Certified training for medical detection dogs
The elaboration and implementation of a first standardized “Certified Training in Medical Detection Dogs (CTMDD)” for Dog Handlers or Educators in order to provide to the required essentials knowledge for the practice of this new discipline.
Country
Canada
What does the project solve?
Providing a standardized, certified training to dog handlers or canine educators involved in disease detection of human diseases to enable accuracy of their research and performance in their detection abilities.
- Dr Eric Troncy
The number of canine teams involved in the detection of human diseases is increasing sharply. The lack of methodology could be a hindrance to the proper conduct of their research. Often, dog handlers or educators involved in disease detection have received initial training in the detection of drugs, explosives, bedbugs, etc. The detection of disease is based on common bases, but each with its own specificities, including sense of work, medical secrecy, traceability, multidisciplinary, repeatability, participation in clinical trials, etc.
Conduct a representative inventory of existing dog handler’s training programs to point out the differences between the programs, public vs. private programs. Also identify some habits / techniques used in detection programs. Identifying the limitations of these programs / habits in the perspective of a work in medical detection.
Design a training program offered by universities dedicated to dog handlers / educators working in medical detection programs as a Continuing education for professionals, endorsed by FMV and UPEC: Speakers’ recruitment and content production.
Open Enrollment, first pilot training delivered in French for the targeted audience.
Extend Enrollment, certification of the training on a regular basis. Translation into English and Spanish.
Certified training validated in North America (Canada, US) and Europe, supplementing dogs handlers training in the field of human health.
The elaboration and implementation of a first standardized “Certified Training in Medical Detection Dogs (CTMDD)” for Dog Handlers or Educators in order to provide to the required essentials knowledge for the practice of this new discipline. In the long term, this shall minimize the impact of the human factor, a major obstacle to reproducibility.
