily found on the internet – and unlike with a real baby, you can adjust the volume. To begin with, play the sound quietly <a href="https://www.dogstrustdogschool.org.uk/training/i-want-to-train-my-dog/fear-of-loud-noises/">when your pets are relaxed</a>. </p>
<p>Ideally, the pet will notice the sound, but then ignore it. If they do get up to investigate, you can drop some treats on the floor and leave the sound running quietly. </p>
<p>You could also have some treats ready and start feeding them when you play the clip, so they learn that the sound is an indicator of good things happening. If your pet is worried about the sound, even on the quietest volume, it would be worth consulting a qualified behaviourist. </p>
<h2>Routine</h2>
<p>Trying to keep your pets’ routine as predictable as possible in the early days can help reduce their stress levels. During the very early days, walking the dog <a href="http://veterinaryrecord.bmj.com/content/169/15/388">might seem like an epic task</a>, so it might be worth enlisting friends and family – or a local dog walker – to help. </p>
<p>With a little bit of effort, you can help prepare your pets for the arrival of a new family member. It will still be a time of adjustment, though, so be alert. Never punish your dog for coming near the baby – instead, encourage calm, polite interactions (where safe) while teaching them alternative behaviours, such as settling on their bed. </p>
<p>If you are worried at all about your pet’s behaviour, don’t leave it to chance. Seek advice from a qualified animal behaviourist who can advise on the best way to make bringing home a new baby as stress-free as possible for your pets.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/96494/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Emily Birch receives funding from The Kennel Club. </span></em></p>How to prepare pets for the arrival of a new human in the home.Emily Birch, Research Fellow in Human Canine Interactions, Nottingham Trent UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/856262017-10-22T11:11:59Z2017-10-22T11:11:59ZHow African elephants’ amazing sense of smell could save lives<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/190996/original/file-20171019-1048-18eenfo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Chishuru, a male African elephant, indicates a target scent during trials.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Graham Alexander</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>For 27 years Angola was gripped by <a href="http://www.sahistory.org.za/article/angolan-civil-war-1975-2002-brief-history">civil war</a>. Half a million human lives were lost and wildlife, too, was decimated to sustain troops. Rhino and elephants became valuable targets – rhino horn and ivory served as currency for arms among rebel forces. </p>
<p>During the conflict elephant populations fled across the border into Botswana, Zambia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When the war ended in 2002 animal populations slowly started to return to their pre-conflict grazing grounds. But a huge problem remained: <a href="http://www.news24.com/Africa/News/5m-landmines-buried-in-Angola-20020627">millions of landmines</a> were still <em>in situ</em> and <a href="https://www.halotrust.org/where-we-work/africa/angola/">undetonated across Angola</a>. Many elephants were <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159115002063">killed and maimed</a> by the explosives as they attempted to recolonise.</p>
<p>Data collected from collared elephants moving through the affected areas <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/07/070716-elephants-mines_2.html">showed</a> herds avoiding minefields. This suggested that at least some of the returning elephants had associated minefields with danger. What could this association be based on? Had the minefield-avoiding elephants seen others killed in those areas? Or had they associated the smell of landmines with danger, extrapolating risk to other areas where the odour was present?</p>
<p>We couldn’t answer all these questions. To narrow down our search my colleagues and I set about finding out whether elephants could smell the main component of landmines – Trinitrotoluene (TNT). </p>
<p>TNT has a low volatility – the ease at which a substance moves into the air column. This makes it difficult to detect using smell. But some animals are excellent landmine sniffers – among them dogs and <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/10/151006-giant-rats-landmines-cambodia-science-animals/">Gambian Pouched Rats</a>. <a href="http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/02/0210_040210_minerats.html">Bees</a> are also good at it. </p>
<h2>Genetic aspect</h2>
<p>What gives an animal a wide sense of smell comes down to how many different kinds of olfactory receptors it has, and this is determined by the species’ genes. </p>
<p>African elephants have more than double the <a href="http://genome.cshlp.org/content/24/9/1485.short">number of genes</a> associated with olfactory reception compared with dogs: about 2000 versus dogs’ 811. This suggests that olfaction must play an enormous role in elephants’ lives. In fact, elephants have the <a href="https://voices.nationalgeographic.org/2014/07/22/animals-elephants-smell-trunks-genes-africa-science/">highest count</a> of any species tested to date, meaning that they could quite possibly be the best smellers in the animal kingdom. </p>
<p>Not only were we eager to find out whether they could detect TNT using olfaction, but also how their abilities compared to those of highly trained, TNT-detection dogs.</p>
<p>To do this, we enlisted the help of three African elephants at “<a href="http://adventureswithelephants.com/">Adventures With Elephants</a>” – an educational tourism facility focused on raising awareness about conservation. Using reward-based training techniques, we trained the elephants to indicate whenever they could smell TNT among a lineup of blank, non-smelly samples initially and then later, highly volatile distractor odours. </p>
<p>Samples were individual filter papers loaded with trace amounts of one of the following odours: TNT; petroleum; acetone; bleach; detergent; tea; or nothing at all (blanks). These filter papers, or samples, were placed individually into a bucket, and sample buckets (eight in total) were placed 6 metres apart, in a straight line. The elephants were trained to walk along the line and investigate each bucket, raising their front leg and waving it over the selected bucket whenever they thought they could smell TNT. </p>
<figure>
<iframe src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/238896128" width="500" height="281" frameborder="0" webkitallowfullscreen="" mozallowfullscreen="" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Mussina, a female African elephant, is put through her TNT-sniffing paces.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The results suggest that elephants are <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279888080_Biological_detection_of_explosives">even better</a> at one aspect of the sniffing process than <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/publication/279888080_Biological_detection_of_explosives">dogs</a>, the animals currently considered the gold standard in landmine detection.</p>
<h2>Sensitivity and selectivity</h2>
<p>Two metrics, sensitivity and selectivity, are incredibly important in detection science. Measures of these allow researchers to understand how well a biodetector such as a dog or elephant is performing. They also allow for comparisons across species. </p>
<p>The elephants missed only one out of 97 TNT samples during our trials. This translated into a phenomenal sensitivity score of 99.7%. Sensitivity is the propensity to indicate whenever a target substance (in this case TNT) is present. In comparison, sensitivity scores for TNT-detection dogs have been reported as 93.7%.</p>
