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conservationdogshawaii

Mirror, mirror on the wall…my, what big ears you

Mirror, mirror on the wall…my, what big ears you have! 😁 Happy Aloha Friday!
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📸 K9 Qana investigates all aspects of the environment as she surveys for invasive plants in Hilo for @bigislandinvasivespecies
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Photo by @tor.johnson.photography #belgianmalinois #malinoisofinstagram #invasivespecies #invasiveplants #chromolaenaodorata #devilweed #demolishthedevilweed #conservationdog #reflectionphotography #workingsog

Ula waits patiently while the humans work out logi

Ula waits patiently while the humans work out logistics for an upcoming marine mammal detection dog sea trial we’re participating in. More info to come. Mahalo @eba_the_whale_dog Dr Giles; Heath and Jennifer of @roguedetectionteams; and Collette Yee for your advice and support!
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#marinemammals #marinemammalresearch #scatdetection #boatdog

Big Island artist @raraencaustics created this pie

Big Island artist @raraencaustics created this piece for us as a symbol of our dream of contributing to the conservation of all of Hawai`i’s native birds, including waterbirds, seabirds and landbirds. The ae`o or Hawaiian stilt is one of the waterbirds that we have trained several dogs to detect, in order to curb avian botulism. The `akē`akē or band-rumped storm petrel is a native seabird, and represents our seabird program, including fallout and burrow detection. We’ve never worked on a project for pueo (Hawaiian short-eared owl) or forest birds but we would love to some day. The pointer dog represents our inspiration, the highly trained conservation dogs in New Zealand that detect and monitor endangered birds. The use of conservation dogs is still fairly new in Hawai`i but we hope to expand it through the efficacy and integrity of well-trained dogs and handlers.
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🌎 Artist website: www.SarahTaylorKo.com - we found Sarah through the Inktober native species drawing challenge hosted by @laulimahawaii last year
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#conservationart #hawaiianstilt #hawaiianseabirds #pueo #hawaiianshortearedowl #pointerdogsofinstagram #conservationdog

Monday Motivation! We love this fun shot of K9 Qan

Monday Motivation! We love this fun shot of K9 Qana getting rewarded with a frisbee while working on the Big Island last week. Qana has a hierarchy of reinforcers, including various toys and food, and the highest value is a hard plastic frisbee, which she goes crazy over, even compared to a floppy frisbee. What is your dog’s ultimate reinforcer? 🎾 🍗 🧸 🥩
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#workingdog #mondaymotivation #willworkforfrisbee #frisbeedogs #belgianmalinois #malinoisofinstagram

We have lots of meetings and planning going on for

We have lots of meetings and planning going on for our new downed seabird program, and several dogs are preparing for the coming seabird fallout season, which runs from September to December. Due to the sensitive nature of the work, all dogs that are participating in this “Fallout Finders” program have previous detection experience around live birds.

📸: K9s Koa (black Lab in pic 1), Luna and Xena (Aussies in pic 2) also work at Hanalei Wildlife Refuge to curb avian botulism in Hawaiian waterbirds. Guinness (shepherd in pic 3) worked on the yellow crazy ant project at Johnston Wildlife Refuge.
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#lightpollution #seabirdfallout #seabirdconservation #hawaiianseabirds #hawaiianseabirdconservation #falloutfinders

Flashback to the good ol’ days when we thought *

Flashback to the good ol’ days when we thought *this* was thickly vegetated terrain. 😆 We’ve been truly humbled over the years through experiencing a variety of crazy terrain, thick vegetation and other environmental challenges. We aim to never underestimate those aspects of new projects but we still manage to be caught off guard sometimes. 😉 Comment below if you can relate!
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📸 of Team Bodhi by @tor.johnson.photography
#fieldwork #fieldworkchallenges #workingdog #workingdogsofinstagram #windfarm #kawailoawind

Mahalo Big Island Invasive Species Committee for h

Mahalo Big Island Invasive Species Committee for hosting us this week!
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#Repost @bigislandinvasivespecies with @make_repost
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🐾🎯🌱 This week has been extra special because our crew is working with @conservationdogshawaii! Kiyoko and her team brought over K9 Qana from Oʻahu to help us detect populations of devil weed (Chromolaena odorata). ⁠
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Qana and her handlers have spent the last week surveying locations across Hilo and Puna and theyʻre getting acclimated to the Big Island terrain. It's so fascinating to watch Qana as she works. She found some plants that surely many of us would have missed! Mahalo @conservationdogshawaii for all of your help to curb the spread of this nasty plant. ⁠
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#invasivespecies #hawaiiconservation #devilweed #chromolaenaodorata

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, including do

Happy Mother’s Day to all the moms, including dog moms, who make the world go round!
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In this photo, super mom (and dog handler) Roberta, along with K9 Qana, are surveying a buffer zone around a residential area in Hilo where devil weed was found.
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@betabitzer @qanagator
#devilweed #chromolaenaodorata #DemolishTheDevilWeed #invasivespecies #invasiveplants #malinoisofinstagram #belgianmalinois

May Day is Lei Day in Hawai`i! In celebrating this

May Day is Lei Day in Hawai`i! In celebrating this beautiful symbol of aloha, let’s remember to be kind to each other and to ourselves. ♥️

Lei (garland or wreath) can be made of flowers, shells or feathers, and it’s a Hawaiian custom and art form that’s been passed down through generations. It is said that when a lei is presented, the mana (spirit) of the lei maker is passed to its wearer.

