Teach old dogs new tricks

There are more than 6,000 islands in the UK. On many of them our seabirds have evolved to live and breed in relative safety, away from predators and disturbance. But over the years animals such as rats, mink, stoats and feral cats have been accidently introduced to some islands, killing seabirds and eating their eggs. When left unchecked these invasive species can cause seabird numbers to dramatically decline.

Enter the dogs. All over the world conservation detection dogs (CDDs) are used to sniff out invasive species to help keep native wildlife safe from non-native threats. But until relatively recently their super skills were not used in the UK.

On Ramsay Island and Grassholm in Wales the RSPB’s Greg Morgan oversees preventing invasive species from causing havoc among the thousands of seabirds which breed there. He recently has been joined by a not-so-secret shaggy weapon – Jinx the cocker spaniel.

Both islands off the Welsh coast are currently free of invasive species and Jinx is a key part of the plan to keep them that way. He joined the team in May 2022 after spending two years in training. He is now becoming a master at sniffing out and alerting Greg to any rats, mice, stoats and other invasive species that could pose a threat to the islands’ birdlife.

Like any good team, there needs to be a strong bond between Greg and Jinx. Once this has been developed and they’ve finished further training the hope is Jinx will put his skills to the test on cargo coming onto the island, to make sure there aren’t any furry stowaways. But he is also being trained to search buildings, stone walls and other habitats on the islands to seek out any potential new invaders.

With Jinx by his side, it gives Greg a much better chance of spotting potential threats quickly and efficiently, which is vital in trying to prevent invasive species becoming more established.

But what does Jinx do if he does find something? Whether it is alive, dead or just some droppings or fur, Jinx gives a firm and clear indication.... But this isn’t a bark. Instead, Jinx is trained to freeze in the exact spot he has found his target, so the seabirds close by aren’t disturbed.

This is just one element of becoming a CDD. Jinx has also been trained to be comfortable with large crowds, such as on ferries, and with other dogs, livestock and anything else he may come across on his nature saving missions. This includes getting on and off boats – which can be a bit tricky for dogs on metal jetties. But a key part of the training, for both Jinx and Greg, is forming that strong bond needed to become a truly formidable nature saving double act.

Sniffer dogs are gradually becoming more common in the UK and three dogs joined the Orkney Native Wildlife Project team in 2021. Their target? Stoats.

Stoats are native to the UK Mainland but not to Orkney, where they pose a serious threat to Orkney's native wildlife particularly the Orkney Vole, Hen Harrier, Short-eared Owl and other ground nesting birds such as Red-throated Divers, Arctic Terns and Curlews.

The highly trained dogs, Scout, Thorn and Spud help to track down any sign of stoats and make their handlers aware. But they will not attempt to catch any stoats they do find, so no stoats will be hurt by the dogs. The dogs are now a key part of the project team, which is partnership between RSPB Scotland, NatureScot and Orkney Islands Council.