<p>The elephants only made six false-positive indications, mistaking five out of 53 acetone samples and one out of 24 petrol samples for TNT. This incredibly low frequency of false-positives resulted in a respectable selectivity score – that is, the propensity to only indicate TNT, and not just any odourous substance – of 95.1%. This is a bit shy of the 100% score reported for dogs.</p>
<p>Our findings indicate that elephants are almost 5% more likely than dogs to indicate the presence of TNT when, in fact, there is none. But dogs are almost 6% more likely to miss TNT than elephants are. It’s obviously better for TNT detectors to be prone to false positives rather than false negatives: in fact it could be the difference between life and death. </p>
<h2>Real world application</h2>
<p>So does this mean that elephants should take over TNT-sniffing dogs’ duties? </p>
<p>No, absolutely not. We have no intention of putting elephants in harm’s way: their sheer size and weight makes them completely unsuited to being infield TNT detectors.</p>
<p>But remote elephant teams could act as valuable support to current demining operations in countries like Angola. </p>
<p>Samples collected via <a href="https://www.gichd.org/resources/publications/detail/publication/remote-explosive-scent-tracing-rest/#.Wd9xLFuCzIU">Remote Explosive Scent Tracing</a> by unmanned vehicles such as drones could be sent to the elephants for screening. The information gathered from TNT-detection elephants could be passed on to demining teams working at the front lines, even before they are deployed. This early warning system could potentially save the lives of the deminers and their dedicated biosensor companions.</p>
<h2>Other areas to explore</h2>
<p>Elephants’ ability to correctly identify and discriminate a learned scent from other odours suggests that they may also be useful in other biosensor fields such as early disease detection.</p>
<p>Detection dogs are used in medical and biological settings. I have used them myself as a biologically-relevant model to demonstrate that <a href="https://theconversation.com/the-ultimate-in-stealth-puff-adders-employ-camouflage-at-every-level-53316">puff adders</a> are undetectable via olfaction. </p>
<p>Specially trained dogs already screen for cancers, diabetes, epilepsy, alien invasives, harmful microbes and pests. Some <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26863620">scent-matching dogs</a> are even able to match collected samples to individuals, forgoing the need for expensive and time-consuming genetic testing. The dogs’ performance in these fields is, in most cases, proving <a href="http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159115002063">more reliable</a> than mechanical devices.</p>
<p>Elephants could rival dogs’ sensitivity abilities in these fields, as they did for TNT-detection. They require less maintenance training than dogs to keep them on the target scent. Our elephants were able to repeat the same tests with high success a year after their last trial, with no intervening maintenance training. </p>
<p>In addition, given their longevity – they can live to around <a href="https://www.sanbi.org/creature/african-elephant">60 years</a> in the wild – elephants, once trained, could serve as long-standing biosensors that far outlive any of their current biosensor counterparts.</p>
<p>And, importantly, biologically appropriate tasks that engage natural behaviours to gain reward is highly stimulating for captive animals. So not only could elephants potentially save lives while sniffing out danger – they could have fun at the same time.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/85626/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ashadee Kay Miller received funding from the Army Research Office (ARO) for this work, and currently receives funding from the NRF, ARO and the U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command for her research on chemical crypsis.</span></em></p>Elephants have the highest count of olfactory receptor genes of any species tested to date. This suggests that they may be the best smellers in the animal kingdom.Ashadee Kay Miller, PhD Candidate, School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences, University of the WitwatersrandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/747422017-03-31T02:03:55Z2017-03-31T02:03:55ZHow understanding animals can help us make the most of artificial intelligence<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163177/original/image-20170329-8580-12tzhjp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Autonomous cars aren't smarter than this.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.publicdomainpictures.net/view-image.php?image=41766&picture=dog-drive-2">X posid</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Every day countless headlines emerge from myriad sources across the globe, both <a href="https://gizmodo.com/how-ai-could-ruin-humanity-according-to-smart-humans-1679025876">warning of dire consequences</a> and <a href="https://www.wired.com/2014/10/future-of-artificial-intelligence/">promising utopian futures</a> – all thanks to artificial intelligence. AI “is transforming the workplace,” writes the <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/how-ai-is-transforming-the-workplace-1489371060">Wall Street Journal</a>, while <a href="http://fortune.com/ai-artificial-intelligence-deep-machine-learning/">Fortune</a> magazine tells us that we are facing an “AI revolution” that will “change our lives.” But we don’t really understand what interacting with AI will be like – or what it should be like.</p>
<p>It turns out, though, that we already have a concept we can use when we think about AI: It’s how we think about animals. As a former animal trainer (albeit briefly) who now studies how people use AI, I know that animals and animal training can teach us quite a lot about how we ought to think about, approach and interact with artificial intelligence, both now and in the future. </p>
<p><a href="http://duckofminerva.com/2016/11/analogies-in-war-marine-mammal-systems-and-autonomous-weapons.html">Using animal analogies</a> can help regular people understand many of the complex aspects of artificial intelligence. It can also help us think about how best to teach these systems new skills and, perhaps most importantly, how we can properly conceive of their limitations, even as we celebrate AI’s new possibilities.</p>
<h2>Looking at constraints</h2>
<p>As AI expert <a href="http://www.sussex.ac.uk/profiles/276">Maggie Boden</a> <a href="https://www.amazon.com/AI-Nature-Future-Margaret-Boden/dp/0198777981">explains</a>, “Artificial intelligence seeks to make computers do the sorts of things that minds can do.” AI researchers are working on teaching computers to reason, perceive, plan, move and make associations. AI can see patterns in large data sets, predict the likelihood of an event occurring, plan a route, manage a person’s meeting schedule and even play war-game scenarios. </p>
<p>Many of these capabilities are, in themselves, unsurprising: Of course a robot can roll around a space and not collide with anything. But somehow AI seems more magical when the computer starts to put these skills together to accomplish tasks.</p>
