A puppy that was born at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home is set to become a super sniffer with Medical Detection Dogs (MDD) after passing all his assessments.
He will start his official training as a Bio Detection Dog in the new year, learning the odour of the lung infection, Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Pa).
The two charities joined forces after Battersea contacted MDD about a litter of puppies that had been born in their care.
Chilli stood out as a confident, strong-willed puppy who loved to sniff and after an initial assessment by MDD’s Dog Supply Team, it was felt he could have the right attributes to become a Bio Detection Dog.
He has spent the last year in the charity’s puppy programme, living with volunteer puppy socialisers in a family home, who have helped ensure he remains confident, inquisitive and comfortable in all sorts of environments.
He did really well with his basic scent training, bonded with his trainers and continues to use his nose at every opportunity.
Last week, Chilli passed his final assessment and will now join a team of dogs learning to detect the odour of lung infection, Pa.
The successful training of Chilli and his other teammates could lead to faster, more accurate and non-invasive diagnosis.
“We are delighted that Chilli is now an official member of our Bio Detection team. He is full of personality, confidence and loves to use his nose which are all attributes we look for in a Bio Detection Dog," said Chris Allen, Head of Puppy Supply and Training at Medical Detection Dogs.
“He needs to be assertive enough to tell us when he has found his target odour and when it is not present – and he will be rewarded for both decisions. He loves life at our training Centre where he gets dropped off for training in the morning and collected at the end of the day.
“Chilli’s journey is a special one – we’re so pleased to have found the perfect job and home for him.”
A spokesperson at Battersea Dogs & Cats Home added: “While we believe that every dog and cat in our care is special, even as a tiny pup we knew that Chilli had something extra special about him. We’re so grateful to Medical Detection Dogs and the other charities we work with for seeing the potential in our dogs and giving them the wonderful lives they deserve.”
