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Poop Detectives: Working Dogs in the Field
How can dogs that sniff for excrement, urine, vomit, and mucus help protect animals from extinction?
In the race to save endangered animals, finding solutions now is critical. Scat-detection dogs like Wicket, Tucker, and Orbee are conservation heroes and pioneers in a cutting-edge field of science. Canine detectives use their super sense of smell to locate the scat of target animals. From loose bear dung to gooey whale poop, scat can tell scientists valuable information about an animal’s sex, age, diet, and health—all without harming the animal or endangering the researcher.
In the race to save endangered animals, finding solutions now is critical. Scat-detection dogs like Wicket, Tucker, and Orbee are conservation heroes and pioneers in a cutting-edge field of science. Canine detectives use their super sense of smell to locate the scat of target animals. From loose bear dung to gooey whale poop, scat can tell scientists valuable information about an animal’s sex, age, diet, and health—all without harming the animal or endangering the researcher.
80 pages, Hardcover
Published October 11, 2016
5 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
October 14, 2018
Got a primer on the newest job for working dogs: poop detection. Those crazy, energetic dogs whose owners turn them over to shelters because the dogs are "untrainable" become the best candidates for detective work. Obsessively focused dogs have just the right traits for finding a Burmese python hiding in the Everglades (pet owners, pythons get really big and destructive in the wild) or tracking down a poacher's steel trap in Africa. Kudos for Ms. Wadsworth for writing a book about poop (a subject kids always find fascinating), tireless and priceless dogs, and the dedicated handlers who raise and train them. Conservation of threatened and endangered species just got some seriously successful heroes on its side.
June 9, 2021
Poop Detectives is aimed at the middle grade crowd but as an adult reader, I absolutely loved it. Everyone has probably seen the sniffer dogs at airports and ferry terminals. This book focuses on dogs whose job it is to sniff out more unusual things. Dogs have been trained to sniff out wildlife feces on land, whale feces in the ocean, turtle eggs, owls, snakes, bugs and have been used to help with wildlife research and conservation all over the world. It's much less risky for wild animals to analyze their scat than tranquilize them to take samples. Some dogs have learned to differentiate between over kinds of wildlife poop. The canine olfactory sense is wonderful thing. What's wonderful is a lot of the dogs who work as Conservation Canines are rescued from shelters and humane societies. They have often been rejected as pets because they are too energetic for most households, but they're very happy to spend a day running in the wilderness or on a boat, sniffing out poop. This book is of interest to anyone teaching biology, those who want to study wildlife and kids who are interested in dogs, wildlife and poop. It's just fascinating.
January 16, 2018
Excellent science nonfiction for a middle grade audience. Fascinating information and of course the stars of the book are irresistible. Who would have guessed that whale poop can be located by the talented nose of a slightly seasick dog?
Wonderful photography adds so much appeal but the science is excellent. Explains why a dog is such an asset for wildlife biologists, why the scientists are eager to locate poop and what it tells them, the types of animals and even plants the dogs track, and the happy retirement the various dogs settle into when their sniffing days are done. Glossary, sources, a bibliography and a really interesting page showing what equipment a scientist with a sniffer dog takes along.
Love the cover ;-)
Wonderful photography adds so much appeal but the science is excellent. Explains why a dog is such an asset for wildlife biologists, why the scientists are eager to locate poop and what it tells them, the types of animals and even plants the dogs track, and the happy retirement the various dogs settle into when their sniffing days are done. Glossary, sources, a bibliography and a really interesting page showing what equipment a scientist with a sniffer dog takes along.
Love the cover ;-)
October 31, 2019
I was looking at some cookbooks for dogs (you know, making your dog cookies that are ridiculously expensive and a huge pain but they love them!) when I saw the title Poop Detectives on the same shelf. I had to know. I just had to know.
A great book that discusses some of the dogs that go out into the field to search for scents. In this case, many of the dogs are searching for different types of scat. Searching for bear scat in bear territory seems terrifying! But there are even dogs that seek out whale poop floating in the ocean before it sinks. Wow!!!
Really informative, with lots of photos, and definitely worth a glance!
