BREEZE- The DPI DDT Detective Dog
This is Breeze and she detects DDT in the ground...a very important job as DDT is banned worldwide and this dog if an area is suspect detects the soil which is collect and taken to a lab for confirmation. Beef cattle and crops are not to be grown in areas with a DDT level. DDT would transfer into the meat of a beef animal or the milk of a dairy animal.
She scratches madly if she detects the chemical and Floyd if he detects the bug buried in the ground drops to the ground with the bug between his front legs buried.
Dogs are something else....
posted by Lizzie's Insomnia at
4:15 PM
4 Comments:
Got more details on Breeze? Where does she work? What country?
Interesting story, but it leaves me wanting to know more.
I saw a demonstration yesterday and she works for the Queensland Government, Department of Primary Industries and Fisheries in Australia.
Until yesterday I did not know that these dogs trained in this area existed. The handler said that the labrador was the most suited for the job..had tried a border collie but was distracted when cattle or sheep were present as the herding instinct was greater than the play instinct......The dogs are selected on their confidence, and enjoying play and the play is the key to the training. The handlers take the dogs at seven weeks of age.
The dogs are only trained to detect one chemical or insect...In Breeze's case she was the DDT dog and where she was scratching the DDT level was one part per million.
Floyd was trained to detect an insect pest in crops which I know began with helio* as was trying to take it all in. Amazing animals.......
They certainly are amazing. One part in a million!!!
I love dogs but can't have one until we stop travelling and I'm not fussed on picking up their mess.
Good Morning Ed,
I enjoyed reading your informative and thought provoking posts, particularly appreciate Stephen Weinberg's quote.
Regards,
lizzie B.
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