<p>Take, for instance, autonomous cars. The origins of the driverless car are in a 1980s-era Defense Advanced Research Project Agency project called the <a href="http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA167472">Autonomous Land Vehicle</a>. The project’s goals were to encourage research into computer vision, perception, planning and robotic control. In 2004, the ALV effort became the first <a href="http://www.darpa.mil/news-events/2014-03-13">Grand Challenge</a> for self-driving cars. Now, more than 30 years since the effort began, we are on the precipice of autonomous or self-driving cars in the civilian market. In the early years, few people thought such a feat was impossible: Computers couldn’t drive!</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The DARPA Grand Challenge pushed development of autonomous vehicles.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Yet, as we have seen, <a href="https://www.google.com/selfdrivingcar/">they can</a>. Autonomous cars’ capabilities are relatively easy for us to understand. But we struggle to comprehend their limitations. After the <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/19/business/tesla-model-s-autopilot-fatal-crash.html">2015 fatal Tesla crash</a>, where the car’s autopilot function failed to sense a tractor-trailer crossing into its lane, few still seem to grasp the gravity of how limited Tesla’s autopilot really is. While the company and its software were <a href="https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/inv/2016/INCLA-PE16007-7876.PDF">cleared of negligence</a> by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, it remains unclear whether customers really understand what the car can and cannot do. </p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=402&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/163198/original/image-20170329-8563-1giqqmp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Is Lowly Worm really your Tesla’s autopilot?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/patterned/4813746535/">patterned/flickr</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
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<p>What if Tesla owners were told not that they were <a href="https://cleantechnica.com/2016/07/11/tesla-autopilot-beta-mean/">driving a “beta” version of an autopilot</a> but rather a semi-autonomous car with the <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2015/01/21/tech/mci-lego-worm/">mental equivalence of a worm</a>? The so-called “intelligence” that provides “<a href="https://www.tesla.com/blog/all-tesla-cars-being-produced-now-have-full-self-driving-hardware">full self-driving capability</a>” is really a giant computer that is pretty good at sensing objects and avoiding them, recognizing items in images and limited planning. That might change owners’ perspectives about how much the car could really do without human input or oversight.</p>
<h2>What is it?</h2>
<p>Technologists often try to explain AI in terms of how it is built. Take, for instance, advancements made in <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/deep-learning-8331">deep learning</a>. This is a technique that uses <a href="https://www.wired.com/2016/01/microsoft-neural-net-shows-deep-learning-can-get-way-deeper/">multi-layered networks</a> to learn how to do a task. The networks need to process vast amounts of information. But because of the volume of the data they require, the complexity of the associations and algorithms in the networks, it is often unclear to humans how they learn what they do. These systems may become very good at one particular task, but we do not really understand them.</p>
<p>Instead of thinking about AI as something superhuman or alien, it’s easier to analogize them to animals, intelligent nonhumans we have experience training.</p>
<p>For example, if I were to use <a href="http://psychology.jrank.org/pages/587/B-F-Skinner.html">reinforcement learning</a> to train a dog to sit, I would praise the dog and give him treats when he sits on command. Over time, he would learn to associate the command with the behavior with the treat.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Teaching a dog to sit is a lot like training an artificial intelligence.</span></figcaption>
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<p>Training an AI system can be very much the same. In <a href="https://theconversation.com/googles-go-victory-shows-ai-thinking-can-be-unpredictable-and-thats-a-concern-56209">reinforcement deep learning</a>, human designers set up a system, envision what they want it to learn, give it information, watch its actions and give it feedback (such as praise) when they see what they want. In essence, we can treat the AI system like we treat animals we are training. </p>
<p>The analogy works at a deeper level too. I’m not expecting the sitting dog to understand complex concepts like “love” or “good.” I’m expecting him to learn a behavior. Just as we can get dogs to sit, stay and roll over, we can get AI systems to move cars around public roads. But it’s too much to expect the car to “<a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/innovations/wp/2015/12/29/will-self-driving-cars-ever-solve-the-famous-and-creepy-trolley-problem/">solve</a>” the <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/24/books/review/would-you-kill-the-fat-man-and-the-trolley-problem.html">ethical problems that can arise in driving emergencies</a>.</p>
<h2>Helping researchers too</h2>
<p>Thinking of AI as a trainable animal isn’t just useful for explaining it to the general public. It is also helpful for the researchers and engineers building the technology. If an AI scholar is trying to teach a system a new skill, thinking of the process from the perspective of an animal trainer could help identify potential problems or complications.</p>
<p>For instance, if I try to train my dog to sit, and every time I say “sit” the buzzer to the oven goes off, then my dog will begin to associate sitting not only with my command, but also with the sound of the oven’s buzzer. In essence, the buzzer becomes another signal telling the dog to sit, which is called an “accidental reinforcement.” If we look for accidental reinforcements or signals in AI systems that are not working properly, then we’ll know better not only what’s going wrong, but also what specific retraining will be most effective.</p>
<p>This requires us to understand what messages we are giving during AI training, as well as what the AI might be observing in the surrounding environment. The oven buzzer is a simple example; in the real world it will be far more complicated. </p>
<p>Before we welcome our AI overlords and hand over our lives and jobs to robots, we ought to pause and think about the kind of intelligences we are creating. They will be very good at doing particular actions or tasks, but they cannot understand concepts, and do not know anything. So when you are thinking about <a href="https://www.tesla.com/model3">shelling out thousands</a> for a new Tesla car, remember its autopilot function is really just a very fast and sexy worm. Do you really want to give control over your life and your loved ones’ lives to a worm? Probably not, so keep your hands on the wheel and don’t fall asleep.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/74742/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Heather Roff receives funding from Google Deepmind and the European Research Council. Past funders include Future of Life Foundation. She is affiliated with New America, University of Cambridge. </span></em></p>A former animal trainer explains how we might usefully think about the limitations of artificial intelligence systems.Heather Roff, Senior Research Fellow, Department of Politics & International Relations, University of Oxford; Research Scientist, Global Security Initiative, Arizona State UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/606102016-07-07T02:10:52Z2016-07-07T02:10:52ZCan next-generation bomb ‘sniffing’ technology outdo dogs on explosives detection?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/128764/original/image-20160629-15251-9imiqc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C662%2C433&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Technology is catching up with dogs – and has additional advantages.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/stefz/485663374">Stef</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>With each terrorist attack on another airport, train station or other public space, the urgency to find new ways to detect bombs before they’re detonated ratchets up.</p>
