Detection of Estrus-Related Odors in Cows by Trained Dogs

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Abstract
Four German Shepherd and 2 Labrador Retriever dogs with previous experience in olfactory detection of explosives were trained to detect and respond to samples from estrous cows. Performance of the dogs was tested in trials consisting of simultaneous presentation of swabs from the vaginas of estrous and diestrous cows. Seven experiments were conducted, each consisting of several sessions of testing. In the first experiment, estrous-diestrous pairs of samples from the same cow (within-cow comparisons) were used repeatedly over successive sessions and the dogs averaged 81.6% correct detections of samples from estrous cows. In the second experiment, within-cow pairs of samples were used again, but samples from a different cow were introduced after every 10 trials. The dogs averaged 68.1% correct detections in the second experiment. The third experiment was identical to the second, except that it took place in a dairy farmyard setting and the dogs’ overall score rose to 79.5% correct detections. The fourth, fifth and sixth experiments were conducted indoors as the first two had been. The fourth experiment was designed to make detection more difficult and within-cow pairs of samples were changed after every trial. The dogs averaged 80.7% correct detections. In the fifth experiment, pairs of samples from 5 cows were used during each of 3 sessions of testing. Each sample from a cow in estrus was paired with a sample from the same cow in diestrus and also with the diestrous samples from each of the other 4 cows. The dogs averaged 80.9% correct detections of estrous samples. In the sixth experiment, a limited number of urine samples from estrous and diestrous cows was used and the dogs correctly identified the estrous samples in 77.8% of the trials.

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