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Discussion => Shipping => Topic started by: Shroomeister on June 28, 2012, 12:23 am

Title: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: Shroomeister on June 28, 2012, 12:23 am
All the awesome vac pack and stealth aside .....anyone have any REAL info as to if dogs can/are trained to smell shrooms?
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: oscarzululondon on June 28, 2012, 12:42 am
It depends what type of dog. In Italy they use pigs to find and smell shrooms under the ground (truffles), so I can't imagine it's that hard to train dogs, although I doubt general drugs dogs are trained for this due the fact it's simply not worth it.

In order to train a dog to sniff something you have to get the dog addicted to that drug, and shrooms aren't that common and must all smell different so I doubt there's dogs that can sniff a particular genus of shroom.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: oscarzululondon on June 28, 2012, 01:45 am
typically a dog in america is trained to smell only weed, coke, heroin, meth, or mdma.

In the USA, passive dogs (those used in mail sorting centers) aren't trained to smell MDMA.

Weed, coke and meth is correct.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: jameslink2 on June 28, 2012, 02:11 am
It depends what type of dog. In Italy they use pigs to find and smell shrooms under the ground (truffles), so I can't imagine it's that hard to train dogs, although I doubt general drugs dogs are trained for this due the fact it's simply not worth it.

Ok, I am going to go out on a limb here. You can not train a dog to sniff shrooms (Defined as Ps. Cubensis, Tampanensis, or Mexicana). I spent 4 months trying to teach my lab to sniff them out. Thought it mite be an easy way to find wild's growing around my area. When he got the idea, it was any mushroom. The upside was I found Honey Mushrooms, Puffballs, Boletes, and several others.

As to truffles, have you ever smelled a fresh truffle? They have a pungent odor and can be smelled while out on the counter. It is very distinctive and easy to spot. The reason Pigs are used is they naturally love them and hunt them. They don't train them to find the truffles they use pigs that go after them on instinct.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: oscarzululondon on June 28, 2012, 02:27 am
As to truffles, have you ever smelled a fresh truffle? They have a pungent odor and can be smelled while out on the counter. It is very distinctive and easy to spot. The reason Pigs are used is they naturally love them and hunt them. They don't train them to find the truffles they use pigs that go after them on instinct.

Most of what you said is correct, but they do have to train pigs to go after truffles.

Pigs don't have some built in bit of their DNA to go after smelly truffles, pigs will eat almost anything. They need to be trained, otherwise it isn't economically worth it.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: jameslink2 on June 28, 2012, 02:37 am
Most of what I have read about truffle pigs has said that they take a group of piglets out and let them do there thing. The ones that naturally go for truffles are selected to be used. Although Wikipedia does say they are trained. Many sites state that they are trained to not eat them and they have a natural love for them.

However, I have no experience with pigs hunting truffles.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: Shroomeister on June 28, 2012, 03:42 am
Right. Im aware of pigs and truffles. And Im sorry I should have been more specific. Im speaking Domestic U.S.

I know edibles are shipped around on the regular, so I would imagine that it would be hard to actually train anything to know the difference between all the kinds of shrooms out there.

I appreciate the rapid and awesome responses everyone
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: direwolf on June 28, 2012, 04:21 am
Quote
In order to train a dog to sniff something you have to get the dog addicted to that drug, and shrooms aren't that common

This is simply not true. You just get the dog to think his tennis ball or whatever smells a certain odor.


 Also I know they use pigs to smell out truffles never heard of dogs doing this (however i don't doubt it).
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: IstanbulwasConstantinople on June 29, 2012, 04:15 pm
Quote
Also I know they use pigs to smell out truffles never heard of dogs doing this (however i don't doubt it).

Actually dogs are preferred to pigs for truffle sniffing because they don't try to eat the truffles.  Anyone who thinks dogs can't be trained to smell fungi is a more than a little delusional ...
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: Shroomeister on June 29, 2012, 04:47 pm
Quote
Also I know they use pigs to smell out truffles never heard of dogs doing this (however i don't doubt it).

Actually dogs are preferred to pigs for truffle sniffing because they don't try to eat the truffles.  Anyone who thinks dogs can't be trained to smell fungi is a more than a little delusional ...

I'm not sure anyone said they think that.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: IstanbulwasConstantinople on June 29, 2012, 05:10 pm
Quote
In order to train a dog to sniff something you have to get the dog addicted to that drug, and shrooms aren't that common and must all smell different so I doubt there's dogs that can sniff a particular genus of shroom.

Sorry should have quoted.  I was referring to this type of thinking which is misguided at best and dangerous at worst.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: Shroomeister on June 29, 2012, 05:16 pm
Quote
In order to train a dog to sniff something you have to get the dog addicted to that drug, and shrooms aren't that common and must all smell different so I doubt there's dogs that can sniff a particular genus of shroom.

Sorry should have quoted.  I was referring to this type of thinking which is misguided at best and dangerous at worst.

Oh yeah. That. You are right. That's a totally idiotic comment.
Title: Re: USPS Dogs - smell shrooms?
Post by: Shroomeister on June 29, 2012, 06:39 pm
would you expect any better from our resident misinformation agent? :P

LOL I did not even scroll up to see who said it. that was just the second time I saw it quoted in this thread.