Training stand for Medical Detection Dogs

Stainless steel stand and arm used to hold samples for dogs training to be bio-detection or medical alert service animals, used by Medical Detection Dogs, designed and made by Scent Detection, a division of CE Design Ltd, United Kingdom, 2020

Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) is a charity founded by Dr Claire Guest in 2008. Dogs work as Medical Alert Assistance Dogs or Bio -Ddetection dogs and all focus on early detection in changes to a person’s health based on scent. Alongside researchers, scientists, and NHS trusts, MDD has carried out numerous peer reviewed studies into the ability and potential of training dogs in this way.

Using multiple stands like this one, volunteers give samples either of their breath, urine samples, or body odour on clothing provided by researchers. A dog will sniff out the one sample amongst many and will be rewarded for indicating a positive sample or correctly ignoring a negative one. Training protocols have been improved as more and more studies have taken place. By rewarding only for positive samples, it increased the risk of false positives so the emphasis changed to rewarding correct answers instead. Training dogs in a double bind trial also raised issue. As neither the researcher or handler knew which samples were positive, the dogs could not be rewarded as quickly, leading to less interest. This has led to single blind trials – where the researchers know and can then verify the dog’s indication. In double blind trials, a third person who knows which samples are which can verify the results. Before rewards are given, indications are recorded on specially designed computer software, Medical Detection Dogs – Olfactory Performance Recording Application, (OPRA).

Some dogs are better than others at sniffing out diseases and changes to human health. Some of the dogs who are trained by Medical Detection Dogs come from other animal assistance training such as guide dogs where they not be suited to that job. The charity also has a number of rescue dogs on it’s canine team and accepts donations from reputable breeders.

The idea that dogs may be able to detect changes in people’s health via their scent, particularly for cancer, have been anecdotally published in medical journals since 1989. The first scientific study appeared in 2004 proving that dogs were more accurate than chance alone could explain.