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Salamon A, Baranya E, Zsiros LR, Miklósi Á, Csepregi M, Kubinyi E, Andics A, Gácsi M. Success in the Natural Detection Task is influenced by only a few factors generally believed to affect dogs' olfactory performance. Sci Rep 2024; 14:12351. [PMID: 38811746 PMCID: PMC11137087 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-62957-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2024] [Accepted: 05/23/2024] [Indexed: 05/31/2024] Open
Abstract
Research into dogs' olfactory ability is growing rapidly. However, generalising based on scientific results is challenging, because research has been typically conducted on a few specially trained subjects of a few breeds tested in different environmental conditions. We investigated the effects of temperature and humidity (outdoors), age, test location, sex, neutering status, and repeated testing (outdoors and indoors) on the olfactory performance of untrained family dogs (N = 411) of various breeds. We employed the Natural Detection Task with three difficulty levels, from which we derived two performance metrics: Top Level and Success Score. Temperature (0-25 °C) and humidity (18-90%) did not affect olfactory performance. Young adult dogs surpassed other age groups in reaching the Top Level. Sex and neutering status showed no discernible influence on Top Level and Success Score. Dogs performed better in both metrics when tested indoors compared to outdoors. In the test-retest procedure no significant learning effect was observed. We confirmed on untrained companion dogs that olfactory performance declines with age and rejected some factors that have been previously hypothesised to significantly affect dogs' olfactory success. The influence of the testing environment was notable, emphasising the need to consider various factors in understanding dogs' olfactory capabilities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Attila Salamon
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary.
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary.
- Hungarian Ethology Foundation, Göd, Hungary.
| | - Eszter Baranya
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - László Róbert Zsiros
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Ádám Miklósi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Melitta Csepregi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Doctoral School of Biology, Institute of Biology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Enikő Kubinyi
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- MTA-ELTE Lendület "Momentum" Companion Animal Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Attila Andics
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Neuroethology of Communication Lab, Department of Ethology, Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Márta Gácsi
- HUN-REN-ELTE Comparative Ethology Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- ELTE NAP Canine Brain Research Group, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Ethology, ELTE Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest, Hungary
- Hungarian Ethology Foundation, Göd, Hungary
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2
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Turunen S, Paavilainen S, Vepsäläinen J, Hielm-Björkman A. Scent Detection Threshold of Trained Dogs to Eucalyptus Hydrolat. Animals (Basel) 2024; 14:1083. [PMID: 38612322 PMCID: PMC11010826 DOI: 10.3390/ani14071083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/26/2024] [Revised: 03/25/2024] [Accepted: 04/02/2024] [Indexed: 04/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Dogs' (Canis lupus familiaris) sense of smell is based on a unique anatomy and physiology that enables them to find and differentiate low concentrations of odor molecules. This ability is exploited when dogs are trained as search, rescue, or medical detection dogs. We performed a three-part study to explore the scent detection threshold of 15 dogs to an in-house-made Eucalyptus hydrolat. Here, decreasing concentrations of the hydrolat were tested using a three-alternative forced-choice method until the first incorrect response, which defined the limit of scent detection for each tested dog. Quantitative proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy was used to identify and measure the contents of ten commercial Eucalyptus hydrolats, which are used in a dog scent training sport called "nose work". In this study, the dogs' limit of detection initially ranged from 1:104 to 1:1023 but narrowed down to 1:1017-1:1021 after a training period. The results show that, with training, dogs learn to discriminate decreasing concentrations of a target scent, and that dogs can discriminate Eucalyptus hydrolat at very low concentrations. We also detected different concentrations of eucalyptol and lower alcohols in the hydrolat products and highlight the importance of using an identical source of a scent in training a dog for participation in canine scent sport competitions and in olfactory research.