<p>Chemical detection of explosives is a cornerstone of aviation security. Typically called “trace detection,” this approach can find minuscule amounts of residue left behind after someone handles an explosive. A form of this technology called <a href="https://www.crcpress.com/Ion-Mobility-Spectrometry-Third-Edition/Eiceman-Karpas-Jr/p/book/9781439859971">ion mobility spectroscopy</a> is what Transportation Security Administration officers are using when they swab and test your laptop, hands or other items at the airport. In a few seconds, a sample is vaporized, and the resulting chemical ions are separated by molecular size and shape, triggering an alarm if an explosive compound is detected.</p>
<p>But <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0039-9140(00)00565-8">this method</a> is labor-intensive and slow for large volumes of stuff, and its effectiveness can depend on the sampling skill of the officer. It relies on contact sampling, which requires security personnel to have access to surfaces where residue may have been left. That’s not useful if a bomber has no intention of going through a security line and having his personal effects searched.</p>
<p>Some security teams rely on dogs, which can be trained to sniff out explosives using their <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0039-9140(00)00546-4">exquisite sense of smell</a>. But the logistics and training involved with the routine deployment of canines can be arduous, and there are <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0039-9140(00)00565-8">cultural barriers</a> to using dogs to directly screen people.</p>
<p>What researchers have wanted to develop for a long time is a new chemical detection technology that could “sniff” for explosives vapor, much like a canine does. Many efforts over the years fell short as not being sensitive enough. My research team has been working on this problem for nearly two decades – and we’re making good headway.</p>
<h2>More and more sensitive</h2>
<p>The one big hurdle to engineering some kind of technology to rival a dog’s nose is the extremely <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.trac.2012.09.010">low vapor pressures of most explosives</a>. What we call the “equilibrium vapor pressure” of a material is basically a measure of how much of it is in the air, available for detection, under perfect conditions at a specific temperature. </p>
<p>Commonly used by military forces around the world, nitro-organic explosives such as <a href="http://militarynewbie.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/TM-9-1300-214-Military-Explosives.pdf">TNT, RDX and PETN</a> have equilibrium vapor pressures in the parts per trillion range. To reliably sniff out related vapors in operational environments, like a busy check-in area of an airport, the detection capability would need to be well below that – down into the <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/978-94-017-0639-1_46">parts per quadrillion range</a> for many explosives.</p>
<p>These levels have been beyond the capability of trace detection instrumentation. Achieving a 325 parts per quadrillion level of detection is analogous to finding <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nature14967">one specific tree on the entire planet Earth</a>.</p>
<p>But recent research has pushed the detection envelope into that part-per-quadrillion range. In 2008, an international team used an advanced ionization technique, called secondary electrospray ionization mass spectrometry, to get <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jasms.2008.10.006">better than part per trillion level detection</a> of <a href="http://www.rsc.org/chemistryworld/podcast/CIIEcompounds/transcripts/TNT.asp">TNT</a> and <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2010/nov/01/cargo-bomb-plot-petn-explosive">PETN</a>.</p>
<p>In 2012, our research team at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (<a href="http://www.pnnl.gov">PNNL</a>) achieved direct, real-time detection of <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/RDX">RDX</a> vapors at levels below 25 parts per quadrillion using atmospheric flow tube mass spectrometry (<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac302828g">AFT-MS</a>).</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=282&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129393/original/image-20160705-817-17yrloc.gif?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=355&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Schematic diagram of the elegant simplicity of the AFT-MS device.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">PNNL</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Sensitivity for a mass spectrometer is related to how many of the target molecules can be ionized and transferred into the mass spectrometer for detection. The more complete that process is, the better sensitivity will be. Our AFT-MS scheme is different because it uses time to maximize the benefits of the collisions of the explosive vapor molecules with air ions created from the ion source. It is the extent of reaction between the created ions and the explosives molecules that defines the sensitivity. Using AFT-MS, we’ve now expanded the capability to be able to detect a suite of explosives at <a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/ac402513r">single-digit part per quadrillion level</a>. </p>
<h2>Next step: putting it into practice</h2>
<p>So we’ve moved the state of the art of chemical-based explosives detection into a realm where contact sampling is no longer necessary and instruments can “sniff” for explosives in a manner similar to canines.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=706&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=706&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129465/original/image-20160705-791-1o7gq0x.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=706&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">PNNL research scientist Robert Ewing presenting a trace vapor sample to the detector.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">PNNL</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Instruments that have the vapor detection capability of canines and can also operate continuously open up exciting new security screening possibilities. Trace detection wouldn’t need to rely on direct access to suspicious items for sampling. Engineers could create a noninvasive walk-through explosive detection device, similar to a metal detector.</p>
<p>The real innovation is in the direct detection of the vapor plume, enabled by the extreme sensitivity. There is no longer a need to collect explosive particles for vaporization – as is the case in past trace detection technologies that use loud air jets to dislodge particles from people. Instead, the greater sensitivity means the air could simply be constantly sampled for explosives molecules as people pass through.</p>
<p>This approach would certainly make airport checkpoints less onerous, improving throughput and the passenger experience. These types of devices could also be set up at entrances to airport terminals and other public facilities. It would be a major security leap to be able to detect explosives that are entering a building, not only when passing through a checkpoint.</p>
<figure class="align-left ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/129081/original/image-20160702-18321-qhd1bc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Making two measurements – vapor detection via mass spectrometer and visual image via currently deployed body scanner – in the same time and space.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">PNNL</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>A deployed vapor detection capability would also increase safety by adding a second independent form of information to what scanners have available. Currently, most screening techniques, such as x-ray and <a href="http://science.howstuffworks.com/millimeter-wave-scanner.htm">millimeter wave</a> imaging, are based on spotting anomalies – a TSA operator notices a strange shape in the image. A vapor detection technology would add to their toolkit the ability to identify specific chemicals.</p>
