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Dogs create a ‘mental representation’ of objects they smell
“Although they had obviously noticed the toy, they continued to search via smell, probably for the toy that had been used to lay the scent trail.”
Scientists say dogs have concrete expectations when tracking scents 

A new study suggests that dogs create a ‘mental representation’ of objects they perceive through smell. What’s more, they show signs of surprise if they find an unexpected object at the end of the scent trail.

Whilst dogs are renowned for their excellent sense of smell, little research has been done on how they perceive objects through scent.

A study published in the Journal of Comparative Psychology tested 48 dogs, 25 of which were police or search and rescue dogs. The remainder were family dogs with no specialised training.

During a pre-test, scientists identified two toys that each dog liked to retrieve. Each dog then underwent four trials in which they followed a scent trail drawn with one of the two toys. At the end of the trail, the dogs either found the toy with which the track had been laid, or the other toy.

Study director Dr Juliane Bräuer said the dogs showed ‘hesitation’ during the first round of the ‘surprise’ condition, where they found a different toy at the end of the trail.

“Although they had obviously noticed the toy, they continued to search via smell, probably for the toy that had been used to lay the scent trail,” she explained.

However, this effect disappeared in the subsequent test rounds, which scientists say could be because they dogs were rewarded with games, regardless of which toy they found, or because the room still smelled of the toys from previous tests, despite being cleaned.

As expected, the police and rescue dogs retrieved the toys faster than the family dogs, but interestingly this effect also disappeared within four rounds.

Researchers say further studies will help to clarify the connection between smell perception, search behaviour and cognition.

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Vets to run marathon for World Animal Protection

News Story 1
 Two recently graduated veterinary surgeons will be running the London Marathon in April to raise money for the charity World Animal Protection.

Alex Bartlett and Maeve O'Neill plan to run the race together if they are given the same start times.

Dr O'Neill said: "You're always limited in what you can do to help animals, so it is nice to raise money for a charity that helps animals around the world."

Dr Bartlett added: "I have never run a marathon before and am excited to run my first one for such a good cause!"

Both Dr Bartlett and Dr O'Neill have fundraising pages online. 

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News Shorts
BSAVA releases new Guide to Procedures

The British Small Animal Veterinary Association (BSAVA) has published a new edition of its Guide to Procedures for Small Animal Practice.

It has added four new procedures; cystostomy tube placement, endotracheal intubation, point-of-care ultrasound and wet-to-dry dressings.

BSAVA says that it is an essential step-by-step guide to diagnostic and therapeutic procedures performed in practice. The textbook includes new images and illustrations, as well as high-definition videos for use prior to procedures.

Nick Bexfield and Julia Riggs, editors of the new edition, said: "We have built upon the success of the previous editions by responding to the feedback received from the BSAVA readership, and hope this new guide helps to further increase the confidence and accuracy with which these procedures are performed."

Print copies are available in the BSAVA store, with a digital version in the BSAVA library.