Our Dogs

OUR DOGS

Our conservation detection dogs are agile, portable, and endlessly trainable. They are an efficient, highly sensitive, and non-invasive way to gather high-quality data.

  • Our toy-loving, rescued, rehomed, and career-change dogs love their jobs. These high-energy pups have the drive and motivation necessary to become natural experts at finding the hard-to-find, from seedling invasive plants to the scat of an endangered lizard. They give us everything in the field, and we provide them with the best of care throughout their careers and through their retirement and beyond.

  • Humans have approximately 5 million scent receptors in our noses; dogs can have upwards of 220 million, which is why they can detect a single teaspoon of sugar in a million gallons of water. Where we experience the world visually, dogs perceive a detailed scentscape.

    Dogs can smell continuously through their noses (not just on the inhale, as we do). They can even determine which nostril an odor arrived in first, which helps them locate a scent in space. They also have an additional olfactory organ and dedicated processing center in the brain devoted just to scenting pheromones.

  • A better question would be: what can’t dogs do? Their extraordinary abilities help us collect more and better data in the field, and their potential to find conservation targets is seemingly endless.

    Depending on the project, our dogs are trained to find a specific or generalized scent, follow a scent, or discriminate between very similar scents to find something very specific. Our dogs need to learn what scent we want them to find - and that’s where the skilled and careful training of our team makes this the ultimate “game” for the dogs, fueled with toys as their reward. Once these dogs learn a new target scent (of which they can learn dozens!) - they become an unstoppable force for conservation!

    Our dogs can:

    • Detect plants, animals, and scat that people simply can't.

    • Find targets up to 40 times faster than is possible with other methods.

    • Give results instantly, with near-perfect accuracy. 

    • Search for multiple targets simultaneously with no reduction in efficacy.

    For years scientists have been trying to develop an instrument that is as sensitive as a dog’s nose. We wish them luck. In the meantime, we’ll stick with our pack.

  • These dogs do it for the love of a ball. The rescue and career-change dogs selected for our programs have an almost relentless toy drive.

    The toy is their favorite reward and and in its most simple explanation, our dogs learn that when they seek and find the specific target scent we’re looking for, great things follow.

    This incredible drive for their toy motivates them to turn this “job” into the best day ever, and becomes a game for them. These dogs truly love to go to work!

MAKING A DIFFERENCE FOR DOGS

  • The Dog Life Program is the true foundation of our work. It spans every dog’s working career with WD4C, and we schedule our work (and our lives!) around their needs - it is best for their care and truly necessary for the success of our conservation work.

    This includes staff time to screen new candidate dogs in shelters, transporting them to WD4C to start their careers, veterinary visits and nutrition, fitness and conditioning to keep them healthy and injury-free, and everything in between, through their retirement and even end-of-life care.

    We embrace each part of this work from sleepy snuggles to organized chaos. We are unwaveringly committed to these dogs that give so much to help protect wildlife and our world.

  • We aren't breed specific and instead search for key qualities such as intense toy focus and high energy. In fact, some of the traits which often make these dogs a challenge to place in typical homes can be a remarkably good fit for a working career. We source our dogs from all over the country from shelters, breed rescues, or as "career-change" dogs from other organizations based on those qualities.

    Once a dog enters our program, it can take 3-6 months for them to learn the basics of being a detection or tracking dog. Once they've completed their base training, they are then trained for whichever project needs them. And every now and then a dog decides that they just don’t want the job. When that happens we make sure that we find them an appropriate placement, which can take time, but it’s all part of our commitment to ensure that every dog in need that we touch ends up in a better state than we found them.

    Adding to our pack is a long-term commitment, and each time we do it, it's a decision we take seriously.

  • Saving dogs who save the world! Learn more about our screening criteria to help find potential future conservation canines.

    Learn More

  • These dogs give us everything they’ve got throughout their working careers, so we make sure they get the retirement lives they want and deserve. We pay careful attention to the needs of these dogs as they age and tailor which projects they deploy on based on location and level of strenuous activity.