<p>It allows for a two-pronged approach to finding explosives: spotting them on an image and sniffing them out in the vapor plume emitted by a checked bag or a person. It’s like recognizing a person you know but haven’t seen in a long time; both seeing a recent picture and hearing their voice may be necessary to identify them, rather than just one of those pieces of information on its own.</p>
<p>Inspired by the tremendous detection capabilities of dogs, we’ve made remarkable advances toward developing technology that can follow in their footsteps. Deploying vapor analysis for explosives can both enhance security levels and provide a less intrusive screening environment. Continuing research aims to hone the technology and lower its costs so it can be deployed at an airport near you.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/60610/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Atkinson works for the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, a US Department of Energy multi-program laboratory. He receives funding for research and technical support from a variety of US government sources that fund explosives detection R&D, such as the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Division. He is also affiliated with Scientific Workshops Inc. as a trustee. Scientific Workshops is a not for profit organization that runs educational subject matter expert workshops related to explosives detection and other scientific topics. </span></em></p>New research is narrowing the gap, creating technology with the detecting capabilities of canines but without the downsides of relying on a biological system.David Atkinson, Senior Research Scientist, Pacific Northwest National LaboratoryLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/494012015-10-20T09:25:33Z2015-10-20T09:25:33ZIn defence of Britain’s last lion tamer<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/98859/original/image-20151019-23254-ksxjpf.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A dying breed?</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Greeted by protesters at almost every turn, Thomas Chipperfield has spent the past year touring his lions and tigers across Wales.</p>
<p>Known as Britain’s last lion tamer, Chipperfield appears at <a href="https://www.facebook.com/AnEveningwithLionsandTigers">An Evening of Lions and Tigers</a> with a troupe of trained lions and tigers. Of just three UK circuses presenting wild animals, his is the last show displaying wild cats. But he works under the constant threat of having to close down.</p>
<p>The threat to his work is legal rather than commercial. Many in the industry have told me that customers prefer circuses to have animals and Chipperfield’s own small show continues to find an audience. But a bill to ban wild animals in circuses was drafted in 2013 and the government maintains that this will be introduced when parliamentary time is found. Now the <a href="http://news.sky.com/story/1571810/uks-last-lion-tamer-fights-circus-extinction">Welsh government</a> is also thinking about outlawing the practice.</p>
<p>Circuses have been regulated since the mid-1920s and under licensing conditions passed in 2012 they are subject to regular inspections against strict standards for animal welfare. Back in 2007 a <a href="http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/20130402151656/http://archive.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/farmanimal/welfare/documents/circus-report.pdf">major government study</a> found that the welfare of circus animals differed little from those in zoos. Their stress levels and breeding patterns suggested there was no evidence to warrant a general ban. </p>
<p>Indeed there have been only two prosecutions of circuses for animal cruelty in the UK over the past 35 years. Unlike lethal entertainments such as <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2010/apr/23/horseracing-deaths">horse-racing</a>, <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/uk/2007/nov/21/animalwelfare.world">reports have found</a> that circus animals are at vanishingly little risk of harm.</p>
<p>Indeed, as Chipperfield <a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/theatre/10862398/Thomas-Chipperfield-Britains-last-lion-tamer.html">himself says</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>You can’t afford to mistreat a lion or tiger, because eventually they will turn. They will realise they are a lot stronger, faster and more dangerous than you, and it can only end very badly.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>For these reasons the 2013 draft bill was not presented as animal welfare legislation but as an ethical issue. In other words, Chipperfield and other animal presenters are under threat because their critics oppose the idea of animals being used for entertainment.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"508022455618007040"}"></div></p>
<p>The modern circus is a British invention; founded nearly 250 years ago by <a href="http://www.vam.ac.uk/content/articles/t/the-first-circus/">Philip Astley</a>, a former cavalry officer who added clowns and jugglers from the fairgrounds to his exhibition of horse-riding on London’s South Bank. It had to fight for legitimacy from the start but it became the world’s first mass popular entertainment.</p>
<p>Now, in 2015, to call something a circus is to abuse it. It is to ridicule the hundreds of people who still criss-cross the country, come wind, rain or snow, to bring their unique brand of live entertainment to those who want to see it. If you want to find an oppressed community in 2015, look no further than the circus.</p>
<p>If Chipperfield really does become Britain’s last lion tamer it will be because legislation is passed imposing the ethical standards of some upon the activities of others. This imposition of public taste should concern anyone who believes in commercial freedom – even if it is pursued with the best intentions.</p>
<p>Imagine the outcry that would arise should horse-racing ever be threatened with such a ban. Were that to happen the defence would centre on commercial freedom and the maintenance of a traditional way of life. Exactly the same can be said of the circus but the difference is that it has far fewer advocates and miniscule resources. My <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10551-013-1678-2">recent research</a> with directors of travelling circuses demonstrates their desire to maintain a way of life that is truly unique. One said:</p>
<blockquote>
<p>Circus to me is a way of life. It isn’t a job. I always say I’ve never had a job; this is my life that I’ve decided to do and I’ve decided to do it for all this time. We work all day to be in that ring, that’s what we do, all of the building up and pulling down is all because of that ring, that round thing in the middle there with sawdust … hallowed ground.</p>
</blockquote>
<p>I wonder how many of us feel the same way about our work? Those who object to animals in circuses are free not to go. They are free to protest outside - but should their views require everyone else to do the same?</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/49401/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Ron Beadle is a member of a circus family. He is a local Councillor (Lib Dem) for Low Fell ward in Gateshead.</span></em></p>This is not an animal rights issue – it’s a question of other people’s ethics.Ron Beadle, Professor of Organization and Business Ethics, Northumbria University, NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/380982015-03-02T19:20:38Z2015-03-02T19:20:38ZAnimal welfare laws need more bite to stamp out live baiting<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/73429/original/image-20150302-5240-42etx2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A possum used in live baiting. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Animals Australia & Animal Liberation Qld</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>The exposure of live baiting (or “blooding”) activities in greyhound racing has sent shockwaves through the industry, with a spate of <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/rabbits-among-live-animals-allegedly-used-as-bait-in-greyhound-racing-20150214-13et3y.html">suspensions</a>, <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-23/greyhound-racing-victoria-chairman-peter-caillard-resigns/6226664">resignations</a> and <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-19/entire-board-of-nsw-greyhound-racing-dismissed/6144352">dismissals</a> following undercover footage aired by ABC <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/02/16/4178920.htm">Four Corners</a> in February. </p>