📸 of K9 Ula by @chippertonphotography

Here's a 30-second promo of the upcoming Home is H

Here's a 30-second promo of the upcoming Home is Here segment that will air on Wednesday April 27th at 7:30pm. On O‘ahu, PBS is on channel 10 on Spectrum, and channel 11 on Hawaiian Telcom.

Tongue Out Tuesday 🐶 Being out in the field is

Tongue Out Tuesday 🐶 Being out in the field is the best part of the work, and fundraising is the not-as-fun part of our work…but as a non-profit organization we’ve got to do it to support our programs and mission. We’ve added a Wish List page to our website as another way for you to support us, in addition to our online stores and direct gifts. Wish list link is in our bio and includes K9 first aid kits, GPS collars and more - mahalo for sharing!

📸 of Team Ruger and Team Ula

Throwback to Johnston Atoll 2020. The yellow crazy

Throwback to Johnston Atoll 2020. The yellow crazy ant eradication project by @usfws took place over a 10+ year period, with two crews, called Crazy Ant Strike Teams, being stationed there every year. Millions of dollars were spent on supplies and the chartering of ships like M/V Imua. Thanks to the hard work of all the people involved in the project, the ants were declared eradicated last year. But there are several other remote island wildlife refuges that are still battling other invasive species.
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We're currently collaborating on writing a presentation that will propose using dogs to screen vessels for rodents and yellow crazy ants, before they head out from the main Hawaiian islands to the marine national monuments. The cost to eradicate a species after its introduction far surpasses the costs to prevent the introduction through good bio-security protocols and vessel screening.

📸 1: CAST XX lead Margeaux, YCA K9 project lead Aisha, and dog handler Kyoko with K9s Guinness and Solo

📸 2: Taking the dog out to potty aboard a ship in rough seas is no easy task!

Photos by @tor.johnson.photography
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#crazyantstriketeam #johnstonatoll #biosecurity #wilddogofwaialua #gmanflyingnun #mvimua #yellowcazyant

Happy Tongue Out Tuesday 😋 K9 Qana and her hand

Happy Tongue Out Tuesday 😋 K9 Qana and her handler Roberta are preparing to work on a project on the Big Island soon. Here they are taking a break during a survey in Mokulē`ia.

📡 GPS collar by @dogtraofficial
🐕 @qanagator @betabitzer

#malinoisofinstagram #belgianmalinoisofinstagram #conservationdog

It’s often easier, faster and more effective to

It’s often easier, faster and more effective to run searches with dogs off leash. But we emphasize to all our dog handlers the importance of practicing leash handling, because a situation may arise where the dog is required to be on leash. For example we’re currently planning a neighbor island job where surveys will be conducted in residential neighborhoods rather than the wilderness. In this video, puppy Zephyr is introduced to simple elevation and obstacles, while handler Kyoko practices keeping the long line from tangling or hindering the dog.
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#ZephyrDaSniffer

We’ve been monitoring an area near Camp Smith th

We’ve been monitoring an area near Camp Smith this year for invasive devil weed plants. A giant weed pulling event was held at this hot spot in December, when over 4000 plants were pulled with the help of volunteers from @oahuisc Marine Corps and CDH! Now that the plants are at low density, the dogs are extremely useful in helping us find seedlings and small plants that were missed or are newly popping up. Scroll right to see the type of vegetation in the area. Can you imagine looking for a 3-inch tall plant in that? 😉 In this photo K9 Briar is sitting next to a plant she found on a steep slope.
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#workingdogwednesday #devilweed #chromolaenaodorata #DemolishTheDevilWeed #invasivespecies #invasiveplants #brittaniesofinstagram #brittanyspaniel

