Description
Detection canines have been utilized throughout the world for over a century, and while numerous attempts have been made to replicate the canine's ability to detect substances by mechanical means, none has been as successful. The olfactory system is a highly intricate and sophisticated design for chemical sensing, and the olfactory capacity of many animals, including canines, is considered unmatched by machine due to not only their great sensitivity and superior selectivity but also their trainability and mobility. These unique features have led to the use of such animals as "whole-animal" biosensors.
Amplifying the benefits and diminishing the limitations of detection canines' interdisciplinary research is crucial to understanding canine olfaction and detection and enhancing this powerful and complex detector. The past 50 years have produced vast advancements in animal behavior/training technology to develop canines into more proficient and reliable sensors, while scientific research has provided tremendous support to help practitioners better understand how to utilize this powerful sensor. This book assembles a diverse group of authors with expertise in a variety of fields relating to detection canines and the chemical sensing industry, including both research and operational perspectives on detection canines. It illustrates how science enhances our understanding of how canines are employed for solving some of the world's leading detection challenges.
About the Author
Lauryn E. DeGreeff earned her PhD in forensic chemistry from Florida International University (FIU), USA, where she is presently a professor in the Chemistry Department and the International Forensic Science Research Institute. Prior to returning to FIU, she conducted her research as part of the Chemistry Division at the US Naval Research Laboratory in Washington DC. Dr. DeGreeff takes a chemistry-based approach to studying olfaction for the purpose of informing field vapor sampling practices. Her research focuses on trace vapor sampling, characterization, and generation in support of canine and other field detection approaches. Dr. DeGreeff regularly lectures on the dynamics of odor for the operational community.Craig A. Schultz has 30 years of experience in animal behavior with organizations such as Disney's Animal Kingdom, Palm Beach Zoo, Jacksonville Zoo, the United States Department of Agriculture's National Detector Dog Training Center, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He has been a guest lecturer at several universities in addition to presenting at exotic animal, veterinary behavior, and working dog national conferences. He has also served as an active member of the Scientific Working Group on Dog and Orthogonal Detector Guidelines (SWGDOG) and the National Institute for Standards and Technology's Organization of Scientific Area Committee (OSAC) Dogs and Sensors Subcommittee.