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Amphibian and Reptile Detection Dogs

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Amphibian and Reptile Detection Dogs

Ecologist, great crested newt detection dog handler and PhD student at the University of Salford

07/08/2026

These two beautiful cockers have been doing me incredibly proud over the last couple of weeks 🐶💙

Bandit and Bluey have been working their way across a huge catchment, using their noses to help narrow down areas of interest for further investigation by our brilliant Stream Clean Team 🔎💧

When we first started exploring the use of detection dogs for wastewater, it was understandably met with some scepticism. It was a completely new way of working and something that needed to prove its value.

Seeing how far the programme has come since then has been incredibly rewarding. The results and impact are speaking for themselves, and what was once an unfamiliar approach is increasingly becoming a trusted part of our pollution investigation toolkit.

But ultimately, it’s about what happens after the dogs indicate. By helping us focus investigations and identify potential sources of contamination more efficiently, they’re supporting the wider team to find and resolve issues that could otherwise impact our rivers and streams. 🌊🌿

It’s amazing to be working at the forefront of pollution reduction and seeing these dogs play a genuine role in protecting our waterways.

Very proud of these two and of the incredible team behind them. 🐾💙

18/07/2026

🎤 This week I was Invited to deliver wastewater detection dog demonstrations at the Wessex Water Treatment Network event… I expected around 20–30 people, but we ended up presenting to 102 people on Tuesday and 70 on Thursday! 😱

🐕 Despite the biggest audiences we’ve ever demonstrated to, Bandit and Bluey were absolute superstars and took everything in their stride. We even captured some drone footage afterwards, which they completely ignored.

🌅 The rest of the week meant 4 am starts in Cerne Abbas with Newky, carrying out great crested newt surveys before road plates were removed. These linear searches are one of his strengths, and although the grass was much higher than expected, we adapted and got the job done.

💙 Another week reminding me just how versatile these incredible dogs are. So proud of all three of them! 🐾

27/06/2026

What a week!

After landing back from holiday on Sunday, it was straight into one of the biggest weeks of my career.

🎓 On Tuesday, I successfully passed my PhD viva with minor amendments – an incredible milestone after six years of research into environmental detection dogs and great crested newt conservation.

💧 I also had the privilege of attending the Water Industry Awards, where , alongside our training partners , were shortlisted for both Pollution Mitigation Initiative of the Year and Wastewater Project of the Year. While we didn’t come away with a win, being recognised as finalists in such competitive categories is something we’re all incredibly proud of. It reflects the innovation, collaboration and dedication that has gone into developing the wastewater detection dog programme.

🐾 The week finished back where I love being most – out in the field with Obi and Newky, starting early to beat the heat while supporting a capital project through great crested newt detection work.

From defending years of PhD research, to celebrating industry recognition, to being back in the field with the dogs, it’s been a week that perfectly sums up why I love what I do.

Now it’s on to the minor amendments before officially completing the PhD!

PhD WessexWater WaterIndustryAwards

03/06/2026

A fantastic day in Cambridge speaking at the UK Semiochemistry Network Meeting.

I had the opportunity to present part of my PhD research, looking at odour discrimination in amphibians and how detection dogs can differentiate between species. I also shared some exciting laboratory work undertaken in collaboration with the University of Wolverhampton, where we analysed amphibian scent samples using solid-phase microextraction, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry.

The results identified compounds unique to great crested newts, compounds unique to anurans, and many that overlapped between species, providing fascinating insights into amphibian chemical ecology and the odours available to detection dogs.

I also thoroughly enjoyed listening to the other presentations. A huge thank you to Stefano Vaglio for inviting me to speak and for his support and collaboration throughout this chapter of my PhD. I’m looking forward to publishing these results in the future and sharing more about what we’ve discovered.

🦎🐾🔬

29/05/2026

As temperatures rise, so does the importance of managing the welfare of our detection dogs. 🐾☀️

At Wessex Water, the welfare of our dogs is always our top priority, and during periods of hot weather, we adapt how we work to ensure they remain safe, comfortable, and able to perform at their best.