<p>The revelations have prompted calls for greater regulation and for the greyhound racing industry to be made <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-18/mp-calls-for-greyhound-racing-nsw-to-be-stripped-of-some-powers/6142224">more transparent and accountable to government</a>. But it is not more rules that we need – it’s better enforcement of the laws we already have.</p>
<h2>Blooding outlawed</h2>
<p>Blooding greyhounds is already prohibited in all three states implicated in the scandal. </p>
<p>In Queensland, the <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/qld/consol_act/acapa2001229/s32.html">Animal Care and Protection Act 2001 (Qld)</a> prohibits a person from keeping or using an an animal as a kill or lure for blooding a dog. The maximum penalty is A$34,155 or one year in prison. </p>
<p>Similarly, in <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/consol_act/poctaa1979360/s21.html">New South Wales</a> an individual who keeps or uses an animal as a lure or kills an animal for the purpose of blooding greyhounds can be fined A$22,000 or face two years imprisonment, or both. <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/vic/consol_act/poctaa1986360/s13.html">Victoria</a> also prohibits blooding with a maximum fine over A$35,000 or two years in prison. </p>
<h2>Self-regulation</h2>
<p>The greyhound racing industry also regulates itself. At the national level, the <a href="http://www.galtd.org.au/GreyhoundsAustralasia/index.php?q=node/50">Greyhounds Australasia Rules</a> does not explicitly have a rule against blooding greyhounds although several rules appear to ban the practice. </p>
<p>For instance, it is an offence to:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>bring a live animal (other than a greyhound) on to <a href="http://www.galtd.org.au/GreyhoundsAustralasia/index.php?q=node/50">a racecourse, trial track or surrounding area</a></p></li>
<li><p>to use an animal <em>in connection</em> with greyhound racing that is “improper” (although no definition of this term is provided) </p></li>
<li><p>to do a thing which, “in the opinion of the Stewards or the Controlling Body, … is negligent, dishonest, corrupt, fraudulent or improper, or constitutes misconduct”</p></li>
<li><p>to “act in a way that is detrimental or prejudicial to the interests, welfare, image, control or promotion of greyhound racing”.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>A person found guilty of an offence under the national rules could face a fine, suspension, disqualification, cancellation of registration or a “warning off”. </p>
<p>The <a href="http://www.grv.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/02/Master-Local-Racing-Rules-1-January-2015.pdf">Victorian local rules</a> explicitly prohibit the use of a live animal as a lure or “for the exciting of greyhounds” and designates it as a “serious offence”. As a “serious offence” the Greyhound Racing Victoria Racing and Disciplinary Board can, among other potential penalties, order the refund of prize money. </p>
<p>Under the <a href="http://www.grv.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/Animal-Welfare-Penalty-Guidelines-July-1-2014.pdf">Greyhound Racing Victoria’s Animal Welfare Penalty Guidelines</a> the recommended penalty for those guilty of blooding a greyhound is a 10 year disqualification. </p>
<h2>All bark, no bite</h2>
<p>The Four Corners exposé has highlighted the inadequacy of enforcement by both the greyhound racing industry and the government. </p>
<p>The “police officers” for greyhound racing industry self-regulation are the stewards. They failed to detect and/or act on suspected breaches of the national or local rules of racing.</p>
<p>Reasons for this range from geographical remoteness of the trial or training tracks (according to <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/02/16/4178920.htm">Scott Parker</a>, CEO of Greyhounds Australasia), to a lack of resources, to stubborn refusal to see the problem.</p>
<p>The government enforcement of animal protection legislation is largely left to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) to enforce, which is <a href="https://www.federationpress.com.au/bookstore/book.asp?isbn=9781862879300">rather unique</a> for a branch of criminal law. </p>
<p>As a charitable organisation that is <a href="https://www.federationpress.com.au/bookstore/book.asp?isbn=9781862879300">inadequately funded by government</a>, it is severely limited in its ability to bring prosecutions or pursue riskier cases. </p>
<p>The RSPCA is also sensitive to public donations. For instance, a <a href="http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/millionaire-pastoralist-tom-brinkworth-wants-court-costs-from-rspca/story-e6frea6u-1225856910671">costs order</a> awarded against the RSPCA could see public donations going to the alleged offenders legal team. This in turn is likely to have a negative effect on future donations which the society needs to run animal shelters, and prosecutions. </p>
<h2>Better enforcement</h2>
<p>One solution would be to ban greyhound racing. There is precedent for completely banning an animal sport when the public sees how cruel it is. In <a href="http://www5.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/nsw/num_act/poctaaa1997n83467.pdf">1997</a>, for example, the New South Wales parliament amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act 1979 (NSW) to ban coursing and jumps racing (or steeplechase) for horses.</p>
<p>Assuming greyhound racing is not banned, greater enforcement of the existing criminal laws should be the priority. It is not appropriate to devote tax-payer money, as is proposed in <a href="http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/live-baiting-not-widespread-greyhound-trainers-claim-20150217-13hddh.html">Victoria</a>, to help enforce industry self-regulation where criminal laws have been passed to punish the same behaviour, and self-regulation has spectacularly failed. A real and credible threat of criminal prosecution when industry self-regulation fails is also the best way to make the industry self-regulators do a better job.</p>
<p>There is also the danger with strengthening self-regulation that those caught would be disciplined under the local or national rules when the cruelty of the conduct warrants criminal prosecution. Additional government funding could go instead to the enforcement body for animal protection, the RSPCA, so it can employ more inspectors and bring more criminal prosecutions. </p>
<p>State governments could also introduce legislation that allows other organisations such as Animals Australia or Animal Liberation, the bodies that obtained the undercover blooding footage, to prosecute under the animal protection laws. This would mean giving animal protection groups other than the RSPCA “standing”, which the government and <a href="http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/cases/cth/FCAFC/2014/173.html">courts</a> have been reluctant to do.</p>
<p>Another option is to create a state-based statutory authority with the powers to investigate and prosecute breaches of animal protection laws. In 2013, the Greens attempted to introduce the <a href="http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Bills_Legislation/Bills_Search_Results/Result?bId=r5056">Independent Office of Animal Welfare</a> and Labor proposed the <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-31/fitzgibbon-livex-inspector/4855770">Inspector General of Animal Welfare and Live Animal Exports</a> at the federal level. </p>
