Author:

Abstract:

Scent detection dogs can provide a fast, reliable and non-invasive method for detection of a variety of target species for nature monitoring, offering a charismatic tool for communication. Therefore, it could be an ideal tool for the monitoring of N2000 species with a discrete lifestyle. However only limited experience is available in Europe. A volunteer program was set up where a professional scent dog trainer selected eight human-dog dyads and assisted them in scent training on different target species. We documented if the dogs could reliably detect the target species in a controlled as well as a natural setting.