Dogs of all shapes and sizes have amazing olfactory capability, but some breeds are particularly well-suited for detection work thanks to an exceptional sense of smell paired with a strong desire to work, the ability to form a strong bond with their handler and the confidence to problem solve and make decisions independently.

Medical Detection Dogs operate a no–kennel policy, and all of our Cancer and Bio Detection dogs live in the family homes of local volunteers when they are ‘off duty’.  

A high work drive is imperative for our dogs. Whilst training sessions are relatively short; 20 – 60 minutes, during this time our dogs will be tasked to screen varying samples of the same disease to build a generalised understanding of the odour. 

Sniffing is not only mentally stimulating for dogs, it also expends a lot of energy and causes fatigue, so it’s important our dogs are in good physical condition.

To get the very best out of our dogs in the training room, it is important that our dogs have a strong bond with their handlers. Training with our dogs doesn’t just mean sniffing samples in the training room, a day at ‘work’ also includes enrichment, rest and one on one time with their handler to develop a strong relationship. During downtime at our centre, dogs share office space with MDD staff, enjoy exercise with volunteer dog walkers and playtime with their four-legged colleagues. 

It is important that our Cancer and Bio Detection dogs are confident in the training room, particularly during testing, where nobody will know which samples are positive or negative. The dogs must be confident in their decision making and robust enough to perform under pressure, with no cues and conduct searches without target odours and reward.

We predominantly work with Gundog breeds, and our team currently consists of Labrador Retrievers, Labrador Retriever x Golden Retrievers, Cocker Spaniels, a Cocker Spaniel x Springer Spaniel, a  Flatcoated Retriever and a German Short-Haired Pointer. 

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