DDDPROJECT – DISEASE DETECTING DOG PROJECT was created in response to the need for research on the ability of dogs to detect the odor of the disease.
About us
We are the team of the dog scientists and trainers who are passionate about the possibilities of a dog’s sense of smell and the practical aspect of using it. The project managers are Dr. Agata Kokocińska and DVM Martyna Woszczyło. The founder of the team, Dr. Agata Kokocińska, has been conducting research on the detection of diseases by animals for many years, including defending her doctoral dissertation: Identification of odorous melanoma biomarkers in mouse urine using behavioral and analytical methods. These studies were published in the renowned scientific journal Journal of Veterinary Behavior (JVEB_2019_138R1) in the article Can mice be trained to discriminate urine odor of conspecifics with melanoma before clinical symptoms appear? (Kokocińska-Kusiak A. et al. 2020). This work turned out to be crucial, as it proved that changes in the profile of volatile organic compounds appear before any clinical changes so that can be detected at such an early stage of disease development (Kokocińska-Kusiak A. et al. 2020, Overall, 2020). DVM Martyna Woszczyło specializes in the analysis of the canine sense of smell and studies the role of pheromones and their influence on behavior in dogs. Her key article, „The Role of Urine in Semiochemical Communication between Females and Males of Domestic Dog (Canis familiaris) during Estrus”, was published in the prestigious journal Animals (Woszczyło M. et al. 2020), contributing important, previously unexplored information to the knowledge about the ethogram of dogs . Dr. Kokocińska and DVM Martyna Woszczyło also created a project to investigate the spontaneous smell preferences of dogs, the results of which were presented at the international Dog Olfactory Conference 2020 (https://doc.dddproject.eu), which they are also organizers. The project of olfactory preferential research turned out to be groundbreaking and innovative, and the methodology used in the study was very universal and reliable.
Our Chief Dog Training Instructors Artur Łazarczyk and Szymon Migas have been specializing in various types of training for years, including the detection of disease odors. They participate in preparing dogs for behavioral research and in preparing scientific projects from the perspective of working with dogs.
Assistant trainers: Iga Paczyńska, Mateusz Moryto
DOG SENSE OF SMELL - full article soon
About the project
PURPOSE OF THE DDD PROJECT
The main goal of the project is to create a specialized dog training center that prepares dogs to detect samples from sick people (cancer, diabetes, and others), but also to alert disease attacks, to make life easier for people suffering from diabetes, epilepsy, and other diseases. Properly trained dogs, in addition to signaling the attack (alert dog), can also be taught to provide basic assistance during and immediately after an attack (reponse dog). Dogs detecting the smell of disease can be used in times of epidemic, in order to rapidly screen people who are a potential carrier of the disease (e.g. the coronavirus causing COVID-19).
DETAILED OBJECTIVES:
-> The development of the most effective dog training protocol by scientists and trainers.
-> Introducing dogs to public spaces to search for people who are carriers of the coronavirus.
-> Dog training for people in need, incl. signaling an attack (suffering from diabetes or epilepsy).
The possibilities of using the dog’s sense of smell and training possibilities are very well proven in the scientific literature. In the last dozen or so years, about 15 experimental studies have been published showing the ability of trained dogs to distinguish the smell of samples of exhaled air, urine, feces or sections of neoplastic tissue from patients with various histopathologically diagnosed neoplasms, such as: lung cancer (McCulloch et al. 2006, Walczak i et al. 2012, Ehmann et al. 2012, Amundsen et al. 2014), breast cancer (McCulloch et al. 2006, Gordon et al. 2008), prostate cancer (Cornu et al. 2011, Elliker et al. 2014, Taverna et al. 2015), ovary (Horvath et al. 2008), bladder (Willis et al. 2004), colon (Sonoda et al. 2011), from odor samples from healthy individuals.
Dogs are also known to alert people to episodes of hypoglycemia in people with type 1 diabetes (Hardin et al. 2015) or to alert people to a seizure (Strong, et al. 1999). Edney (1993) described the behavior of 37 dogs that reacted to their owners’ epilepsy. Dogs trained to warn their owners of impending epileptic seizures were able to consistently point out to their owners that an attack was imminent, with a warning 10 to 45 minutes before the attack (Strong et al., 1999, Brown and Strong, 2001). More than a third of people with diabetes reported that their dogs responded to their attacks of hypoglycemia (Lim et al., 1992, cited in Chen et al., 2000). In three cases, dogs were reported to detect a hypoglycemic attack before their owners noticed any symptoms (Chen et al., 2000).
