The poop-hunting work benefits the dogs as well. Most of them come from animal shelters. The scientists look for dogs that are too energetic to be desirable pets. For many of the pups, it’s their last chance to find a home.
Once they make the team, the job comes naturally. A dog’s sense of smell is 10,000 times more powerful than a human’s. Eventually, the dogs learn to distinguish bear poop from bobcat poop, cougar poop from coyote poop. Well-trained dogs can even find caterpillar droppings the size of poppy seeds.
The Conservation Canines work hard, but they also get to live an active life. Most of them continue working until they’re 8 or 9 years old. By that time, they’ve calmed down. Often they get adopted by their handlers.
Then they can grow old in peace, sniffing for poop in their own backyards.