How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys

Abstract Detection dogs, specially trained domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), have become a valuable, noninvasive, conservation tool because they remove the dependence of attracting species to a particular location. Further, detection dogs locate samples independent of appearance, composition, or vis...

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Autores principales:	Karen E. DeMatteo, Linsey W. Blake, Julie K. Young, Barbara Davenport
Formato:	article
Lenguaje:	EN
Publicado:	Nature Portfolio 2018
Materias:	Detection Dogs Target Scat Coprophagy Domestic Dogs Urinary Markers Medicine R Science Q
Acceso en línea:	https://doaj.org/article/14e296f486164d859b64f46c674fb64e
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spelling	oai:doaj.org-article:14e296f486164d859b64f46c674fb64e2021-12-02T15:09:03ZHow Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys10.1038/s41598-018-32244-12045-2322https://doaj.org/article/14e296f486164d859b64f46c674fb64e2018-09-01T00:00:00Zhttps://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-018-32244-1https://doaj.org/toc/2045-2322Abstract Detection dogs, specially trained domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), have become a valuable, noninvasive, conservation tool because they remove the dependence of attracting species to a particular location. Further, detection dogs locate samples independent of appearance, composition, or visibility allowing researchers to collect large sets of unbiased samples that can be used in complex ecological queries. One question not fully addressed is why samples from nontarget species are inadvertently collected during detection dog surveys. While a common explanation has been incomplete handler or dog training, our study aimed to explore alternative explanations. Our trials demonstrate that a scat’s genetic profile can be altered by interactions of nontarget species with target scat via urine-marking, coprophagy, and moving scats with their mouths, all pathways to contamination by nontarget species’ DNA. Because detection dogs are trained to locate odor independent of masking, the collection of samples with a mixed olfactory profile (target and nontarget) is possible. These scats will likely have characteristics of target species’ scats and are therefore only discovered faulty once genetic results indicate a nontarget species. While the collection of nontarget scats will not impact research conclusions so long as samples are DNA tested, we suggest ways to minimize their collection and associated costs.Karen E. DeMatteoLinsey W. BlakeJulie K. YoungBarbara DavenportNature PortfolioarticleDetection DogsTarget ScatCoprophagyDomestic DogsUrinary MarkersMedicineRScienceQENScientific Reports, Vol 8, Iss 1, Pp 1-11 (2018)
institution	DOAJ
collection	DOAJ
language	EN
topic	Detection Dogs Target Scat Coprophagy Domestic Dogs Urinary Markers Medicine R Science Q
spellingShingle	Detection Dogs Target Scat Coprophagy Domestic Dogs Urinary Markers Medicine R Science Q Karen E. DeMatteo Linsey W. Blake Julie K. Young Barbara Davenport How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys
description	Abstract Detection dogs, specially trained domestic dogs (Canis familiaris), have become a valuable, noninvasive, conservation tool because they remove the dependence of attracting species to a particular location. Further, detection dogs locate samples independent of appearance, composition, or visibility allowing researchers to collect large sets of unbiased samples that can be used in complex ecological queries. One question not fully addressed is why samples from nontarget species are inadvertently collected during detection dog surveys. While a common explanation has been incomplete handler or dog training, our study aimed to explore alternative explanations. Our trials demonstrate that a scat’s genetic profile can be altered by interactions of nontarget species with target scat via urine-marking, coprophagy, and moving scats with their mouths, all pathways to contamination by nontarget species’ DNA. Because detection dogs are trained to locate odor independent of masking, the collection of samples with a mixed olfactory profile (target and nontarget) is possible. These scats will likely have characteristics of target species’ scats and are therefore only discovered faulty once genetic results indicate a nontarget species. While the collection of nontarget scats will not impact research conclusions so long as samples are DNA tested, we suggest ways to minimize their collection and associated costs.
format	article
author	Karen E. DeMatteo Linsey W. Blake Julie K. Young Barbara Davenport
author_facet	Karen E. DeMatteo Linsey W. Blake Julie K. Young Barbara Davenport
author_sort	Karen E. DeMatteo
title	How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys
title_short	How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys
title_full	How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys
title_fullStr	How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys
title_full_unstemmed	How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys
title_sort	how behavior of nontarget species affects perceived accuracy of scat detection dog surveys
publisher	Nature Portfolio
publishDate	2018
url	https://doaj.org/article/14e296f486164d859b64f46c674fb64e
work_keys_str_mv	AT karenedematteo howbehaviorofnontargetspeciesaffectsperceivedaccuracyofscatdetectiondogsurveys AT linseywblake howbehaviorofnontargetspeciesaffectsperceivedaccuracyofscatdetectiondogsurveys AT juliekyoung howbehaviorofnontargetspeciesaffectsperceivedaccuracyofscatdetectiondogsurveys AT barbaradavenport howbehaviorofnontargetspeciesaffectsperceivedaccuracyofscatdetectiondogsurveys
_version_	1718387921862524928

How Behavior of Nontarget Species Affects Perceived Accuracy of Scat Detection Dog Surveys

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