REPORT FOR US. YES, NORA. SO WE ALL KNOW THAT DOGS ARE KNOWN TO BE CURIOUS CREATURES AND THEY HAVE AMAZING NOSES AND THEY LOVE TO GET INTO JUST ABOUT ANYTHING, ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE GREAT OUTDOORS. SO I HAD THE OPPORTUNITY TO LEARN HOW DOGS IN MAINE ARE USING THEIR POWERFUL SENSES TO PROTECT AGAINST PESTS. HEY, CAPTAIN. COME HERE. SIT. GOOD BOY. I WANT YOU GUYS TO MEET CAPTAIN. AND HE’S A BEAGLE MIX WHO’S BEEN TRAINED TO SNIFF OUT INVASIVE SPECIES HERE IN MAINE WITH THE ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY. AND IT ALL STARTS WITH THESE SIX WHITE BOXES. AS WE CONTINUE TO WARM OUR ENVIRONMENT WILL CREATE A HABITAT FOR INVASIVE SPECIES LIKE THE SPOTTED LANTERNFLY. IT’S KNOWN TO WREAK HAVOC BY CAUSING DETRIMENTAL DAMAGE TO 70 VARIETIES OF PLANTS AND TREES. THE SPECIES HAS ALREADY INVADED 17 STATES WITHIN THE NORTHEAST. MELISSA, A DOG BEHAVIOR CONSULTANT SPECIALIZING IN SCENT TRAINING THROUGH THE ANIMAL WELFARE SOCIETY IN KENNEBUNK, EXPLAINS THAT MAINE WILL BE NEXT. THIS INVASIVE SPECIES IS JUST DECIMATING EVERYTHING, EVERY CROP. IT TOUCHES IN ORDER TO SAVE CRITICAL AGRICULTURE WITHIN OUR STATE. MELISSA WAS SELECTED IN A MULTI-UNIVERSITY PROOF OF CONCEPT STUDY TO TRAIN THE INCREDIBLE NOSES OF SIX MAINE DOGS TO COMBAT THIS PEST AT THE ROOT, THE FIRST THING WE HAD TO DO WAS TEACH OUR DOGS WHAT FIND IT MEANS AND FIND IT MEANS TURN ON YOUR NOSE AND LOOK FOR A THING. THEY CAN FIND ANYTHING. THEIR NOSE IS LIKE SUPERMAN’S X RAY VISION. SO IF WE CAN THINK IT, THEY CAN FIND IT. CAPTAIN IS ONE OF THE MAINE SIX THAT WAS TRAINED ON THE DECEASED SPOTTER AND LANTERNFLY EGGS IN A CONTROLLED ENVIRONMENT. THE PROCESS INCLUDED HIDING THE EGGS IN BOXES, AND THE DOGS WERE REQUIRED TO IDENTIFY THEIR LOCATION AND ALERT THEIR OWNER BEFORE RECEIVING AN AWARD. WE WOULD PUT THE THE ODOR THAT WE WANT THEM TO FIND WITH THEIR REINFORCER AND THEN OVER TIME, TAKE THE REINFORCER AWAY THERE. EVENTUALLY I FIND THIS AND THEN I GET THE THING THAT I WANT. SO I’M GETTING PAID FOR FINDING IT. AFTER WEEKS OF TRAINING AND A LOT OF CHEESE STICKS, THESE DOGS CAN GO OUT AND IDENTIFY THE SPOTTED LANTERNFLIES BEFORE THEY CAUSE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE. WE CAN ALL DO OUR PART TO PROTECT MAINE FROM INVASIVE SPECIES AND SOMETIMES IT DOES INVOLVE OUR FAVORITE FOUR LEGGED FRIENDS, RIGHT, CAPTAIN? YOU WANT TO GO T
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Maine’s canine heroes using their noses for good
Dogs are being trained to protect Maine’s agriculture one sniff at a time
Updated: 10:38 AM EST Nov 24, 2024
In our beautiful state of Maine, dogs are stepping up to safeguard agriculture and the natural environment. Among them is Captain, a Beagle mix trained to detect invasive species like the notorious spotted lanternfly, which poses a significant threat to local crops and plants as climate change shifts their habitats. This innovation program leverages the extraordinary olfactory abilities of dogs in a multi-university proof-of-concept study led by scent training expert Melissa McCue-McGrath from the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk.These intelligent canines are taught to identify the scent of invasive species’ eggs hidden within six white boxes in controlled scenarios. As Melissa McCue-McGrath explains, their training focuses on turning on their noses to seek and find, thanks to their amazing noses.Engaging in this scent-training process, the dogs reward themselves by alerting their handlers to the presence of eggs, thereby earning treats for their detections. The remarkable potential of these dogs extends beyond preventing the intrusion and disruption caused by invasive species. They embody a new frontier in conservation efforts, proving that effective environmental protection can include our faithful canine companions.By leveraging their natural talents, Maine’s dogs are not just playing in the outdoors but are actively contributing to preserving it for future generations.
In our beautiful state of Maine, dogs are stepping up to safeguard agriculture and the natural environment. Among them is Captain, a Beagle mix trained to detect invasive species like the notorious spotted lanternfly, which poses a significant threat to local crops and plants as climate change shifts their habitats. This innovation program leverages the extraordinary olfactory abilities of dogs in a multi-university proof-of-concept study led by scent training expert Melissa McCue-McGrath from the Animal Welfare Society in Kennebunk.
These intelligent canines are taught to identify the scent of invasive species’ eggs hidden within six white boxes in controlled scenarios. As Melissa McCue-McGrath explains, their training focuses on turning on their noses to seek and find, thanks to their amazing noses.
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Engaging in this scent-training process, the dogs reward themselves by alerting their handlers to the presence of eggs, thereby earning treats for their detections. The remarkable potential of these dogs extends beyond preventing the intrusion and disruption caused by invasive species. They embody a new frontier in conservation efforts, proving that effective environmental protection can include our faithful canine companions.
By leveraging their natural talents, Maine’s dogs are not just playing in the outdoors but are actively contributing to preserving it for future generations.
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