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Conservation Detection Dogs Scotland

@cddscotland

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Delivering ethical, science-led detection dog services | LANTRA qualified

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We're back home in the Scottish Highlands! Here's a sneak peak of our whirlwind trip to London for the @ifawglobal Animal Action Awards. What an honour to have Sgiath's hard work recognised on such a prestigious stage at @bafta195 with @strachan.michaela

Special thanks again to IFAW for looking after us and getting us where we needed to be and to @staytreehouse for hosting us.

Congratulations to all the other winners! It was humbling to meet such incredible & passionate people who absolutely deserve the recognition for being powerful voices for nature🦁🐘🦈

@mukamiruoro_oundo
@flavia.miranda
@liombajunior
@riyadhk
@zacgoldsmithofficial
@zandithemermaid
@drmarcthevet taken in London by @cddscotland

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2 days ago

It was an honour and privilege for Sgiath to receive the @ifawglobal Animal Action Animal of the Year Award last night, and to stand on the stage alongside the other Animal Action winners who are an absolutely incredible group of talented, passionate people doing powerful things for animals and nature.

As other professional detection dog trainers and handlers know, there is a lot of hard work behind the scenes involved with training and testing dogs and using them responsibly and safely in the field. It is an exciting space to be in, and we can't wait to see ecology dogs continuing to play an important role in conservation and biosecurity both in the UK and beyond🐾 by @cddscotland

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3 days ago

We've safely arrived in London and hit the news! Did you see us on @bbcbreakfast? 🤩

Thank you @staytreehouse for the lovely doggy welcome gifts. Very excited for the @ifawglobal Animal Action Awards this evening!

@bbcnews article here: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvwy761zyx7eo by @cddscotland

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5 days ago

Muddy mess to London best!

Got to be clean for our visit to London- can't go to an awards ceremony smelling like a swamp creature 😅🐾 by @cddscotland

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7 days ago

With Sgiath winning the @ifawglobal Animal Action Award 🎉I think it's important to mention and thank several groups who have supported the Carpet sea squirt project in various ways.

Firstly, huge thanks to the Caledonian Oyster Company Ltd., @oyster_lady, @oyster_laddie and Michiel who have been integral to the development of the project right from the start. I think they are now used to my excitement over 'sea vomit' and I can't thank them enough for being so supportive.

A big thank you to who @beaseachanger awarded us an Innovation Grant in 2025 to get the project off the ground. Developing ecology dogs on a new and challenging odour requires significant investment, and the grant really helped with this.

Members of the @ecologydetectiondogwg have also been key with their support and advice. It's a wonderful collection of passionate and experienced people who are helping lead the way in advocating for professional, science-led use of ecology dogs.

Finally shout out to the excellent kit from @garminuk, @nonstopdogwear & @defencecomposites, and fueled by @royalcanin_uk. Also to @gortonsgundogs - your girl is a star! 🐾 by @cddscotland

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11 days ago

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13 days ago

Working a dog on a kayak - challenging but incredibly rewarding! 🐾 by @cddscotland

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15 days ago

😂Eyes on the prize! 🐾 by @cddscotland

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17 days ago

The #FieldworkFutures @cieemnet conference in Glasgow on Tuesday was fantastic, with a fabulous range of topics and speakers. Some of the survey and analytical innovations showcased were fascinating, and I appreciated the many discussions and talks that focused on AI. I really agreed with the sentiment that AI can and should have a vital role to play in making certain tasks more efficient, but that its use should be sensitive and guided by ensuring the need is balanced against the significant downsides.

For example; YES to rapid target classification of thousands of survey images, and NO to producing a cartoon character of yourself. There are real, paid artists that can do that and should be paid for it.

It was also brilliant to see ecology dogs presented by @conservationk9uk and Amphibian and Reptile Detection Dogs as innovative tools to help with locating challenging, cryptic species and targets. The only limit is our imagination, as my work with marine invasive species is proving! 🐾 by @cddscotland

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18 days ago

Next week we'll be in Glasgow for the @cieemnet Scotland conference. Looking forward to hearing the various talks and meeting people working in the ecology space 🐾 by @cddscotland

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24 days ago

The September low tides a couple of weeks ago allowed us test our carpet sea-squirt survey efficiency. We had great success and it is clear to see why a professionally trained dog can be a vital tool in detecting this species.

Sgiath excelled in locating the hidden colonies that I couldn't see, working her way methodically along the oyster trestle tables. It's very exciting to have the hard work that we've put into this project pay off. 🐾 by @cddscotland

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a month ago

Hello! We are now on @instagram 👋

We're an ecology dog detection team based in the Scottish Highlands, and are lucky to have the mountains and sea close by for both work and play!

I'm using dogs to help with conservation initiatives by training them to search, find and indicate the presence of rare and invasive species. With their incredible noses, dogs are able to pinpoint targets much more effectively than humans, making them powerful allies in efforts to support species and conserve ecosystems.

We have some exciting projects in the works, with some novel target species that are pushing the boundaries of dogs' scenting abilities! We are developing the world's first American slipper limpet and carpet sea-squirt detection dogs, showing that dogs can be vital even in the marine environment.

Give us a follow to find out what we're getting up to (and for cute dog pics). by @cddscotland

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a month ago