Science

Dogs can be nature’s best friend

Natural canine instincts and abilities can lead to positive or negative interactions with wildlife

Picking up dog poo is a positive step in the collective effort to help nature thrive. Photograph: Bryan O'Brien/The Irish Times

Yvonne Buckley
Thu Dec 28 2023 - 05:00

Dogs connect people to the more than human world. We get great solace from relationships with animals, possibly related to our biophilic (naturally nature-loving) evolutionary origins.

Some 87 per cent of pet owners in Ireland said their pet had a positive impact on their mental health and wellbeing (Central Statistics Office, 2021). Dogs are used as therapy animals in schools, care homes and hospitals, including settings where it might be difficult for people to get outside into nature. About 38 per cent of respondents to a Central Statistics Office survey in 2021 reported having a dog, making dogs our most popular pets.

People have had relationships with dogs for thousands of years with dogs performing a huge array of tasks for and with us. As our priorities change the role of dogs has also changed. Over the past 20 years there has been an explosion of scientific interest in the effectiveness of wildlife detection dogs These are dogs that are used to sniff out rare species, problematic invasive species, or signs of their occurrence. A database of all known wildlife detection dog studies contains over 1,000 publications

There has been a significant conservation success story for large native predators in Europe over 50 years, with an increase of 25% in the wolf range reported

Monitoring of rare or problematic species is critical to many conservation actions and dogs do the job extremely well, outperforming other detection methods in nearly 90 per cent of all comparisons. Their superior ability to pick up scents and trainability are the keys to their success.

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There has been a significant conservation success story for large native predators in Europe over 50 years, with an increase of 25 per cent in the wolf range reported. As a consequence, human-wildlife conflict has also increased with livestock losses reported as about 40,000 per year across the continent. Several breeds of dogs have natural guarding abilities and have been used in traditional pastoral communities to guard livestock from predators such as bears, lynx or wolves. The presence of guard dogs in a flock or herd can have a positive impact on predator populations as the guard dogs reduce human-wildlife conflict.

The natural instincts and abilities of dogs can lead to positive or negative interactions with wildlife. More than 120 different breeds or types of dog have been used for wildlife detection, with most breeds assessed as equally capable. What is most important for having a good wildlife detection dog is choosing the most suitable dog for the task and providing that dog with excellent training. The dog on your sofa, with the right training, has the potential to be a conservation ally. More commonly, however, dogs have the potential to harm wildlife.

A dog’s natural hunting instinct to run after moving targets means that they sometimes chase wild animals and, even if they fail to catch and harm it, the stress caused can reduce the performance of the chased animal. You may know that your treasured pet has no chance of catching that bird he is running after, but repeated disturbance of the bird can increase its energetic demands, reduce its ability to forage for food and displace it from breeding sites.

Life cycle analysis of the effects of dog fouling show that the environmental impact is far more negative than the effects of using a plastic bag to dispose of the faeces in landfill

Dog urine and faeces in the environment cause increases in nutrient loading in freshwater and soil ecosystems with negative effects on native wildlife and plant communities. Owners are also less likely to pick up after dogs off the leash.

Life cycle analysis of the effects of dog fouling show that the environmental impact is far more negative than the effects of using a plastic bag to dispose of the faeces in landfill. The same life-cycle analysis identified pet food as the biggest source of climate-change impacts due to the use of meat and its packaging.

Responsible dog ownership can be the difference between dogs that make great allies for conservation and those that harm nature. Choosing fewer pets, smaller pets, less meat-intensive diets, less packaging, picking up dog poo and leaving your dog at home or keeping your dog on a lead in sensitive areas are positive steps you can take to help nature thrive and provide a great environment for both you and your best friend.

Yvonne Buckley is an ecologist and professor of zoology at Trinity College Dublin

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