    When it's time to fully retire, in most cases, that means adoption by their primary WD4C handler, but could also include placement into a family that's well-suited for that dog. These very special retirees still have access to the support they need with us. We anticipate and plan for the needs of these dogs, including things like additional veterinary care, aqua therapy, and chiropractic care which may be necessary as they age.

  • We are dedicated to helping find and place rescued, rehomed, and career-change dogs, even if that’s not with us. Here are some dogs we’re currently looking for foster homes and adoption placement for.

    Dogs Needing Adoption or Foster

ACTIVE DOGS

It’s nearly impossible to describe the bond and level of deep care and connection we form with these incredible canine partners. We have numerous dogs in our programs including prospects, candidates in training, dogs on deployment, and retired canines - with each receiving individual and personalized loving care every day. This isn’t a complete listing, but meet just a few of the dedicated conservation dogs who are part of our pack!

  • Working Dogs for Conservation - Ace

    ACE

    Don’t let her size fool you - Ace the mini pitbull is a spunky, high-octane powerhouse, with attitude to spare. Ace was at a shelter in Illinois, but now she lives in Montana, and her love of her toy fuels her day. She can detect a variety of plants and animals, with expert precision. She’s a fearless, tail-wagging bowling ball, and charges through the field with unstoppable energy and a nose for conservation, making us laugh out loud as we try to keep up.

  • CHARLEY

    Charley was once a nervous pup, but after a great start with the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, to joining WD4C, he’s blossomed into a playful, adventurous guy who lives for the game he now calls work. Fueled by love and purpose, he’s gone from overlooked to unstoppable, becoming a true conservation superstar who’s making a difference, one sniff at a time.

  • FENTON

    When the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation reached out about a couple of dogs that weren't quite right for their program, we quickly hopped in the truck to go meet them. Fenton was a rockstar from day one. He breezed through training and quickly became our go-to guy. To date he has worked on over a dozen scents and shows no sign of slowing down!

  • LEO

    Leo has known a few homes before WD4C, but he's always excited and ready for action. This remarkably chill German-shorthaired Pointer is as gentle as he is talented - a true lover of both people and pups. With a love for treats and a nose tuned to the tiniest scent, he’s become an essential teammate on many cutting-edge research projects.

  • MOOSE

    This happy little aussie/spaniel mix started his life being abandoned outside of a dental office, but was rescued and a few years later he was ready for his new life with WD4C. Moose surprised us all with his intensity for play, speed, determination, and curiosity. He has grown so much through learning the conservation game and his small stature doesn’t hold him back from living up to his large namesake!

  • QUINN

    Raised as a puppy by her handler, Quinn has always known she has big shoes to fill. She has approached her training with a "bring it on" attitude. Her work ethic and friendly nature has made her a great ambassador for invasive species prevention. We can't wait to see where her career takes her.

  • KEVIN

    Originally a dog in need of a home after his owner passed, this tragic story turned around and now at WD4C, he’s thriving and a very happy boy. He loves truly everything, especially using his long legs to cover lots of ground and sniff all the things.

  • JJ

    JJ started as the pet of one of our staff, but quickly proved he was something more. With sharp instincts and a big heart, he now works across island biosecurity, integrated pest management research, and structural pest detection - seamlessly balancing precision in the field with quiet support by his handler’s side.

  • RIGGS

    Riggs is a boisterous and athletic Belgian Malinois who's goofy nature subsides when he dons his working vest. He is serious when it comes to sniffing for endangered species and effortlessly scales mountain sides for data. Riggs had a few different homes prior to meeting his person and landing a job as a conservation detection dog - but now he's right on track!

  • RUE

    Rue is a high-drive German Shepherd with incredible focus, who loves people almost as much as she loves conservation work. She’s a real powerhouse and support for WD4C, and has excelled in her work over the years, performing with exemplary success on several San Joaquin kit fox and blunt-nosed leopard lizard projects. 

  • STELLA

    Stella came to WD4C as the personal dog of a new staff member, and specializes in scent discrimination. She’s a very enthusiastic human-greeter, and also excels at welcoming our newest canine members to our pack.

