The effect of feeding enrichment upon reported working ability and behavior of kenneled working dogs

It is widely recommended that kenneled dogs are provided with environmental enrichment such as toys or feeding devices. However, the adoption of enrichment for military working dogs is impeded by a widespread belief that it reduces their motivation to work. Handlers of 22 working German Shepherd dogs were asked to rate their dogs on 11 attributes pertaining to working ability, related behavioral traits, and health. Eight of the dogs were then provided with daily feeding enrichment for 4 months, while the remainder were given equivalent human attention. The same 11 traits were scored again following the enrichment period: 10 changed little over the period while handlers' reports of their dogs' Ability to learn from being rewarded increased significantly. Changes for all attributes were virtually identical in enriched and control dogs. We conclude that if correctly managed, feeding enrichment can be introduced to kenneled working dogs without any reported detrimental effects upon working ability, health, or behavior.     

Vicious dogs part 2: criminal thinking, callousness, and personality styles of their owners

Every year over 885,000 dog bites require serious medical attention. Based on human injury and insurance claims, six dog breeds were designated as "vicious" (Akitas, Chows, Dobermans, Pit Bulls, Rottweilers, and Wolf-mixes). This study was conducted to expand on previous research examining antisocial tendencies and personality styles of people choosing to own vicious breeds. Seven hundred and fifty-four college students completed a questionnaire assessing type of dog owned, criminal thinking, callousness, personality, alcohol usage, and deviant lifestyle behaviors. Vicious dog owners reported significantly higher criminal thinking, entitlement, sentimentality, and superoptimism tendencies. Vicious dog owners were arrested, engaged in physical fights, and used marijuana significantly more than other dog owners. However, the homogeneous sample utilized could impact the generalizability of these findings. Choosing to own a vicious dog may be a "thin slice" indicator of more antisocial tendencies.     

Rapid changes in profiles from stored materials used in scent training of explosive detection dogs

Canines trained on scents from materials emitting vapours of explosives and related compounds are widely used to detect explosives in civilian, military and forensic applications. Despite the importance of these training materials, there is limited knowledge on how long these subsamples can be stored and whether vapour profiles change over time. We developed a sampling methodology that makes use of a secondary chamber for stabilisation of headspace concentration to allow reliable and reproducible determination of scent profiles. The effect of aging was investigated by following the response of volatile markers emitted from eight common explosives in open and closed containers over two months or two years. The initial headspace air volume consisted of a wide variety of chemical substances related to explosives, with levels varying in magnitude from low ppb to ppm. All included subsamples were affected by aging by demonstrating exponentially lower levels, and five subsamples showed a significant change in their scent profile. The dominant components decreased on a short time scale for plastic explosives based on RDX, PETN and dynamite as well as for granules of octol and ammonium nitrate mixed with fuel. For flakes of TNT, granules of Comp B and nitrocellulose powder, headspace air concentrations declined, but the overall character of their profiles were in general more stable. The overall changes, i.e., lower levels and/or changed profiles, justifies regular checks of the scent status of training materials. Considering these results together with data displaying marginal changes in energetic performance, it is advisable to complement scent training with training materials subjected to different durations of aging.     

谈警犬使用的内容及条件

警犬使用是公安机关打击和预防犯罪的一种特殊的技术手段。在警务活动中的应用是作为一种工具、一种装备或一种武器出现。随着犯罪现场条件的不断复杂化,警犬使用的条件受到诸多限制,但与此同时,其使用范围不断拓宽,随着警犬技术的不断发展和完善,警犬使用内容将日益丰富。     

Identification of decomposition volatile organic compounds from surface-deposited and submerged porcine remains

Cadaver dogs are routinely used internationally by police and civilian search organisations to locate human remains on land and in water, yet little is currently known about the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that are released by a cadaver underwater; how this compares to those given off by a cadaver deposited on land; and ultimately, how this affects the detection of drowned victims by dogs. The aim of this study was to identify the VOCs released by whole porcine (Sus scrofa domesticus) cadavers deposited on the surface and submerged in water using solid phase microextraction gas chromatography mass spectrometry (SPME GC–MS) to ascertain if there are notable differences in decomposition odour depending on the deposition location.For the first time in the UK, the volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from the headspace of decomposing porcine cadavers deposited in both terrestrial and water environments have been detected and identified using SPME-GCMS, including thirteen new VOCs not previously detected from porcine cadavers. Distinct differences were found between the VOCs emitted by porcine cadavers in terrestrial and water environments. In total, seventy-four VOCs were identified from a variety of different chemical classes; carboxylic acids, alcohols, aromatics, aldehydes, ketones, hydrocarbons, esters, ethers, nitrogen compounds and sulphur compounds. Only forty-one VOCs were detected in the headspace of the submerged pigs with seventy detected in the headspace of the surface-deposited pigs. These deposition-dependent differences have important implications for the training of cadaver dogs in the UK. If dog training does not account for these depositional differences, there is potential for human remains to be missed.Whilst the specific odours that elicit a trained response from cadaver dogs remain unknown, this research means that recommendations can be made for the training of cadaver dogs to incorporate different depositions, to account for odour differences and mitigate the possibility of missed human remains operationally.     

