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Virginia Tech

Citizen Science: Training Pet Dogs to Detect the Spotted Lanternfly

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Dogs have been used alongside humans as detection tools for centuries. There have been a multitude of studies published that demonstrate the accuracy and utility of detection dogs, more specifically conservation scent detection dogs. With ubiquitous agricultural threats in the United States, there is a need for a tool to help decrease the threat level. Pet dogs could be the answer. There are millions of pet dogs in the United States and with the success of the dog sport nose work there is the potential to use pet dogs as detection tools. In this proof-of-concept study, six pet dogs were trained to detect the spotted lanternfly. The dogs completed a training phase and five tests. The mean sensitivity of the six dogs, for the five tests, was 79.75%. The mean PPP of the six dogs, for all five tests, was 66.79%. The results suggest that these six dogs could be beneficial detection tools for the Spotted Lanternfly. Based on the findings in this study, pet dogs could be invaluable in the field of conservation scent detection.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Animal and Poultry Sciences
Department dc:contributor.department
Animal and Poultry Sciences
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2021

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Decker, Hannah
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Feuerbacher, Erica N.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Hall, Nathaniel J.
  • Bergamasco, Luciana

Subjects

dc:subject × 5

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
vt_gsexam:32411
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/105006

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Decker, Hannah. Citizen Science: Training Pet Dogs to Detect the Spotted Lanternfly. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2021. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/105006