  • SULLY

    Sully was rehomed and came to WD4C with a staff member. He’s a perfect mix of a border collie and a golden retriever! He can focus when he needs to and is happy-go-lucky when his work is done for the day. He was certified in search and rescue, and now specializes in detail scent work.

  • TOBIAS

    Tobias was a successful graduate of the Carroll College Anthrozoology program. This happy lab mix loves to work, and has been a significant contributor on our dyer’s woad and blunt-nosed lizard work, among many other projects. Tobias is a senior member of our pack and is now retired and living the good life with his handler. Check out this highlight on Tobias’s retirement HERE.

  • Ody

    From the start it was clear Ody was destined to be an incredible working dog. He is friendly and full of drive and enjoys his work everyday helping to find contraband and interrupt wildlife trafficking in Zambia. Learn more about Ody’s work HERE, including a video narrated by David Attenborough!

  • TULE

    When Tule came to WD4C, she didn’t know how to socialize with people or dogs, and wasn’t house-trained - but she was a quick study. Tule has had an illustrious career to date searching the Costa Rican jungle for illusive wild cats to roaming the Montana backcountry for bears, to making a huge impact in black-footed ferret conservation. She’s successfully completed many, many projects in her career and was recently retired.

  • YAGI

    Yagi started his journey in Texas, training to be a service dog, but his boundless energy and big personality didn’t quite match the job. Luckily, he found his perfect fit at WD4C, where his enthusiasm shines in the field. Whether hard at work searching or relaxing after a job well done, Yagi brings heart, drive, and just the right amount of quirkiness to everything he does.

  • KIINII

    In partnership with Indigenous Vision, Kiinii (Blackfoot for “the one who wears fabulous necklaces”) lives with his handler and has had a long journey from the streets of California, to the National Disaster Search Dog Foundation, to Montana. He’s now following his true passion of keeping waters clean of invasive mussels.

  • CASSI

    When Cassi's first career did not pan out, a trainer reached out to WD4C asking if we were in need of a new Law Enforcement Canine. Cassi trained with us for a few months before heading over to her new home in Zambia, where she is an excellent addition to our South Luangwa K9 Team.

  • BERTIE

    Bertie is stationed in Laos, assisting the Saola Foundation in finding one of the most critically endangered mammals in the world: the Saola. He is also trained to detect snares for safety purposes. He is very attentive to his handler and works very well as part of a team. 

    Bertie takes his work seriously, but he is a dapper little guy who also loves affection, enjoys playing ball, taking treats for a job well done, and receiving pets and belly rubs from his humans.

  • NORMAN

    Norman, like Bertie, is stationed in Laos assisting the Saola Foundation. His drive to search and love of reward play helped him adapt to his working life readily. 

    Norman is always ready to go, showing off his agility while navigating the forest, boldly pushing through the thickest vegetation to search for his trained target odors. His love of life is gleaned from searching and playing retrieve, and he has formed a strong bond with his handlers.

  • JANE

    Jane is a career-change dog, and a new addition to our pack as a conservation canine prospect, She arrived at WD4C around the passing of the incredible Dr. Jane Goodall, and wanting to honor her legacy, that's how this adorable black lab got her name.

    Jane is compact, quick, and quietly inquisitive. Many of her experiences here at WD4C are brand new, but her confidence is growing and she is adjusting to life here nicely. She enjoys off-leash adventures and is very eager for new toys.

  • WINNIE

    Winnie is a young Labrador Retriever originally found as a stray in Kansas and transferred to WD4C from K9’s for Freedom & Independence. If she doesn't have a toy in her mouth, she'll consider holding your arm or hand in her mouth, too - so it's a good idea to always have a toy to redirect that enthusiasm!

    A recent highlight of her ability to focus and work through distractions was when a herd of deer ran by, and she paid them no attention as she remained focused on her toy. That's a very promising start for her to work as a conservation canine in the future!

  • DUDE

    Dude was in a shelter in Oregon for nearly a year before we met him. He passed every part of our screening, but he’s got a lot of energy, so we understand why seeking placement was a challenge. Thank you to the team that reached out to us to find him a job.