This week has seen some very early starts, with alarms going off at 4am before heading down to Dorset for surveys. With a two-hour drive each way, we plan our days carefully and aim to complete searches by around 9am before temperatures begin to climb.

Some of the measures we put in place include:

🐾 Ensuring fresh water is always readily available
🐾 Rotating dogs regularly to prevent fatigue
🐾 Providing rest periods in our air-conditioned canine vehicle between searches
🐾 Continuously monitoring each dog’s condition and temperature
🐾 Assessing surfaces such as tarmac, manhole covers and other infrastructure that can heat up rapidly in urban environments
🐾 walking in shaded areas between searches

One of the most important things to remember is that every dog is different. Some dogs cope well with warmer conditions, while others reach their threshold much sooner. Understanding each dog’s individual needs and recognising the earliest signs of heat stress is a key part of responsible handling.

The dogs may love working, but it’s our responsibility to make the right decisions for them. Sometimes that means shorter searches, more breaks, earlier starts, or even postponing work altogether.

Working dogs can only do their job effectively when their welfare comes first, and that’s exactly how we approach every deployment. 🐶💙

14/05/2026

What an incredible few days having our annual assessments with Conservation K9 Consultancy for my great crested newt detection dogs 🦎🐾

For those who know me know I’m a huge advocate for training, assessments, and continuous professional development to ensure we continue maintaining high professional standards. It’s how we’ve grown so much since I established the Wessex Water detection dog programme back in 2018.

Because I work quite independently, it’s especially important that both the dogs and I are continually assessed and supported. Finding the right trainer by your side is so important, someone who will support you, be honest, and provide constructive refinement and recommendations in a collaborative and supportive way.

Louise is a wealth of knowledge. She focuses on every aspect required for successful deployment, including handling techniques, fluidity, synergy, partnership, trust, health and welfare, arousal levels, and ensuring the dogs continue working with confidence and happiness, alongside considering their lifestyle and diet outside of work.

Every year brings new challenges, whether that’s changing project demands, adapting operational requirements, or natural behavioural changes as the dogs mature and develop. Having experienced trainers and assessors around you is invaluable for maintaining standards while also protecting the welfare and wellbeing of the dogs.

A massive thank you to Louise and Conservation K9 Consultancy for the continued support, guidance, and honest feedback. The dogs did me incredibly proud, and we are excited to continue operational deployment throughout 2026/27 on great crested newt odour.

We’ve come away with lots to reflect on, refine, and continue building on as a team 🐾

27/04/2026

Happy 2nd birthday to our wastewater detection dogs, Bandit and Bluey 🐾

These boys have been helping us keep our waterways clean with their expert noses here at Wessex Water.

Their work has also contributed to us and our partners Cape SPC being finalists at the Water Industry Awards for Wastewater Programme of the Year and Pollution Mitigation Initiative, something we’re incredibly proud of.

Here’s to many more finds (and a few well-earned toys and chews along the way).

Let’s wish Bandit and Bluey a very happy 2nd birthday 🎉🐾

24/04/2026

Happy National Newt Day everyone 🦎

We’ve just returned from a newt search down in Dorset supporting an urgent repair scheme. One of the greatest advantages of detection dogs is the time they save, allowing construction teams to commence works quickly and with confidence.

Last year alone, this approach delivered around £30k in savings and helped avoid up to two years of potential project delays.

11/04/2026

Huge thank you to The National Nosework Association for inviting us to present at their awards weekend 🙌

I loved sharing my journey into detection dog handling, my PhD research, and how we’ve built the detection dog programme at Wessex Water, from great crested newt conservation 🦎 to tackling wastewater issues 💩.

A special thank you to Louise Wilson for recommending me for the talk—I really appreciate the support! Big thank you to Tommy Blackwell for helping with the demo ☺️.

I also spoke about the importance of collaboration with experienced trainers in the field-working with Conservation K9 Consultancy on newt detection and Cape SPC on wastewater has been key to strengthening the programme. I’m a big advocate for professional training and continuous professional development in this space.

And of course… the dogs absolutely smashed their demos 🐶💪 So proud of them!

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