Conservation Canines: How Dogs Work for the Environment

by Isabelle Groc, Anjelica Huston (Foreword)

★“Robust and engaging...Sure to be a hit with both children writing reports and those who enjoy books about animal companions and adventurous work. A must for school and public libraries.”― Booklist , starred review With their precise sense of smell, their hardworking temperament and their ability to bond with humans, dogs increasingly lend their paws and noses to fixing some of the most complex environmental problems on the planet. What kinds of dogs does it take to help wildlife? What kind of training do they go through? Who are the people who work with these special dogs? What do those people do and what difference do they make for wildlife?

In Conservation How Dogs Work for the Environment , author Isabelle Groc shares stories of dog encounters in the field and examples of canines working to conserve wildlife. Meet brave Anatolian shepherd dogs protecting farmers' livestock against cheetah attacks and Maremma dogs guarding penguins from foxes. Learn how rescue dogs sniff out orca poop in the ocean and how highly focused canines can detect rare frogs hiding in wetland tunnels. The story of these conservation canines celebrates the profound and ancestral human–animal bond and gives hope and inspiration for finding new ways for people to successfully co-exist with wildlife.

Genres: Middle Grade, Nonfiction, Animals, Dogs

128 pages, Hardcover

Published September 14, 2021

About the author

Isabelle Groc is a writer, conservation photographer, book author, documentary filmmaker and speaker focusing on endangered species and the relationships between people and the natural world. She is a fellow of the Explorers Club and the Royal Geographical Societies of Canada and the UK. Her work has appeared in international media including National Geographic News, BBC Wildlife, and Canadian Wildlife.
Isabelle has written and directed over a dozen films on wildlife conservation. Her most recent documentary, Toad People, has received international recognition including a Wildscreen Impact Panda Award in Bristol.

To view Isabelle's photos, follow her on Instagram: @isabellegroc

Reviews

[Psusan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Conservation Canines by Isabelle Groc is a marvelous nonfiction look at the many working dogs in the field of conservation. It has clear, attention drawing photographs with captions that entices the reader to dive into the text. I found myself reading longer than I had planned at any one time.

The chapters are divided up into history, then by the work of these dogs. I was amazed at all that dogs were able to do. Sniffing out illegal wildlife products or being herd guardians were not so surprising to me. However, the sniffing out of invasive or endangered wildlife on land and water came as an interesting surprise. It reinforces knowledge I had but also gave me much new information.

Middle grade readers will find this to be fascinating read but so would any dog-loving adult. Additionally younger children would enjoy the photographs and information that was shared with them. As a retired educator, I highly recommend this book.

The publisher through Net Galley provided an ARC. I have voluntarily decided to read and review, giving my personal opinions and thoughts.

[Becky Loader · Rating 4 out of 5]

There is information galore on working dogs here! Great illustrations and well-written text.

[Amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Photojournalist and filmmaker Isabelle Groc's latest book, Conservation Canines, is full of fascinating facts about dogs working with their handlers towards conservation. I have always been fascinated with dogs and how they are able to sense and smell things that we can't. This book explores the way that we can use these innate abilities to better the environment. I was amazed at all of the different ways that dogs are able to help, especially the dogs that ride on boats searching for orca scat! What I liked most about this book was that it is an easy subject for children to relate to since dogs are popular pets and most children, even if they do not own a dog, are likely to have met dogs.

The photos are captivating. I could tell by looking at them that the dogs and their human partners have amazing relationships. There is also a great variety of photos. I loved the format of the book and the way that there is a vocabulary section for teachers to use and I felt that the subject matter is age appropriate.

I think that the last chapter on what you can do to help conservation canines would be useful in the classroom. I can see myself making this into a class project and finding a way to help local shelter dogs possibly by having the students make the shelter pets enrichment toys.

[Andrea Lackman · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book. The book takes an in-depth look at how dogs can be used in conservation efforts worldwide. It focuses on different things such as guardian dogs who protect livestock to dogs that sniff out invasive species, to dogs who track the illegal sale of wildlife or wildlife parts.

The book was very well written, and the information was well organized. It offered in-depth information on conservation efforts, and I certainly felt like I learned a lot about the need for certain conservation programs, as well as what happened in them. There was also a lot of fascinating and detailed information about specifically how dogs assist in these efforts and how they are trained.