    Now in training as a conservation canine prospect, Dude is already showing us exactly why this path suits him. He’s high-drive and obsessed with playing tug. We're thrilled to channel that energy into helping detect and stop invasive species!

  • OLLIE

    Ollie’s original family was preparing for some major life changes and wanted to make sure he’d have the outlet for his energy that he needed - even if it couldn’t be with them. A decision made like that is never easy, but is a decision made out of love.

    Ollie is a new prospect in training, but he is driven, eager to learn, and has a temperament that makes him a natural fit. He is equal parts goofy and sweet, with a larger than life personality. We're excited to see what he can do for conservation soon!

LEGACY DOGS

Our legacy dogs have left an incredible impact and will always be with us in our hearts. We miss them deeply, and beyond what words can convey. Though they have passed on, their completed work continues to shape and advance conservation efforts around the world and we are forever grateful for the time we had together.

  • BEAR

    Bear was a conservation icon. From humble beginnings in a Montana shelter where he first crossed our path at WD4C, Bear had an illustrious and joyful 12 years of service with the New Jersey Division of Fish and Wildlife’s Endangered & Nongame Species Program. We’re so glad to have helped with his training and collaboration on that wonderful partnership.

  • CAMAS

    Camas thought she was hilarious, and she was. Obsessed with toys and play, she’d splash in any water she could find and she’d bring you any object (even a piece of bark) for you to toss. One of our very first founding dogs, she helped us learn an incredible amount about this work, and was critical for our ground-breaking projects. Her work ethic was so high, we were amazed at her unique disinterest in non-target animals while working. We miss her so incredibly deeply, we’d take a clone of her any day.

  • CHAI

    Chai was exceptionally sweet and loving, and fast and thorough in her work. She helped play a crucial role in detecting ivory, bushmeat, guns and ammunition, big cat skins, pangolin, and more, and was one of the first dogs to go to Zambia and be part of Conservation South Luangwa’s K9 unit. We learned so much from her and miss her greatly.

  • COLT

    Colt rocked it as a “proof of concept” dog, letting us know - after only a few repetitions - that dogs could indeed recognize the scent of the new target being tested. He was a standout star in discrimination work, swift, methodical, and accurate. Colt was truly one of a kind and the bestest of friends.

  • FENIX

    Fenix was a lot to handle for her original family and came to WD4C as a surrender. We agree that she was a lot, but with focus and incredible toy drive, she also accomplished a lot! Upon deployment to Africa to help with anti-trafficking work, in her first 3 ½ years with the unit, she was part of 322 operations and found 170 targets. She was a great dog and we’re so grateful we could give her the joy of doing what she loved to do.

  • FINNY

    Finny was our earliest dog. We didn't know what dogs were capable of when this all started and Finny said, "Lots! Bring it on!" A social dog who loved to greet people, Finny helped find bear, cougar, wolf, ferret, desert tortoise, and more. In one peer-reviewed publication his track is immortalized: his human walked 14km that day, but Finny searched 57km! Running everywhere was Finny's natural state, and he only started to walk after he was 10 years old. He was the happiest of fellows, and showed us that this was fun, fun, fun for the right kind of dog.

  • LILY

    We were Lily’s 6th home when she came to us at 3 years old. She was a lot of dog even for us when she arrived, but she turned out to be a crazy amazing asset to our team and for conservation. Trained to 26 different target scents, not only was she phenomenal in the field, but she was also a patient teacher. She was with us for many years (living to the wonderful age of 17!), helping so many humans learn the ropes of canine conservation, and we are forever grateful. Her legacy truly lives on through WD4C.

  • ORBEE

    Easily working his way into our hearts, Orbee racked up quite a tally of projects over the course of his working years, including a variety of diverse scents that ranged from Cross River gorilla to otter and mink to wolverine and fisher. One of Orbee’s claims to fame was when he found a target lizard scat under a cow patty. When we inferior humans couldn’t see the scat, he took his paw and hit the patty to flip it up in the air and visually expose the scat…all so that he could finally get his ball. He is so deeply missed.