A great book that discusses some of the dogs that go out into the field to search for scents. In this case, many of the dogs are searching for different types of scat. Searching for bear scat in bear territory seems terrifying! But there are even dogs that seek out whale poop floating in the ocean before it sinks. Wow!!!
Really informative, with lots of photos, and definitely worth a glance!
May 9, 2017
An interesting overview of what working dogs do and how they can help in animal conservation efforts. Most people know about drug sniffing dogs, so it's interesting to learn the other ways dogs' noses have been put to use, and kids who like gross stuff will love that this focuses on dogs sniffing poop! A good booktalk book, and a good choice for animal and dog lovers, conservationists, and kids who like a tiny bit of grossness in their reading.
September 26, 2021
A great introduction to ways dogs are helping study and save endangered species (bears, whales, turtles, orcas, owls, weasels, tigers, etc); finding invasive species (eg, Burmese pythons in Florida) and pests (eg, one dog searched the equivalent of 16 football fields in a vineyard in an hour, and found an invasive mealybug 1/8 of an inch long)!
There’s also interesting info about how trainers find just the right dogs for the job (it helps if they’re obsessed with toys).
There’s also interesting info about how trainers find just the right dogs for the job (it helps if they’re obsessed with toys).
October 22, 2017
4 1/2 stars. Stories about individual dogs tell the story of a new branch of conservation in which dogs use their excellent sense of smell to help biologists preserve the natural environment. Compelling and sure to be of interest to animal lovers.
December 25, 2017
Informative and fun read! Very smart, energetic dogs are chosen to do special poop detection work which environmental groups use to help protect endangered species, as well as remove invasive species from areas they do not belong in.
September 15, 2020
This is super interesting book about dogs who are trained to find specific types of poop for scientist. It details the training of the dogs, as well as what they hunt for. Great photos, and a topic most kids will laugh at but also find interesting.
August 29, 2022
Loved this book, which is probably shelved in the children's section, but is scientific. Lovely, large pictures of the dogs involved. This is a new, non-invasive way of determining information about animals in the wild without their capture.
December 15, 2017
Fantastic story behind this eye-catching cover and attention-grabbing, giggle-inducing title!
April 7, 2019
A magnificent book! Stories to be shared with readers of all ages.
July 17, 2020
Middle-grade nonfiction. I liked how it went into how the dogs are trained, in addition to all of the science they support in the field.
March 6, 2017
Great non-fiction science book for kids. Mention poop to middle schoolers? They'll read it!
February 20, 2017
Amazing!! I learned so much about working dogs, science, scent and tracking.
November 6, 2016
Wadsworth, Ginger Poop Detectives : Working Dogs in the Field, NON FICTION 80 pgs. Charlesbridge, 2016. $17.95. Content: G.
For years, ecologists and animal scientists have studied threatened/endangered animals and their environment by capturing them, examining them and then setting them free. This is dangerous for both the animal subject and the scientists, so, in the mid 1980s, the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington began examining animal scat (poop) instead. But it takes people a long time to locate and collect it, so some drug sniffing dogs were retrained to find scat instead, and a new safer, more accurate, and quicker animal study began!
This beautifully photographed story of several of the amazing dogs in the program who help find everything from grizzly bear scat to snakes, to turtle eggs, even whale poop! Complete with index, bibliography and captioned pictures on every page this action packed informational book about animal poop and the dogs who find it is a great addition to your library’s dog or science section.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL Lisa Librarian
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
For years, ecologists and animal scientists have studied threatened/endangered animals and their environment by capturing them, examining them and then setting them free. This is dangerous for both the animal subject and the scientists, so, in the mid 1980s, the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington began examining animal scat (poop) instead. But it takes people a long time to locate and collect it, so some drug sniffing dogs were retrained to find scat instead, and a new safer, more accurate, and quicker animal study began!
This beautifully photographed story of several of the amazing dogs in the program who help find everything from grizzly bear scat to snakes, to turtle eggs, even whale poop! Complete with index, bibliography and captioned pictures on every page this action packed informational book about animal poop and the dogs who find it is a great addition to your library’s dog or science section.
EL, MS - ESSENTIAL Lisa Librarian
http://kissthebook.blogspot.com/2016/...