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Affiliation(s)
- Soile Turunen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (S.T.); (J.V.)
| | - Susanna Paavilainen
- Wise Nose-Finnish Odor Separation Association, 00790 Helsinki, Finland;
- Nose Academy Ltd., 70780 Kuopio, Finland
| | - Jouko Vepsäläinen
- School of Pharmacy, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Eastern Finland, 70211 Kuopio, Finland; (S.T.); (J.V.)
| | - Anna Hielm-Björkman
- DogRisk Research Group, Department of Equine and Small Animal Medicine, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Helsinki, 00014 Helsinki, Finland
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Mejia D, Burnett L, Hebdon N, Stevens P, Shiber A, Cranston C, DeGreeff L, Waldrop LD. Physical properties of odorants affect behavior of trained detection dogs during close-quarters searches. Sci Rep 2024; 14:4843. [PMID: 38418891 PMCID: PMC10902392 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-55323-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/18/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2024] [Indexed: 03/02/2024] Open
Abstract
Trained detection dogs have a unique ability to find the sources of target odors in complex fluid environments. How dogs derive information about the source of an odor from an odor plume comprised of odorants with different physical properties, such as diffusivity, is currently unknown. Two volatile chemicals associated with explosive detection, ammonia (NH3, derived from ammonium nitrate-based explosives) and 2-ethyl-1-hexanol (2E1H, associated with composition C4 plastic explosives) were used to ascertain the effects of the physical properties of odorants on the search behavior and motion of trained dogs. NH3 has a diffusivity 3.6 times that of 2E1H. Fourteen civilian detection dogs were recruited to train on each target odorant using controlled odor mimic permeation systems as training aids over 6 weeks and then tested in a controlled-environment search trial where behavior, motion, and search success were analyzed. Our results indicate the target-odorant influences search motion and time spent in the stages of searching, with dogs spending more time in larger areas while localizing NH3. This aligns with the greater diffusivity of NH3 driving diffusion-dominated odor transport when dogs are close to the odor source in contrast to the advection-driven transport of 2E1H at the same distances.
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Affiliation(s)
- Daniel Mejia
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Lydia Burnett
- Global Forensic and Justice Center and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Nicholas Hebdon
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | | | - Alexis Shiber
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Clay Cranston
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA
| | - Lauryn DeGreeff
- Global Forensic and Justice Center and Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry, Florida International University, Miami, FL, 33199, USA
| | - Lindsay D Waldrop
- Schmid College of Science and Technology, Chapman University, Orange, CA, 92866, USA.
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Martin C, Malević M, Diederich C, Verheggen F. Copycatting the smell of death: Deciphering the role of cadaveric scent components used by detection dogs to locate human remains. J Forensic Sci 2023. [PMID: 37183668 DOI: 10.1111/1556-4029.15277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2023] [Revised: 03/28/2023] [Accepted: 04/28/2023] [Indexed: 05/16/2023]
Abstract
Human remains detection dogs (HRDD) are commonly used by law enforcement agencies to search for cadavers. Biological material is typically used as a training stimulus, also called aids, to train dogs to recognize the smell of cadavers. While HRDD training approaches have received extensive attention, information remains limited on the olfactory cues used to train them. Here, we aimed to decipher the chemical basis of detection dog olfaction. Five specific objectives were explored to precise whether the composition or the concentration of the training aids drives the HRDDs responses. We recorded the behavioral responses of four HRDDs exposed to different cadaveric-like smells. We found that HRDDs recognized a simplified synthetic aid composed of cadaveric compounds. The lowest concentration at which HRDDs continued to perceive the cadaveric smell was determined. HRDDs were not impacted by slight modifications to the chemical composition of a blend of odors that they have been trained with. HRDDs associated sulfur and nitrogen compounds as human cadaver. Our findings highlight a lack of specificity of HRDDs to cadaveric compounds, which could lead to error of detection. Moreover, all dogs did not positively respond to the same blends, despite being trained with the same aids and procedure. However, we confirmed that dogs could be trained with a simplified blend of molecules. The chemical composition of a training aid has, therefore, high consequences on the performance of the trained animal, and this conclusion opens additional questions regarding olfaction-based detection animals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Clément Martin
- Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, TERRA, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Marta Malević
- Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, TERRA, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
| | - Claire Diederich
- Namur Research Institute for Life Sciences (NARILIS), University of Namur, Namur, Belgium
| | - François Verheggen
- Chemical and Behavioral Ecology, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, TERRA, University of Liège, Gembloux, Belgium
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Gallegos SF, Aviles-Rosa EO, DeChant MT, Hall NJ, Prada-Tiedemann PA. Explosive Odor Signature Profiling: A Review of recent advances in technical analysis and detection. Forensic Sci Int 2023; 347:111652. [PMID: 37019070 DOI: 10.1016/j.forsciint.2023.111652] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2022] [Revised: 03/22/2023] [Accepted: 03/23/2023] [Indexed: 03/31/2023]
Abstract
With the ever-increasing threat of improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and homemade explosives (HME) both domestically and abroad, detection of explosives and explosive related materials is an area of urgent importance for preventing terrorist activities around the globe. Canines are a common biological detector used in explosive detection due to their enhanced olfactory abilities, high mobility, efficient standoff sampling, and optimal identification of vapor sources. While other sensors based on different principles have emerged, an important concept for the rapid field detection of explosives is understanding key volatile organic compounds (VOCs) associated with these materials. Explosive detection technology needs to be on par with a large number of threats including an array of explosive materials as well as novel chemicals used in the manufacture of IEDs. Within this much needed area of research for law enforcement and homeland security applications, several studies have sought to understand the explosive odor profile from a range of materials. This review aims to provide a foundational overview of these studies to provide a summary of instrumental analysis to date on the various types of explosive odor profiles evaluated focusing on the experimental approaches and laboratory techniques utilized in the chemical characterization of explosive vapors and mixtures. By expanding upon these concepts, a greater understanding of the explosive vapor signature can be achieved, providing for enhanced chemical and biological sensing of explosive threats as well as expanding upon existing laboratory-based models for continued sensor development.