A Case of Accidental Fatal Aluminum Phosphide Poisoning Involving Humans and Dogs

Aluminum phosphide is one of the commonest poisons encountered in agricultural areas, and manner of death in the victims is often suicidal and rarely homicidal or accidental. This paper presents an unusual case, where two humans (owner and housemaid) and eight dogs were found dead in the morning hours inside a room of a house, used as shelter for stray dogs. There was allegation by the son of the owner that his father had been killed. Crime scene visit by forensic pathologists helped to collect vital evidence. Autopsies of both the human victims and the dogs were conducted. Toxicological analysis of viscera, vomitus, leftover food, and chemical container at the crime scene tested positive for aluminum phosphide. The cause of death in both humans and dogs was aluminum phosphide poisoning. Investigation by police and the forensic approach to the case helped in ascertaining the manner of death, which was accidental.     

Necropsy Findings in Dogs that Died During Grooming or other Pet Service Procedures

Procedures involved in grooming, bathing, and other pet services can often lead animals to death. Of the necropsies of 1391 animals carried out at a private diagnostic laboratory in Sao Paulo, Brazil from 2004 to 2009, 94 were dogs that died during the above‐mentioned procedures. Young male dogs and small breeds like Poodle Miniature, Yorkshire Terrier, and Lhasa Apso were most frequently observed. Blunt‐force trauma was responsible for the deaths of 31% of the animals, with a higher incidence of trauma to the head, characterized chiefly by fractures and nervous tissue lesions. In the other 69% of cases, the animals showed signs of stress, and died due to pulmonary edema and hemorrhage. As we cannot rule out the intentional character in some situations, this article provides veterinary forensic support for veterinarians and pet owners, especially in lawsuits, helping in finding the cause of animal's death in such pet services.     

关于缉毒犬训练“五步教学法”的研究

缉毒犬作为一项查缉毒品的有效技术手段 ,在当前日趋严峻的禁毒斗争形式下 ,越来越发挥出不可替代的重要作用。为了使警犬缉毒教学训练更趋合理化、规范化、科学化 ,文章提出了缉毒犬训练的“五步教学法”。其特点 :1 突破传统、大胆创新、贴近实战 ;2 以人为本、重在训犬 ;3 讲究设计、注重效果 ;4 打牢基础、突出转化 ;5 严格实施、体现量化。     

The Effects of Soil Texture on the Ability of Human Remains Detection Dogs to Detect Buried Human Remains

Despite technological advances, human remains detection (HRD) dogs still remain one of the best tools for locating clandestine graves. However, soil texture may affect the escape of decomposition gases and therefore the effectiveness of HDR dogs. Six nationally credentialed HRD dogs (three HRD only and three cross‐trained) were evaluated on novel buried human remains in contrasting soils, a clayey and a sandy soil. Search time and accuracy were compared for the clayey soil and sandy soil to assess odor location difficulty. Sandy soil (p < 0.001) yielded significantly faster trained response times, but no significant differences were found in performance accuracy between soil textures or training method. Results indicate soil texture may be significant factor in odor detection difficulty. Prior knowledge of soil texture and moisture may be useful for search management and planning. Appropriate adjustments to search segment sizes, sweep widths and search time allotment depending on soil texture may optimize successful detection.     

A dog in the fight

Holly Hughes’ “A Dog in the Fight” is a queer and feminist literary performance that models a feminist politics of performance that stands as alternative to performances of power that come from the officially anointed space of politics. In this piece, Hughes meditates on the queer relationship between US Presidents and their faithful companions, their dogs. Refusing to jump through the “ceiling” to get into the White House, Hughes offers critique of power from her own couch, recounting her hopes and disappointments in the young Obama administration, while forcing a hated former leader (George W. Bush) from the White House into her performance space as she offers up both a critique of his politics and admits to an uncomfortable affiliation with his love of dogs. What emerges from this performance is a critical call to continue an engagement with struggles for social justice from the fecund and powerful places that exist outside of the authorized institutions of politics, no matter what women and men take up positions within these institutions.