Dog Health Questions: How are dogs trained to detect cancer?

I've heard that dogs can detect certain cancers in either urine or the breath. But how do they teach them? Like how do they teach them what 'cancer' smells like? Or is it just by instinct.

Dog Training - How NOT To Train Your Dog

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Hi,

I was watching a TV show, and they talked about the first dog who taught herself to sniff out the cancer cells.

Others they teach with some samples of actual cancer put into veils, and then placed on a long work area, about 10' long with separated buckets about 2' apart. Then the dog picks out the right sample, and gets it's reward - to play with a toy or something.

Another system - call it a little more advanced is to put small tissue samples on the back of band aids, then place them on a test subject wearing a swimsuit. The dog sniffs out the band-aids with the cancer cells, not the other ones with something like ham or whatever.

One time they had a dog repeatedly go back to a "non-cancer" test area. So they tested that patient again, and found cancer in that person.

Good Luck!

Electronic Dog Training Collars

• Each specific cancer has an odour, similar to cured meat. They match perfectly, it's really quite amazing. So, you basically train the dog to identify the smell of a certain meat and react to it > sitting, barking, laying down, etc.
  
  Then, you practice on a human! If that person has a specific cancer, your dog will notify you! There is one downside, the dog could be giving you a false diagnosis IF the person has eaten any cured meat, has cured meat in their pocket, or has rubbed cured meat on their clothing. This doesn't usually happen, so don't worry. Happy cancer finding!