This is an updated and modified version of a live presentation given at the Museum of Science in Boston, Massachusetts in February, 2020. I had never been more excited to be invited live to give a talk as this time, I had friends! Some training friends came, Captain got to show off his scentwork skills, and we got to talk with kids. It was so exciting to be backstage at the Museum of Science, my daughter's favorite place to go in the city, my sister came down from Maine with her family, students came to see us talk, I'm not going to lie. It was amazing. I felt like "we made it!"
This presentation was given once, then we were invited to come back for two more weekends leading up to the COVID19 crisis. We finished up, gave the stage to other performers who would come and engage with the museum patrons until the end of May when the exhibit was to move on to a new city....
Until Covid19 hit in mid-March, shutting down the museum and the "Dogs, A Science Tail" exhibit, which was the right call....
But, several of my daughter's classmates and schoolmates were planning on going to see the #DogsAScienceTail exhibit and missed it as it's a rotating exhibit.
I wanted to make sure that everyone who missed the exhibit was able to see something that could hopefully foster curiosity about dogs, remind them of the amazing gift dogs have (their sense of smell is not unlike Superman's X-ray vision - both can "see" through walls!) and I never turn down an opportunity to talk about aquaphobic black labradors who help researchers find whale poop.
(Yes. Whale poop. This was targeted to a younger audience and my daughter said kids like poop. So, I found the biggest poop story related to dogs I could find. It was a big hit!)
This presentation was given once, then we were invited to come back for two more weekends leading up to the COVID19 crisis. We finished up, gave the stage to other performers who would come and engage with the museum patrons until the end of May when the exhibit was to move on to a new city....
Until Covid19 hit in mid-March, shutting down the museum and the "Dogs, A Science Tail" exhibit, which was the right call....
But, several of my daughter's classmates and schoolmates were planning on going to see the #DogsAScienceTail exhibit and missed it as it's a rotating exhibit.
I wanted to make sure that everyone who missed the exhibit was able to see something that could hopefully foster curiosity about dogs, remind them of the amazing gift dogs have (their sense of smell is not unlike Superman's X-ray vision - both can "see" through walls!) and I never turn down an opportunity to talk about aquaphobic black labradors who help researchers find whale poop.
(Yes. Whale poop. This was targeted to a younger audience and my daughter said kids like poop. So, I found the biggest poop story related to dogs I could find. It was a big hit!)
So, if you're a kid watching this, see if you can answer how far below your feet can a dog smell? One standard 10' basketball hoop? Two? (Keep guessing!)
How can you teach your dog, right now, how to find food hides using the basic skills that cadaver dogs, cancer detection dogs, and police dogs use for detection?
What are the differences between passive alerts and active/aggressive alerts? (And why is it important explosive detection dogs do not give an active alert?)
So let's learn all about the dog's nose and how much we humans depend on it! And if you like this video, feel free to share with the kids (and curious adults!) in your life who are excited about dogs. Especially those who like museum experiences and would really enjoy learning about our best friends.
-M3
-M3
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