Conservation Canines

Conservation Canines

Type	Non-profit
Parent organization	University of Washington
Website	conservationbiology.uw.edu/conservation-canines/

Conservation Canines (CK9) is a non-profit organization that trains detection dogs and their handlers for the purposes of wildlife research. It is part of the Center for Conservation Biology at the University of Washington. Since 1997, led by Dr. Samuel Wasser, Conservation Canines has worked internationally with species ranging from the Pacific Pocket Mouse^[1] and the Jemez Mountains salamander,^[2] to Killer whales^[3] and Tigers.^[4] Conservation Canines' training facility is located in Eatonville, WA. Current and former client partners include The Nature Conservancy, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Forest Service, as well as various Universities and state and local agencies.

Rescue Dogs

Conservation Canines sources their dogs from shelters and rescue organizations. Tucker (dog) is their most famous CK9. Dogs are trained using a ball (or toy) reward system. Their belief is that the rescue dogs they adopt possess a drive to play which is unmatched in its intensity when compared with any one specific breed. Thus, the dogs which work in the most focused, consistent way, are those that are typically ill-suited to the average home; they require structured play for long periods of time otherwise they develop destructive or neurotic behaviors.^[5]

References