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Narayanasamy SS, Chong E, Abdul Aziz S, Visscher W, Abdul Jaafar SZ, Reuben Clements G. Hide‐and‐sniff: can anti‐trafficking dogs detect obfuscated wildlife parts? CONSERVATION SCIENCE AND PRACTICE 2023. [DOI: 10.1111/csp2.12886] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/31/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Sai Sanggkeeth Narayanasamy
- Rimba, Casa Kiara 2 Jalan Kiara 5 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia
- Justice for Wildlife Malaysia Le Chateau2, Lorong Syed Putra Kiri off Syed Putra Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia
| | - Erin Chong
- Rimba, Casa Kiara 2 Jalan Kiara 5 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia
| | - Sheema Abdul Aziz
- Rimba, Casa Kiara 2 Jalan Kiara 5 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia
| | | | - Syed Zafarullah Abdul Jaafar
- Malaysian Aviation Group, Administration Building, Southern Support Zone Kuala Lumpur International Airport Sepang Malaysia
| | - Gopalasamy Reuben Clements
- Rimba, Casa Kiara 2 Jalan Kiara 5 Kuala Lumpur Wilayah Persekutuan Malaysia
- Department of Biological Sciences, School of Medical and Life Sciences, and Sunway Centre for Planetary Health Sunway University No. 5, Jalan Universiti Bandar Sunway Selangor Malaysia
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Klapec DJ, Czarnopys G, Pannuto J. Interpol review of the analysis and detection of explosives and explosives residues. Forensic Sci Int Synerg 2023; 6:100298. [PMID: 36685733 PMCID: PMC9845958 DOI: 10.1016/j.fsisyn.2022.100298] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Douglas J. Klapec
- Arson and Explosives Section I, United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Forensic Science Laboratory, 6000 Ammendale Road, Ammendale, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Greg Czarnopys
- Forensic Services, United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Forensic Science Laboratory, 6000 Ammendale Road, Ammendale, MD, 20705, USA
| | - Julie Pannuto
- United States Department of Justice, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Forensic Science Laboratory, 6000 Ammendale Road, Ammendale, MD, 20705, USA
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8
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Gastrophysics for pets: Tackling the growing problem of overweight/obese dogs. Appl Anim Behav Sci 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.applanim.2022.105765] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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9
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Mörén L, Bergström F, Brantlind M, Wingfors H. Rapid changes in profiles from stored materials used in scent training of explosive detection dogs. Sci Justice 2022; 62:657-665. [DOI: 10.1016/j.scijus.2022.10.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Revised: 10/02/2022] [Accepted: 10/15/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
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10
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Aviles-Rosa EO, Fernandez LS, Collins-Pisano C, Prada-Tiedemann PA, Hall NJ. The use of an intermittent schedule of reinforcement to evaluate detection dogs’ generalization from smokeless-powder. Anim Cogn 2022; 25:1609-1620. [DOI: 10.1007/s10071-022-01648-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/24/2022] [Revised: 06/08/2022] [Accepted: 06/09/2022] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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Gallegos S, Aviles-Rosa EO, Hall NJ, PradaTiedemann PA. Headspace Sampling of Smokeless Powder Odor in a Dynamic Airflow Context. Forensic Chem 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.forc.2022.100402] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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