From the Science Dog: “This systematic review shows that dogs can be successfully trained to detect a wide range of biological substances and that training methods that focus on positive reinforcement are the approach of choice for this type of training.”
In “Thyroid on Trial” we used an evidence pyramid to examine the various types of scientific studies that have been used to examine the hypothesis that there is a connection between hypothyroidism and aggressive behavior in dogs. We followed this example up through most of the levels of the pyramid, finishing at the penultimate level, the randomized, controlled trial.
At the tippy top of the evidence pyramid is the systematic review. As I mentioned in that piece, systematic reviews are somewhat of a rarity in canine science because they entail an enormous amount of work and time and because such reviews are only possible once there is a robust body of published information about a topic. So, I was recently quite delighted to find a newly published systematic review of a topic that many dog folks have an interest in – Canine Scenting Ability.
It is generally accepted that dogs possess a phenomenal…
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