We have our own inhouse team of Conservation Detection Dogs both operational and in training. We currently have Leo our water vole and otter conservation detection dog, who is operational and has been fully assessed and accredited for carrying out water vole and otter searches. We have had great success using Leo on sites, who is much more effective at finding water vole latrines and otter spraints than us human ecologists. We also have Jack and Keira who are in training as great crested newt conservation dogs and are hoping to become operational in the near future.
Leo is a springer spaniel who loves swimming and jumping in and out of rivers. It therefore made sense to tailor his training to a riparian species, and as such he has been trained to search out signs of water voles and otter. Water voles can be very elusive, hiding away in dense vegetation at the toe of the riverbank, and their signs can often be missed by ecologists. However, Leo’s amazing sense of smell means that even where the water vole population is small, or where the are only a few individuals, he can confirm their presence on a site.
Leo began his training as a drug detection dog, before making the switch over to the conservation sector. Leo is bilingual, understanding commands in both English and French.
Jack joined the team in 2023, and has started his training to become a great crested newt detection dog. Jack also began his training searching out the odour of dead bedbugs, before moving on to sniffing out great crested newts. Jack has been working under the same licence as Keira during this training period. Jack has recently begun searching out wild great crested newts, and we are hoping he will be operational later this summer. Working together, we hope for Jack and Keira to be a great crested newt detection dream team.
Jack spends his free time carrying around his soft toys, racing around the garden and snoozing in his bed.
Keira is a working springer spaniel, and when she joined Morph Ecological Consultants, she became our first trainee conservation detection dog. Keira quickly showed her skills in searching, and it was decided to hone these skills for sniffing out great crested newts. Her initial training was to search out the odour of dead bedbugs (as these have a similar strength odour to great crested newts), before a licence was applied for her to train with the specially protected amphibians. Her training has been going really well, and we are hoping she will start working on projects for our clients later this year.
When not out searching for newts, Keira enjoys relaxing on the sofa and listening to Classic FM.
Eddy is a working cocker spaniel who loves sunbathing, sofa cuddles and (all of the) snacks. Eddy began training as a tobacco detection dog, before he had to retire from his training due to several health reasons.
Eddy is now an honorary member of the team who provides moral support where needed for both the human and dog members of the team. Eddy, like his brother is also bilingual, understanding commands in both English and French.
Morph Ecological Consultants is a member of the Ecology Detection Dog Working Group (EDDWG). The EDDWG is dedicated to developing and promoting high standards of animal welfare for ecology and conservation detection dogs, by advancing training standards and accreditation protocols, and the prioritisation of dog safety and welfare. Part of thier goal is to share knowledge widely to promote responsible dog use.
