About this episode
Send us a text to say hello!Dogs have incredible noses, and can trained to search for the scent of human remains, bringing closure to those who are grieving and the opportunity to memorialize. As well as recent remains, they can also search for historic remains. We're joined by two experts in the field, Kim Cooper of Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue, and Cat Warren, author of the NYT-bestseller What the Dog Knows, to learn more about these dogs and the work that they do.We talk about:How Kim and Cat got started in working with human remains detection dogs and how the dogs are trainedHistoric human remains detection dogsHow these dogs can help with searches at the sites of former residential schools in CanadaThe emotional side of a search from the handler's perspective and the skills a handler needs to work with communitiesWorking with communities and the role of oral history in historical searchesWhat type of dog is best suited to this work (breed, personality, size, etc.)And finally, we talk about the books we're readingThe books we recommend:The Genius of Dogs: How Dogs Are Smarter Than You Think by Brian Hare and Vanessa WoodsNative Nations: A Millenium in North America by Kathleen DuValWords Are My Matter: Writings on Life and Books by Ursula Le GuinVanishing Treasures: A Bestiary of Extraordinary Endangered Creatures by Katherine RundellAlso mentioned:The work in Croatia is described in this article by Cat Warren https://www.independent.co.uk/tech/dog-archaeology-ancient-human-remains-bones-croatia-a9522776.htmlCat Warren at Bark! Fest (with Marc Bekoff and Zazie Todd) https://www.buzzsprout.com/2183505/episodes/16276537Cat Warren's books are What the Dog Knows: Scent, Science, and the Amazing Ways Dogs Perceive the World, and the Young Reader's Edition of What the Dog Knows. They are available wherever books are sold.Learn more about Kim Cooper on the Ottawa Valley Search and Rescue Dog Association website: https://www.ovsarda.on.ca/Learn more about Cat Warren: https://Support the showAbout the co-hosts: Kristi Benson is an honours graduate of, and now on staff with, the prestigious Academy for Dog Trainers and has her PCBC-A from the Pet Professional Accreditation Board. She lives in beautiful northern British Columbia, where she helps dog guardians through online
