Nature conservation with noses: dogs set new standards in Lower Austria!

Nature conservation with noses: dogs set new standards in Lower Austria!

Landesmuseum St. Pölten, 3100 St. Pölten, Österreich - On December 4, the association nature conservation dogs in the State Museum of St. Pölten was awarded the respected Lower Austrian Nature Conservation Award 2024. This honor not only recognizes the commitment of the association for nature and species protection, but also the extraordinary achievements of his animal helpers. The specially trained dogs of the association play a decisive role in the detection of endangered species by recognizing extraordinary smells that often remain invisible to humans. For example, the dogs determine the feces of rare animals such as wildcats and lynx or find the extremely rare red Apollo moth. Leopold Slotta-Bachmayr, the initiator of the association, emphasizes the high benefit of this methodology: “What is a game with great reward for the dogs has an incomparable added value for nature conservation.”

The training of these detection dogs is carried out by well -founded training courses, which are completed with strict exams. This ensures that only the best human-dog teams are in use, which significantly increases the efficiency and productivity of nature conservation. The association, which has implemented numerous projects since 2019, also plays a role as an ambassador for nature and species protection, such as Ute Nüsken, an active dog handler. The dogs often arouse the public interest and help to raise awareness of the importance of nature conservation.

diverse courses and positive reinforcement

When training the animals, those responsible also rely on positive reinforcement, as dogportverband.at . This method, which runs through all courses like a thread through all courses, is crucial for the trust that the dog has to show to its guide. Regardless of whether it is about training a loyal companion for the family or steering training in different directions - avoiding violence is a central goal. The association also offers trial lessons to give interested parties an insight into the various training directions.