<p>While such proposals were a step in the right direction, the primary responsibility for the regulation of animal welfare rests with the states and territories and it is they who should act to enforce their own criminal laws. The state or territory statutory-authority would be similar to those proposed above but could have greater enforcement powers. </p>
<p>Without adequate enforcement, the laws that governments have passed to reflect societies condemnation and abhorrence of live baiting will continue to lack the necessary bite.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/38098/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Revelations of live baiting in greyhound racing have sent shockwaves through the industry. Baiting is prohibited, but laws lack teeth to stamp out the practice.Aaron Timoshanko, Lectures in animal law, the Research Assistant to the Dean at Flinders University and PhD Candidate, Monash UniversityChristine Parker, Professor of Regulatory Studies and Legal Ethics, Monash UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/376522015-02-17T05:56:10Z2015-02-17T05:56:10ZGreyhound racing in disgrace as riches push trainers to barbarity<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/72207/original/image-20150217-18463-1nvc92n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=3%2C7%2C1268%2C707&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Secret footage revealed that Australian greyhound trainers are still using the banned practice of live baiting.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Animals Australia</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australia’s greyhound industry is reeling from the ABC’s <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/02/16/4178920.htm">Four Corners expose</a>, featuring graphic footage of racing dogs tearing other mammals apart in the illegal training practice of <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-02-16/live-baiting-expose-to-rock-greyhound-industry/6109878">live baiting</a>. </p>
<p>The Victorian government has <a href="http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2015/feb/17/live-baiting-greyhouse-training-abhorrent-nsw-racing-minister">announced an investigation</a> into the latest revelations, and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals has urged other states to do likewise.</p>
<p>The incentive is the lure of big prize money, with the most successful dogs netting <a href="http://www.australianracinggreyhound.com/prizemoney-record">well over half a million dollars in career winnings</a>. According to industry figures <a href="http://www.australianracinggreyhound.com/betting">more than A$3.1 billion</a> was wagered on Australian greyhound races in 2013-14, while unofficial estimates put the top trainers’ earnings at <a href="http://www.smh.com.au/money/investing/this-is-no-slumdog-20120619-20kqg.html">up to A$5 million a year</a>.</p>
<p>These financial rewards have spurred people to barbarity. The Four Corners program showed footage of some of Australia’s top trainers baiting dogs with rabbits, possums and piglets to make their dogs more eager to catch the artificial lures used in a race. Most of the bait animals were tied to the artificial lure in the training arenas, with dogs initially muzzled but then later unmuzzled and allowed to tear the creatures to pieces.</p>
<h2>How will racing clean itself up?</h2>
<p>The program suggested that the industry’s regulators either didn’t know this was happening or didn’t want to know. In the livestock sector the move towards industry self-regulation has been disastrous for its integrity. Self-regulation is the way out for squeamish governments. </p>
<p>Effective external regulation of the racing industry is essential to protect animal welfare. Animals Australia <a href="http://www.animalsaustralia.org/take_action/greyhound-racing-live-baiting-exposed/">has called</a> for financial support from government to be suspended and for government task forces to take over regulatory control. This may work in the short term, but in the long term we need statutory bodies governed by a board of independent people with expertise not just in the industry itself, but also in animal welfare, doping, relevant legislation and gambling. </p>
<p>Good corporate practice in Australia requires that there is a majority of independent members on a board who are not substantial shareholders, have not been employed within the company for the previous three years, are not advisers or suppliers to the company and have no contractual relationship with it. With this background board members will be able to act in the interests of society as a whole and not in their own individual interests. </p>
<p>Besides being governed with more integrity, the industry needs the capability to inspect facilities on a regular basis. Most are close to capital cities and can be easily reached. Again, inspectors need to be of high integrity and knowledgeable about, but not integrally connected to, the industry. </p>
<h2>Hunting for prizes</h2>
<p>Inside every dog, including greyhounds, lurks a hunter. They lived by this means for millions of years. The use of live baiting works by building a strong connection in the dog’s mind between the chase of a squeaking dummy and a live animal. </p>
<p>The greyhound racing industry evolved in the early part of the last century from <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hare_coursing">hare coursing</a>, replacing the prey with a mechanical “hare” moving around a track to avoid the needless killing of a defenceless animal. However, old habits die hard – on my first day at work at a British agricultural college I was taken by my boss to a hare coursing event to “toughen me up”. It didn’t work.</p>
<p>Australians have many passions, but sport, animals and betting all feature pretty strongly. That’s why, despite its small population, Australia has by some measures (see section 7 <a href="http://www.pc.gov.au/inquiries/completed/gambling-2009/submissions/sub248.pdf">here</a>) the largest greyhound racing industry in the world.</p>
<p>Fortunately in Australia we also have good animal cruelty legislation. Live baiting is illegal and the perpetrators will be prosecuted. As Four Corners <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/stories/2015/02/16/4178920.htm">pointed out</a>, live baiting carries a sentence of up to two years in prison.</p>
<p>Spare a thought too for those that will have been emotionally affected by the allegations and scenes of abject cruelty brought to us on our television screens. The last major revelation of this nature, of <a href="http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/content/2011/s3228880.htm">live cattle being hacked to death in Indonesia</a>, traumatised some people so much that they <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10806-012-9412-0">sought counselling</a>. </p>
<h2>Where next for racing?</h2>
<p>The Indonesian cattle revelations brought an industry to its knees, but it has got back up and is now stronger than ever. The same will happen with the greyhound industry. </p>
<p>After this masterful exposé, access to greyhound training grounds will become practically off-limits to visitors. Access was probably legally off-limits already – training facilities are privately owned and the Four Corners program did not detail exactly how the cameras were installed by Animals Australia and Animal Liberation Queensland to capture the damning secret footage. Fences will be erected and the industry will attempt to protect itself against people that it will dub as extremists. </p>
<p>Two things must happen to curb the unethical behaviour that is clearly rife in this industry. First, the power is in the hands of the punter. Don’t bet on sports that involve cruelty to animals. If you must bet, bet on whichever of the myriad human sports appeals to you. The welfare of the participants is well provided for. </p>
<p>Second, the use of live baits to train greyhounds must be stamped out once and for all. The industry should not be allowed to retreat behind closed doors.
