Can Dogs Smell Cancer ?

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Can Dogs Smell Cancer ?

• By Carolina Kidwell Bozeman and
  Charlene Kormondy

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Why Dogs?

• Dogs Scientists
• Scientists, professional dog trainers, and
  doctors have not, until recently, worked together
• Work together to take advantage of extreme sense
  of smell to detect diseases.
• Machines
• Not known how good relative to the dog
• Lack flexibility of dog (e.g., dealing with
  unpredictable distractor odors).

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Dog sense of smell
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Stormy and Rebel
Stormy

• Stormy is a four year old Standard Schnauzer
• Stormy is a well trained show dog
• He has earned several AKC dog show titles
• Champion - appearance
• CD (companion dog) - obedience level 1
• CDX (companion dog excellence) - obedience level
  2
• Working on UD (Utility) - obedience level 3
• He is in the Working dog group

Rebel

• He Rebel is two years old Small Munsterlander
  Pointer
• is currently working on his basic obedience
  training
• He is in the Versatile dog group (Wetland,
  Upland, Companion, Tracking)
• He is true to his name He is a Rebel!

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Equipment

• MIRAN device that tells odor concentration
• PT Permeation tube constant source
• PUMP moves air through MIRAN
• Rate of change in concentration (in this closed
  system) tells PT release rate.

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Training
BlackOutside YellowInside Lab

1. Retrieve PVC Retrieval Tube
2. Hide and seek to locate odor
3. Pick out odor retrieval tubes from blank tubes
4. Pick odor from distracting smells using coffee
   cans with door flap
5. Pick odor from laboratory boxes with door flaps

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Movie
Dog trial 1
Dog trial 2
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Week 2 training
Test Coffee Cans Test Coffee Cans Test Coffee Cans
1 Stormy. - - x 1,2,3,4 , 1,2,3 Y
2 Stormy. x - - - 1,2,3,4 , 1 Y
3 Stormy. - - - x 1,2,3,4 Y
4 Rebel. - - - x 1,2,3,4 Y
5 Rebel. - x - - 1,2,3,4 , 1,2 Y
6 Rebel. - x - - 1,2 Y
7 Rebel. - - - x 1,2,3,4 Lids Y
8 Rebel. - - x - 1,2,3,4 , 1,2,3,4 , 1,2,3 Lids Y
9 Rebel. - x - - 1,2,3,4 , 1,2 Lids Y
Test PVC Find Area Search Test PVC Find Area Search Test PVC Find Area Search
1 Non- blind. 3 blanks, 1 n-Amyl. Dianne and Rebel. - - x - Y
2 Non- blind. 3 blanks, 1 n-Amyl. Dianne and Rebel. - - - x Y
3 Non- blind. 3 blanks, 1 n-Amyl. Dianne and Stormy. - x - - Y
4 Non- blind. 3 blanks, 1 n-Amyl. Dianne and Rebel. - x - - Y
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Amyl Acetate, 1 to 10 ppb
Trial Dog Correct? Handler Blind? Comments
1 Stormy Yes Dianne No Hesitated before sat. 1 2 3 4 5 1
1 Rebel Yes Dianne No Sat at the n-Amyl. 1 2 3 4 5 1
2 Stormy Yes Charlene No Better sat at the n-Amyl 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4
2 Rebel Yes Dianne No Great sat at the n-Amyl 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4
3 Stormy Yes Carolina No Great sat at the n-Amyl 1 2 3
3 Rebel Yes Dianne No Great sat at the n-Amyl 1 2 3
4 Stormy Yes Charlene No Great started over twice 1 2 3
4 Rebel Yes Dianne No Great 1st time! 1 2 3
5 Stormy Yes Carolina No Great started over once 1 2 3
5 Rebel Yes Dianne No Great Got it 1st time 1 2 3
6 Stormy Yes Charlene No Great! 1 2 3 4 5 1
6 Rebel Yes Dianne No Great smelled others on the way back 1 2 3 4 5 1
7 Stormy Yes Carolina No Great! 1 2 3 4 5
7 Rebel Yes Dianne No Great! Licked it and then sat 1 2 3 4 5
8 Stormy Yes Charlene No Great! First time sat 1 2 3
8 Rebel Yes Diane No Great! First time sat 1 2 3
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Non-blind training sessions
Lower conc. 1ppb
20 or below Rebel would just be guessing
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Thank You

• Ms. Dianne Walker
• Dr. James Walker
• Ms. Crow
• Carlos Villa
• Pat Dixon
• Rebel and Stormy Walker