Overall a wonderful book that I would highly recommend

Thank you to net galley and the publisher for my ARC

[Molly Em · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fascinating read. As a dog lover and dog mom, I knew I wanted to check it out. This book explores some of the traditional dog jobs, such as herding, but also goes on to explain how these dogs are also protecting endangered wildlife and helping ecosystems flourish. The book explains in detail the type of training the dogs go through, which breeds are used, and what the dogs work day is like. I especially loved the stories of how shelter dogs are often adopted to become conservation dogs. Of course, there are plenty of pictures of the dogs on their jobs and it's a wonderful looking book.

I received a free book from NetGalley/Orca Book Publishers and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Bike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this book and I can't wait to add it to my middle school library. Photographs are exceptional and the content digs deep into what makes a dog a good candidate for service. It will have wide appeal for kids to love dogs and it also showcases how dogs are trained.

Highly recommend.

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

New Zealand was the first country to employ canines for wildlife conservation, in the 1890s.
As of 2020, 30 states had an official K9 program within their DNR. K9 Major Memorial School of the Canine Resource Protection Program in downtown Indianapolis trains and sends graduates all over. Many unwanted canines may make ideal conservation dogs.
training the handler the science behind scent detection predators/balance
guardian dogs (sheep, cheetahs, etc) wildlife poisoning restore biodiversity
Beautiful photos of working dogs some of us seldom see in their work, and then I've never even seen a photo of a Karelian Bear Dog (Russia)! Or Maremma Sheepdogs (from the Apennines) trained to protect little penguins from foxes in Australia.
What can the rest of us do?
It is well-researched and documented nonfiction perfect for learning at any age. It would only be for somewhat advanced ESL.
I requested and received a free temporary ebook from Orca Book Publishers via NetGalley. Thank you!
Get an extra copy for your local library!!!
Rescues 2the Rescue @CanidaeDevelop @roguedetection @ccbucr @CanadaCouncil

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

An informational book about how different groups in a variety of countries are using dogs (usually ones from rescued from animal shelters) to help with various environmental issues. They are doing things like smelling out invasive species like zebra mussels, searching for scat of endangered species, scaring bears away from populated areas to protect the bears - and so much more! This is a win/win situation because it saves the dogs from life in a shelter and gives them productive work to do with a human who truly cares about them plus it is work that is critically important to our earth and the environment. The work done by the dogs is more thorough, more efficient, and more cost effective in most cases as well.
While at times some of the information seemed repetitive, this was an insightful look into a clever way to help animals and the environment. There is also a chapter on how youth can get involved. Full color photos throughout. Back matter includes a glossary, list of print and online resources as well as a note to visit the orcabook.com page for this title to see the full list of resources, acknowledgments, and an index. Sadly, I did not see photo credits anywhere.

[Zahnii (Suzanne) Artis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am astounded at all the amazing things that dogs can do to help the environment. Conservationists, scientists, and rangers work with dogs using their powerful sense of smell to locate endangered species which can result in better policies to create protected land, reduce over hunting, reduce the killing of predators by managing domestic herds, catch poachers and illegal trade of exotic animals, and help scientists to study elusive creatures. The most amazing example was dogs being used to smell orca scat while on a boat. By doing this collaboratively with their handlers, dogs can locate the floating bits which can then tell about genetics, diet, health, population, births, etc. I love this incredible partnership with canines to help our planet.

[Nora · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating middle-grade nonfiction book about dogs and the conservation problems they are helping to address, from reducing human/livestock/predator conflict to finding endangered frogs to locating bat hibernation spots so they can be monitored for disease. All fascinating and well-told examples in a clear voice, with just the right amount of facts to feel informative and complete but not overdone. And the accompanying photos are superb, perfectly illustrating the stories in the text and giving us a sense of the individual dogs, their human handlers, the places they're working, and the species they are helping to study and save. Highly recommend to kids and adults who love dogs and/or are interested in science, positive conservation stories, and more.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a conservation detection dog handler, I can share in all honesty that this book is a wonderful contribution to this unique field of methodology. Author, Isabelle Groc did a fantastic job researching and listening to the stories of the persons who work alongside these special dogs. Thank you to Isabelle and Orca Books for writing and publishing this book. I am excited for this resource to be out there, to serve as a resource to young persons everywhere looking for ways to either contribute to or become future conservationists.

[Catherine]

This was really interesting about the roles of dogs in conservation. Some of it was kinda of repetitive - that might be because it’s a kids book but I don’t read a lot of juvenile nonfiction so I’m not sure.

[Ranjan · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://twitter.com/6c1_16/status/161...

[Tina White · Rating 5 out of 5]

excellent advice and book

Good to hear how many ways our canines are being participants in critical causes. Very inspiring. I will recommend to others