DDD AND a COVID-19
COVID-19 is an acute infectious respiratory disease caused by SARS-CoV-2 infection, first reported in Wuhan, China in December 2019. Despite enormous efforts to control the disease, COVID-19 has now spread to over 100 countries and caused a global pandemic (Shi et al. 2020). Literature data indicate the possibility of effective use of properly trained dogs to detect the odor of the disease, and therefore can be used to identify potential carriers of the coronavirus. This process can improve screening and checks in public places. The project aims to improve the fight against the coronavirus epidemic by quickly indicating by dogs people who are worth undergoing diagnostic tests.
Our team of specialists, scientists and dog trainers under the supervision of dr Agata Kokocińska-Kusiak in cooperation with the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław, The National Revenue Administration (NRA) and the Military Institute of Hygiene and Epidemiology. K. Kaczkowski is currently working on a project involving the implementation of dogs for coronavirus detection. We are currently waiting for the award of grants.
PILOT STUDY WITH IAS (The National Revenue Administration)
The National Revenue Administration in cooperation with the University of Life Sciences in Wrocław participated in a pilot training of detecting dogs in the early detection of Sars – CoV – 2 in humans authorized by dr Agata Kokocińska, under the supervision of prof. Michał Dzięcioł. As a result of innovative training, the results of detection efficiency at the level of 95% were achieved, which is a very high factor and proves the extraordinary abilities of dogs and their noses.
The training was carried out at the Training Center in Kamion – the central training center for KAS kennel teams and covered a period of 8 weeks. The training process itself lasted 5 weeks, and 3 weeks were spent on the initial preparation of dogs and handlers and on olfactory tests using an olfactometer to check the quality of the smell before and after working with biological material. The training was attended by four teams of handlers with detecting dogs, respectively, from the Tax Administration Chamber in Gdańsk, Opole, Rzeszów and Warsaw. During the training, the dogs were introduced to the scent of people suffering from COVID – 19 – odor samples in the form of fragrances collected from patients of the Central Clinical Hospital of the Ministry of Interior and Administration in Warsaw.
As a result of the achieved results, KAS and the research and scientific team discussed another second stage of the pilot training, which will be possible after obtaining the assessment of the Bioethics Committee. Due to the ongoing work on the analysis of the achieved results and the analysis of possible implementable solutions, KAS remains in constant contact with the research and scientific group. After obtaining the results of the second stage of the pilot project, it will be possible to indicate further solutions that indicate the use of trained dogs for the early detection of Sars – C – V – 2 in humans.
Research publication coming soon!
WE ARE LOOKING FOR SPONSORS FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF FURTHER RESEARCH PROTOCOLS.
DO YOU WANT TO SUPPORT US? PLEASE CONTACT US! dddproject@ethoplanet.com
Team
Main dog training instructors
Conferences and training
Conferences
Workshops and courses
Detection Instructor- in preparation
Mantrailing Instructor- in preparation
The basics of the olfactory work in dogs- in preparation
Paper
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3
Effects of novel odours on the mating behaviour in mice
Agata Kokocińska, John Ensminger, Tadeusz Jezierski 2017/7/1, Animal Science Papers and Reports
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Detection store
We are the only Polish manufacturer of professional equipment for odor detection training by dogs. We make stands and holders for odor samples, scent carousels, bowls for scents imprinting and many others. We create all accessories according to the customer’s needs. Interested persons are welcome to contact us at dddproject@ethoplanet.com
Jesteśmy jedynym w Polsce producentem profesjonalnego sprzętu do nauki detekcji zapachów przez psy. Wykonujemy stojaki i uchwyty do szeregów zapachowych, karuzele zapachowe, miski do wdrukowania zapachu i wiele innych. Wszelkie akcesoria tworzymy na potrzeby klienta. Zainteresowane osoby zapraszamy do kontaktu pod dddproject@ethoplanet.com
Olfactory carousels: 6500 – 12 000 PLN
(different types of handles, number of arms and materials)
Stand with holder for sample: 350-550 PLN
Bowls: 250zł
Contact
Dr Agata Kokocińska akokocinska@ethoplanet.com
Lek wet. Martyna Woszczyło mwoszczylo@ethoplanet.com
Artur Łazarczyk alazarczyk@ethoplanet.com
Szymon Migas smigas@ethoplanet.com