October 31, 2016
For years, ecologists and animal scientists have studied threatened/endangered animals and their environment by capturing them, examining them and then setting them free. This is dangerous for both the animal subject and the scientists, so, in the mid 1980s, the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington began examining animal scat (poop) instead. But it takes people a long time to locate and collect it, so some drug sniffing dogs were retrained to find scat instead, and a new safer, more accurate, and quicker animal study began!
This beautifully photographed story of several of the amazing dogs in the program who help find everything from grizzly bear scat to snakes, to turtle eggs, even whale poop! Complete with index, bibliography and captioned pictures on every page this action packed informational book about animal poop and the dogs who find it is a great addition to your library’s dog or science section.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
This beautifully photographed story of several of the amazing dogs in the program who help find everything from grizzly bear scat to snakes, to turtle eggs, even whale poop! Complete with index, bibliography and captioned pictures on every page this action packed informational book about animal poop and the dogs who find it is a great addition to your library’s dog or science section.
Cross posted to http://kissthebook.blogspot.com CHECK IT OUT!
January 18, 2017
While poop is not something that I normally like to read about, I found this book fascinating. Poop Detectives explores the use of trained dogs to track wild animals through there scat (droppings). Instead of catching and tagging animals which can be risky and invasive, this method allows scientists to gather information without disturbing the wild animals as much. The book details the sorts of dogs that are chosen for this specialized training, emphasizing the need for dogs with high energy levels as well as well-loved treats or activities with which they can be rewarded. The book goes on to discuss how the dogs are trained, giving examples of specific dogs, trainers, and organizations. The rest of the book shares real-life examples of scientists and their dogs and the work they do. I really enjoyed reading about the work these animals and scientists do that contributes to conservation work and taking care of the world around us.
November 14, 2016
I'm an avowed dog-lover with a longstanding admiration for their intelligence and natural talents. As I've known people who work extensively with dogs doing "nose work", I came to this thinking it would cover familiar territory, which it did. But it far exceeded my expectations, offering accessible science foundations to explain the amazing things dogs can do, and presenting numerous examples of careers involving dogs. The underlying theme, too, is that dogs provide invaluable services to our communities and are natural partners with humans.
February 4, 2017
I love this book about dogs that may be too rambunctious for most households but are perfect scat detectives. It's heartwarming to discover that these smart dogs are being rescued from animal shelters to help scientists in the field. Amazingly, some dogs can sniff out orca poop, vine mealybugs, sea turtle eggs, and pythons; some can identify and find over 26 different scents! Color photos on every page enhance the text. Grades 3-5
October 25, 2016
This book is for dog lovers and those concerned about endangered animals. Scientists are using dogs to find animal scat to determine how many endangered animals are in the wild. They can also determine what the animals are eating and if they are healthy. Dogs have even been used to find whale poop. This book is educational and entertaining. I liked the poop font.
June 28, 2016
Fascinated about how these dogs were rescued, trained and put into service.
April 13, 2017
Staff Pick
Heather
Who would have thought that hunting for poop could be so important? These trained dogs sniff out the poop of all different animals so biologists can study them without having to disturb the creatures. It's amazing what these dogs can do!
Heather
Who would have thought that hunting for poop could be so important? These trained dogs sniff out the poop of all different animals so biologists can study them without having to disturb the creatures. It's amazing what these dogs can do!
December 29, 2017
There is a section at the end honoring the detection dogs who have died.
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March 8, 2018"2018 Bentonville Schools Battle of the Books"
This was not the kind of book I thought it was going to be when I picked it up to read, but all in all turned out to be a pretty fascinating book. I knew there were working dogs who could sniff our drug, weapons and cadavers..... but different types of poop? This book gave me a whole new perspective on how we use our canine friends to help the world around us.
This was not the kind of book I thought it was going to be when I picked it up to read, but all in all turned out to be a pretty fascinating book. I knew there were working dogs who could sniff our drug, weapons and cadavers..... but different types of poop? This book gave me a whole new perspective on how we use our canine friends to help the world around us.
June 10, 2018
With the word "poop" in the title, it's sure to be a hit. The book explains why these specially trained dogs are important, and how they are chosen and trained. There are bios and photos of real working dogs in the field detecting scat, invasive insects, turtle eggs, and Burmese pythons.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews