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In-text reference numberFull referenceAim of the StudyKey ResultsManagement/Policy Recommendations Type of StudyEcosystems & LocationDate Reference Added
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1Cristescu, R.H., E. Foley, A. Markula, G. Jackson, D. Jones, and C. Frère, Accuracy and efficiency of detection dogs: a powerful new tool for koala conservation and management. Scientific Reports, 2015. 5: p. 8349.To investigate the accuracy and efficacy of dogs trained to find koala scatDetection dogs were 153% more accurate and 19 times more efficient than human visual surveys for Koala.To improve koala conservation, detection dog surveys for koala scats should replace human only teams.experimental and field based trialsEucalyptus woodland, Queensland, AustraliaMarch 2022
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2Chandler, B., Surveillance methods for white bryony in sites with difficult access. Surveillance (Wellington), 2015. 42(1): p. 20-21.To evaluate surveillance methods for white bryony sites with difficult access.Trials also indicate that detector dogs might be trained to locate inconspicuous plants in hard-to-access terrainTraining dogs to assist with the detection of inconspicuous plants.Review New ZealandMarch 2022
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3McGregor, H.W., J.O. Hampton, D. Lisle, and S. Legge, Live-capture of feral cats using tracking dogs and darting, with comparisons to leg-hold trapping. Wildlife Research, 2016. 43(4): p. 313-322.We present an alternative capture method: remote chemical immobilisation after tracking with trained dogs. We also compare capture rates to a concurrent soft-jaw leg-hold trapping program.Captures using trained dogs resulting in no mortalities or debilitiating physical injuries and were four times more successful per person hour of fieldwork than leg hold traps. The success rate of recaptures using dogs was 97%.Using these methods could improve efficiency and outcomes when catching feral cats, and enable more data per individual cat to be collected than otherwise.experiemental and field based trialsSavanna woodlands, central Kimberley, north west AustraliaMarch 2022
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4Springer, K., Planning processes for eradication of multiple pest species on Macquarie Island–an Australian case study. Island Invasives: Eradication and Management’.(Eds CR Veitch, MN Clout and DR Towns.) pp, 2011: p. 228-232.To outline how decisions taken early in the process of planning led to increased commitment as planning progressed.Comprehensive follow-up hunting is required to remove surviving rabbits, with their detection best assisted by trained detector dogs.It is better to prepare for survivals and budget for follow up hunting with dogs and not needing them than to seek further budget to support this action.Case-studyMaquarie Island.March 2022
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5Rolland, R.M., P.K. Hamilton, S.D. Kraus, B. Davenport, R.M. Gillett, and S.K. Wasser, Faecal sampling using detection dogs to study reproduction and health in North Atlantic right whales (Eubalaena glacialis). Journal of Cetacean Research and Management, 2006. 8(2): p. 121.Evaluate the relative sampling efficiency of detection dogs trained to detect North Atlantic right whale scat against opportunistic scat collection during photo-identification surveys. During surveys, detection dogs located more scats (97 scats) than human survey teams (30 scats).Continue the exploration of detection dogs for other marine species detection projects. Natural experimentNorth Atlantic OceanMarch 2022
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6Thomas, M.L., L. Baker, J.R. Beattie, and A.M. Baker, Determining the efficacy of camera traps, live capture traps, and detection dogs for locating cryptic small mammal species. Ecology and Evolution, 2020. 10(2): p. 1054-1068.1. Compare the effectiveness of Elliott traps and vertically mounted white flash camera traps at a site level, using overall detection probabilities to establish the most effective means of detecting the presence of small mammals, including A. arktos; 2. Conduct a preliminary survey of the effectiveness of a conservation detection dog for identifying the broad-scale presence of A. arktos in several present-day and historical locations, using camera traps to attempt to corroborate any canine-based detections; 3. Use the present research model as a basis to discuss the utility of the various detection techniques for broader use in projects designed to detect the presence of cryptic/rare small mammal speciesDetection dogs succesfully located Antechinus arktos scats in historial locations (1980s-1990s), where previous Elliot and camera trapping efforts over previous 5-10 years had resulted in zero captures. Camera traps subsequently corroborated A. arktos presence at the sites detection dogs indicated at, demonstrating that detection dogs can be a highly effective method for locating low-density mammal populations.Detection dogs provide a unique opportunity to locate target species, which may be overlooked by traditional methods. If we are to mitigate the risks that endanger our mammals, it is imperative that we successfully survey rare species to enable the development of effective conservation, management, and monitoring programs.
Indirect methods, such as detection dogs, will become an increasingly important tool in achieving this goal.		Experiemental field trialEucalptys forest, Northern NSW, Australia.March 2022
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7Cristescu, R.H., R.L. Miller, A.J. Schultz, L. Hulse, D. Jaccoud, S. Johnston, J. Hanger, R. Booth, and C.H. Frère, Developing noninvasive methodologies to assess koala population health through detecting Chlamydia from scats. Mol Ecol Resour, 2019. 19(4): p. 957-969.For koalas with urogenital tract disease signs, sensitivity was 78% with quantitative PCR, 50% with next generation genotyping and 100% with the detection dog method.Eucalyptus forest, Eastern AustraliaMarch 2022
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8Thompson, S.A., G.G. Thompson, P.C. Withers, and E.M. Bennett, Conservation detection dog is better than human searcher in finding bilby (Macrotis lagotis) scats. Australian Zoologist, 2020. 41(1): p. 86-93.To test the ability of a trained conservation detection dog to find cryptic bilby scats and compare it efficiency with the results of human searches for the same scats.In a study comparing humans and dogs in the search for Bilby scat in a 25m x 25m search area, dogs were able to locate 89/90 scats and humans just 6/90 scats. Dogs were also faster than humans and the authors recommend dogs as the main search method for bilby scats for future surveys.Changes to the DBCA's protocol for bilby searches to include conservation detection dogs as a recommended search strategy.Experimental field trialDry Eucalyptus woodland, Western AustraliaMarch 2022
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9Wasser, S.K., H. Smith, L. Madden, N. Marks, and C. Vynne, Scent-matching dogs determine number of unique individuals from scat. Journal of Wildlife Management, 2009. 73(7): p. 1233-1240.To validate a canine-based scent-matching method to asign individual identities to multiple fecal samples from 6 captived maned molves.Three dogs correctly matched 25 out of 28 samples from 6 captive maned wolves (Chrysocyon brachyurus) of known identity. Dogs were exposed to the wolves' scat samples via a scent board. Sample matching by detection dogs provides a reliable, cost-effective tool for assigning individual identities to the large sample sizes needed to address some of the most pressing problems in conservation biology.Manipulated experimentcontrolled indoor environment, USA.March 2022
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10Rutter, N.J., J.H. Mynott, T.J. Howell, A.A. Stukas, J.H. Pascoe, P.C. Bennett, and N.P. Murphy, Buzzing with possibilities: Training and olfactory generalization in conservation detection dogs for an endangered stonefly species. Aquatic conservation, 2021. 31(4): p. 984-989.To determine whether dog-handler teams can locate an endangered alpine insect in it's natural habitat and to determine whether dogs trained on one species of stonefly exhibit olfactory generalisation to a similar yet separate speciesConservation detection dogs successfully alerted in the field to the presence of numerous endagnered Apline stoneflies, including those not seen by experienced human visual surveyors. Dogs also exhibited effective olfactory generalisation, by being trained to detect a commonly occurring species and generalising this odour inthe field to that of a closely related rare species.Dog-handler teams could be considered for surveying cryptic insects in their natural environments. Furthermore, trainers could consider training detection dogs on a similar and more commonly avalible surrogate species of the intended target speceis and incorperate olfatory generalisation principles to streamline early training stages until appropriate training can be conducted on the intended species when samples are avalible (eg. once in the field). This may be particularly useful for endangered target species from whcih little training sample material is avalible. Field trialsAlpine heathland, Victoria, Australia. March 2022
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11Needs, S., E. Bennett, B. Mao, and C.E. Hauser, Do detection dogs respond differently to dried, frozen and live plant targets? Applied animal behaviour science, 2021. 236: p. 105276.To determine if dogs trained on frozen or dried samples would be able to correctly indicate on fresh live samples of an entire plant. This was to enable detection of highly invasive plant species without training on live plant material to reduce biosecurity risk. Dogs trained on dried and frozen samples of a generic daisy were able to detect live samples when exposed to them. This has implications for invasive weed testing and training for conservation dogs, reducing the biosecurity risk of using live samples of invasive plants.That dried and frozen samples provide sufficient scent matching for training dogs to detect live plant samples.Manipulated experimentControlled indoor environment, Melbourne, AustraliaMarch 2022
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12Goodwin, K.M., R.E. Engel, and D.K. Weaver, Trained dogs outperform human surveyors in the detection of rare spotted knapweed (Centaurea stoebe). Invasive Plant Science and Management, 2010. 3(2): p. 113-121.The objetives of this study were to test the hypothesis that dogs (1) detect rare spotted knapweed with equal or better accuracy than humans and (2) detect rare spotted knapweed at greater detection distances than humansDogs and humans performed similarly in detecting large infestations of spotted knapweed (94% vs 78%), however, dogs were much more accurate in successfully identifying small infestations than humans (67% vs. 34%). Dogs also detected a larger percentage of small infestations at a distance greater than 7.9m (80% vs. only 20% for humans).Monitoring should rely on multiple methods to sample populations satisfactorily and dogs will improve accuracy for small, infrequent plant which are often undersampled by humans.experimental and field based trialsDryland pasture dominated by wheatgrass. Gallitan County, near Belgrade, MT, USA.March 2022
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13Smallwood, K.S., D.A. Bell, and S. Standish, Dogs Detect Larger Wind Energy Effects on Bats and Birds. The Journal of Wildlife Management, 2020. 84(5): p. 852-864.The objectives were to compare dog versus human searches at wind turbines for their detection rates of volitionally placed trial carcasses of bats and small birds; patterns of found fatilities and cost effectiveness.Compared to human searches, dog searches resulted in fatality estimates up to 6.4 and 2.7 times higher for bats and small birds, respectively, along with higher relative precision and >90% lower cost per fatality detection.The accuracy and and precision of fatalitiy estimates at wind projects would be greatly improved by using scent-detection dogs guided by trained handlers than by traditional human searches.experimental field based trialsWind facilities, California. USAMarch 2022
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14Grimm-Seyfarth, A., A. Zarzycka, T. Nitz, L. Heynig, N. Weissheimer, S. Lampa, and R. Klenke, Performance of detection dogs and visual searches for scat detection and discrimination amongst related species with identical diets. Nature Conservation, 2019. 37(37): p. 81-98.This study evaluated the reliability and benefit of species-specific detection dogs in species monitoring using the Eurasian otter and American mink. Specifically, they systematically tested the accuracy and precision of detection dogs and humans for discrimination between related species, even when individuals were fed the same diet. Secondly, they compared relative and absolute detection abilities of dogs and humans under field conditions.Dogs were shown to be more accurate under laboratory conditions than humans in distinguishing between visually identical otter and mink scats (0.95 accuracy vs. 0.89 for expert humans, 0.72 and below for non-expert humans). More significantly, otter scat dogs found up to 4x as many scat samples in field conditions, twice as fast as human searchers. Dogs also found a broader variety of scats, whereas human finds were biased towards older, larger scats found in groups.With proper training provided, their use is highly recommended for species monitoring through scats and will significantly contribute to optimal conservation of threatened and management of conflict species.Manipulated experimentVariety of vegetation structures and pond edges, GermanyMarch 2022
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15Brook, S.M., P. van Coeverden de Groot, C. Scott, P. Boag, B. Long, R.E. Ley, G.H. Reischer, A.C. Williams, S.P. Mahood, T.M. Hien, G. Polet, N. Cox, and B.T. Hai, Integrated and novel survey methods for rhinoceros populations confirm the extinction of Rhinoceros sondaicus annamiticus from Vietnam. Biological Conservation, 2012. 155: p. 59-67.To explore the data collected from a detection dog survey for Javan rhinoceros scat, and the associated genetic analysis of the scat. Humans were able to identify and detect rhinocerous scat equally well to dogs due to the large and very visible nature of the deposits.They concluded by recommending these non-invasive survey techniques for monitoring other endangered rhinoceros populations. Field trialsLam Dong Province, VietnamMarch 2022
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16Rutter, N.J., T.J. Howell, A.A. Stukas, J.H. Pascoe, and P.C. Bennett, Diving in nose first: The influence of unfamiliar search scale and environmental context on the search performance of volunteer conservation detection dog–handler teams. Animals (Basel), 2021. 11(4): p. 1177.To track the search performance of a pool of conservation detection dogs searching in increasingly difficult search contexts before and after a period of familirisation. Highlights the importance of assessing detection dogs and their handlers as a team. Detection teams when searching in an unfamiliar context (e.g. larger search scale or complex environment) their search sensitivity reduced on average by 20%. This performance decrease is regained with trainingDog-handler teams should consider participating in familirisation training when searching in unfamiliar environments or at unfamilar search scalesField trialsControlled indoor conditions, sports field and box-ironbark woodland, Victoria, Australia March 2022
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17Bennett, E.M., C.E. Hauser, and J.L. Moore, Evaluating conservation dogs in the search for rare species. Conservation Biology, 2020. 34(2): p. 314-325.To review current literature on conservation detection dogs and suggest standard reporting language for reporting and evaluation of detection dogs. A review of the literature describing the use of dogs in conservation as well as standard reporting parameters for evaluating field performance of working conservation dogs. Includes a summary of reported costs and performance within the literature.Standard reporting of precision, sensitivity, Review NAMarch 2022
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18Jamieson, T.J., G.S. Baxter, and P.J. Murray, You Are Not My Handler! Impact of Changing Handlers on Dogs' Behaviours and Detection Performance. Animals (Basel), 2018. 8(10).Determine the impact changing dog handlers has on detection dogs performance at a discrimination task. This study determined that the detection dogs' performances significantly reduced when handled by an un-familiar handler, than with their familiar handler. The detection dogs also performed significantly more stress-related behaviours. If detection dogs are to be handled by new or multiple handlers, there must be a lengthy transition process from familiar to new handlers. Insufficient transition times are likely to reduce detection performance and increase stress. Experimental trialsOpen woodland, Queensland, Australia. March 2022
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