  • PEPIN

    “Pepin was almost always too much. Too big, too enthusiastic, too affectionate, too eager to please. He gave himself fully to every task and showed that having too much heart, and only saying, 'yes' could be an inspiration to all of us in the field or in a home.” Pepin’s legacy is large and includes working on 20 different and ground-breaking scent targets, traveling as far as Myanmar and Zambia, meeting many people (including the legendary Dr. Jane Goodall!), and helping to inspire the children’s book, “Trouble Dog”.

  • RIO

    Rio was one of the first “all-around” conservation dogs in North America, and his handler recalls he will always be one of her “greatest joys”. Extremely charismatic, he possessed an incredibly strong work ethic and had an intense willingness to work in even the most challenging situations. He excelled in every project he worked on, and many of the scents in his repertoire were first-ever targets for conservation dogs. Overall, after working on 28 projects for 9 animal and plant species which led to 12 scientific papers and 3 book chapters, we're pretty sure Rio gave most biologists a run for their money in the "contribution to conservation" department. From his first day of work to his last, Rio remained fantastically eager to get his search vest on and start his detection activities.

  • RUGER

    Found as a stray in Montana, Ruger went from the shelter to Carroll College’s Anthrozoology program, to WD4C. He was one of our first dogs we took to Africa for anti-trafficking work in Zambia. Despite him later losing his sight, which some would think could have a liability, Ruger just focused entirely on scenting firearms, bushmeat, pangolin, ivory, and spotted cat skin and bones. An amazing dog, and he is deeply missed.

  • SEAMUS

    Seamus, we love everything about you. Out of the shelter and to WD4C, this ball crazy border collie was a leading force on our endangered kit fox and lizard projects, working more than 29 projects on those two species alone in just nine years. He was also instrumental in teaching us what was possible with dogs in the detection of dyer’s woad, revealing invaluable insight and new biology lessons that went on to serve all future dogs (and humans) to work on this invasive weed species. Hands down an ah-mazing search dog, he absolutely lived for the thrill to do his job and adored attention - even adding an extra pep to his step when he knew media or other partners were watching closely.

  • TESLA

    With love, Tesla was rehomed to WD4C after his family saw the true need surface for him to have a job. A focused athlete, Tesla did indeed love to work, committing all energy and effort to the task, and he became a phenomenal conservation canine. He was one of the first to help rangers find rhino (even tracking individual rhino!) in Zambia, among his many other talents. An instrumental partner on so many projects, his legacy lives on in the conservation efforts still happening there today.

  • TSAVO

    A career change dog from Schutzhund work, where he did well but didn’t excel at bitework, Tsavo was a big, handsome, silvery German shepherd. On some early assessments, we found his enthusiasm for this work was incredibly evident (including some mishaps of boxes and test samples being vigorously strewn all over!). He also had a high prey drive, but we were able to work through that based on his love for toys, and find his perfect match on detail work, especially with challenging plants. He was so sweet and such an amazingly good dog.

  • UTAH

    Added to our program as a rescue, Utah picked up on his new job with ease. He started his career helping manage the invasive plant Lespedeza and was a huge asset in our kit fox and bear projects. With his sensitive nose and quick mind, he worked on 7 different scent targets in his time with us.

  • WICKET

    Wicket taught us so much, and her skills are legendary. Trained to a whopping 32 target scents, her drive and technical skill knew no bounds. She helped inspire so many including the children’s book, “Trouble Dog” and was even posthumously awarded a Frehel Fellow Award. You can read more about her here.

  • TONY

    No one was a stranger to Tony, who was an enthusiastic greeter to all he crossed paths with. He was your best friend the second you met him & he was the perfect demo dog because he loved to be the center of attention! He was a great working dog who loved to detail whether it was on invasive mussels on boats or tiny lizard scat.  He is terribly missed as a great friend, and as an amazing conservation dog.

  • TIA

    Tia had some medical autoimmune challenges, but we were able to work through that to give her a wonderful working career. She was absolutely brilliant on her target scents, including blunt-nosed leopard lizard, brook trout, Gila monster, and many others. She was small for a shepherd, but full of heart. We so miss her and her exuberant personality and zest.