On this Wildlife Wednesday, we are celebrating the

On this Wildlife Wednesday, we are celebrating the return of the ‘ua‘u kani to the Hawaiian islands for breeding season. This year, CDH will begin conducting downed seabird surveys. We're grateful to @oahudofaw for assisting us through the permitting process for this unusual and new use of detection dogs. Mahalo also to @usfws for their quick turnaround in modifying our federal permit.
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Wedge-tailed shearwaters, Hawaiian petrels, and Newell's shearwaters are among the seabirds that breed in Hawai‘i. In the fall, young seabirds rely on the moon to guide them on inaugural flights from their burrows to the sea, and they can be drawn to and confused by artificial light sources. When birds drop to the ground from exhaustion or collision, they become vulnerable to starvation, predators and vehicle hits. There are many properties that already conduct routine surveys during fallout season to look for downed birds. Our goal with the detection dogs is to supplement the effort by finding the birds hiding in cover, which are harder for surveyors to do visually.
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We'll post more on our program in the coming months. Manwhile if you have an interest in protecting these native seabirds, please consider becoming a volunteer for two organizations that work very hard to rehabilitate the birds. On O‘ahu, @hawaiiwildlifecenter is always looking for transport volunteers. On Kaua‘i, volunteers may help @saveourshearwaters with transport and at the facility with crate cleaning and laundry. Mahalo!
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📸 of wedge-tailed shearwater by SOS
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#wildlifewednesday #wedgiewednesday #wedgetailedshearwater #seabirdfallout #downedseabird #falloutfinders

We are so honored to have Dr. Sheila Conant join t

We are so honored to have Dr. Sheila Conant join the CDH family as our science advisor. Those involved in conservation in Hawai`i most likely know her or know of her, but did you know she is as crazy about dogs as we are? ♥️ Below is Sheila’s (very shortened) bio:

Sheila's career in ecology and conservation in Hawai‘i has spanned over 50 years. At the University of Hawai‘i Mānoa, she served as the Chair of Zoology Department from 2001 to 2007, and as the Chair of the Ecology, Evolution and Conservation Biology (EECB) graduate specialization program from 1999 to 2001. As a researcher, she focused on Hawaiian birds, and has an extensive list of publications on their ecology, evolution, conservation and management. Sheila is also a Professor Emerita of UH, and her list of former graduate students includes many who are currently active and influential in the conservation of Hawai‘i‘s wildlife.

In addition to her impressive academic career, Sheila is a long-time dog enthusiast. In the early 2000s when the use of conservation dogs was unheard of in Hawai‘i, she trained her Border Collies to do seabird detection, and later went on to conduct a few field surveys with them. Sheila has also participated in numerous dog sports including obedience, tracking, agility (with four dogs!), nose work, herding, and conformation. She has also served as a judge for tracking and obedience trials.

Congratulations to K9s Xena and Luna for earning t

Congratulations to K9s Xena and Luna for earning their 100 hour volunteer pins from @usfws 🦆 Both dogs have been working hard at Hanalei National Wildlife Refuge this past year, helping to reduce avian botulism through early detection of affected carcasses. Xena, Luna and their handler Debra will also be participating in a new CDH project on Kaua`i this year. We’ll post more on that soon. 😄

As we embark on our coqui frog detection dog proje

As we embark on our coqui frog detection dog project on Maui, we read up on "frog dogs" in other locations. The San Diego Zoo Wildlife Alliance had to think outside the box to find a solution to monitor the cryptic mountain yellow-legged frog after reintroducing the endangered species into the wild. In 2016 they developed the Amphibian Research K9 team which currently includes not only larger breed dogs, but also a Chihuahua mix named Bighetti, who travels well in a backpack and can be transported to sites that are difficult for dogs to hike into. We couldn't find a social media feed for their program but we look forward to hearing more about their field season this year.

Another group that has worked with frogs is @roguedetectionteams whose dog Alli, along with bounder Heath Smith, searched for the endangered Oregon spotted frog. Their detections helped researchers better understand the species' current population distribution. Head over to their Facebook page to read more about this project.

We look forward to sharing updates on our coqui frog dogs in the coming months. Oh, and Happy Belated Frog Day which was March 20th! 🐸

📸 of @bighetti.and.eyvind and Rogue team by award-winning writer and conservation photographer @isabellegroc

Here is part 3 of our Q&A with Lauralea Oliver of

Here is part 3 of our Q&A with Lauralea Oliver of @k9inscentive ( Find all posts in this series with the hashtag #k9inscentiveQA )

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CDH: What field gear and dog equipment do you swear by?

Lauralea:

1) Old school Kong ball with hole - It's easy to add a rope through it or change out the rope. Some of my dogs, such as George, like the heavy dense ball in regards to mouth feel. And it's safer than a regular ball because of the hole (so dog can breathe in case it accidentally gets stuck in mouth). @kongcompany

2) Outfox hoodies - I use these regularly on the dogs during foxtail season. I highly recommend it if working around noxious weeds. @outfoxfordogs

3) Tactical belt - It's wide and comfortable. sits on the hips, and I can hang all kinds of things on it like water bowl, water bottle, ball pouch, GPS device, etc. It can even replace a backpack.

📸 1: Lauralea wearing a tactical belt and holding K9 Muon
📸 2: K9 George enjoys his Kong ball even through the Outfox hoodie!

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We've really enjoyed chatting with Lauralea, so we’re going to do a few more posts in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

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