It needs to understand it has to regain the trust of punters and the general public. The only way it can do this is by proving itself to be willing and capable of addressing endemic wrongdoing.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/37652/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Clive Phillips does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Australia’s greyhound industry is reeling from the ABC’s Four Corners expose, featuring graphic footage of racing dogs tearing other mammals apart in the illegal training practice of live baiting. The…Clive Phillips, Professor of Animal Welfare, Centre for Animal Welfare and Ethics, The University of QueenslandLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/364552015-01-21T11:34:09Z2015-01-21T11:34:09ZEmotional support dogs could be better than popping pills but pigs are another matter<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/69548/original/image-20150120-24434-1ps8h9q.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Not ready to fly first class with you just yet.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-107733692/stock-photo-piglets-running-in-field.html?src=QhDhhmtzk-Lp1TxZ5tAP0g-1-1">Piglets by Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>At a staff away day a few months ago we discussed well-being, both physical and psychological, in the workplace. I suggested, half tongue-in-cheek that we get a departmental dog – not practical on many levels, granted, but taking Rex or Rover for a walk could be one way to reduce stress. Walking a dog would be preferable to medicating – and studies into the <a href="http://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/features/health-benefits-of-pets">benefits of pet ownership</a> show how this can lead to you <a href="http://link.springer.com/article/10.1023/A:1006892908532">popping fewer pills</a>.</p>
<p>The idea of using animals to treat mental health issues, of course, is nothing new. In 1796 the York Retreat regularly used animals in the treatment of mentally ill people. One of the first formal applications of the use of animals for human therapy was psychologist <a href="http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/545439_3">Boris Levinson</a>, who in 1962 successfully used a dog to encourage mentally disturbed children to speak to him.</p>
<p>The physical and <a href="http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/help-information/mental-health-a-z/P/pets-mental-health/">mental health benefits</a> of pets – and especially dogs – are well known. With <a href="http://ajcn.nutrition.org/content/early/2015/01/14/ajcn.114.100065.full.pdf+html">recent research</a> showing that a lack of exercise was a higher risk factor for health than obesity, dogs may be one way to encourage all-important <a href="http://www.nhs.uk/news/2010/05May/Pages/no-exercise-risk-vs-obese-risk.aspx">physical activity</a>. They also provide company to ease loneliness and encourage social interactions between people – if you walk with a dog in a park you’ll know how often other dog owners stop and talk to you. Dogs, then, are often mediators of <a href="https://www.helpguide.org/articles/mental-health/mood-boosting-power-of-dogs.htm">social contact</a>, which is a vital function in a society where people increasingly live alone.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69546/original/image-20150120-24462-1xtynff.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">My main man.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="http://www.shutterstock.com/pic-197066084/stock-photo-dog-paw-and-human-hand-are-doing-handshake-on-nature.html?src=pp-same_artist-197877965-5">Support by Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>And so to the all-important cost benefit: taking advantage of the physical and psychological benefits that pet ownership brings is estimated to reduce UK healthcare costs by <a href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/441483.stm">£1 billion</a>, according to data published by the Society of Companion Animal Studies.</p>
<h2>Emotional support – and controversy</h2>
<p>In the US, the concept of pets as part of mental health therapy has been enshrined in law by amendments to the <a href="http://www.ada.gov/pubs/ada.htm">Americans with Disabilities Act 1990</a>. This means that a dog or other animal that provides emotional support for a person being treated for a mental health issue can register the animal as an emotional support animal (ESA). Basically, this means an ESA under the law has to be treated like a service animal, such as a guide dog for blind people. So someone who has one has the right to live in any rented accommodation with the animal, travel with the animal by public transport, enter restaurants, and so on.</p>
<p>However, the law has attracted some controversy because the system is open to abuse. One <a href="http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2014/10/20/pets-allowed">New Yorker magazine journalist</a> recently took a turtle to a museum, an alpaca on the train – and a drugstore – a snake to a boutique and a mini-pig to a fancy restaurant. This was all done using an “easily” obtained online letter from a medical physician following a virtual consultation in a bid to show how easy it was to get an ESA.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/69617/original/image-20150121-29736-ufltsl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">I’ll need to see your ticket.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/40373979@N04/5723682302/in/photolist-9HMnkC-2sMQ4w-f77DWD-aKhEf2-bW1Ckn-aDvbdN-aH52CD-aEzq3L-dMxq49-9HEgno-71XSUt-6DddKe-m9zsPx-dZs4Hj-p4LjMo-bZJAub-4V7nd5-aCujxk-bPCdBg-6gE8bk-">Cjaremk</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
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<p>The other problem in the US with ESAs is that usually they are not trained to the immaculate standards of service animals. Another hoo-ha involved an emotional support mini-pig <a href="http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2853779/EXCLUSIVE-little-piggy-plane-Woman-s-emotional-support-pig-defecated-aisles-squealing-uncontrollably-escorted-Airways-flight-passenger-reveals.html">that defecated in the aisle</a> while squealing wildly on a passenger plane before take-off. The pig and its owner were escorted off the plane, so proving that pigs cannot fly.</p>
<p>Most countries in the world only recognise service or assistance animals such as hearing dogs for the deaf and not ESAs. The experience in the US and the New Yorker journalist shows why this continues to be the case. This problem could be overcome by having a formalised national registration scheme – rather than paying money for a consultation to a medical physician who is known to be “very approving”. If other countries were ever to recognise ESAs – a good thing giving the growing mental health problems in society – then these animal would need to be trained to the standards of service animals.</p>
<p><a href="http://padogsuk.org/">Psychological Assistance Dogs</a> (PADS), a charity in the UK, aims to create a programme of assistance dogs using the standards applied to service animals. It’s an excellent initiative. And again I think the focus on dogs as an appropriate species is correct. As much as I love snakes, turtles, mini-pigs and alpacas I’m not convinced that people should be wandering around the streets with them – no matter how much emotional support they provide.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/36455/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert John Young does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>At a staff away day a few months ago we discussed well-being, both physical and psychological, in the workplace. I suggested, half tongue-in-cheek that we get a departmental dog – not practical on many…Robert John Young, Professor of Wildlife Conservation, University of SalfordLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.