"New York Times bestselling author Maria Goodavage takes us on a thrilling, delightful, globe-trotting journey to discover the heartwarming and fascinating new world of doctor dogs."
I've long been interested in "all things dog," including their fascinating behavior, dog-human relationships, and how we and they can form reciprocal and mutually beneficial relationships. When I read award-winning writer Maria Goodavage's new book called Doctor Dogs: How Our Best Friends Are Becoming Our Best Medicine, I found a wealth of extremely interesting and important information about these and other areas of interest. For example, part of the book's description reads, "We meet dogs who detect cancer and Parkinson’s disease, and dogs who alert people to seizures and diabetic lows or highs and other life-threatening physical ailments. Goodavage reveals the revolutionary ways dogs are helping those with autism, anxiety, depression, schizophrenia, and post-traumatic stress disorder. And she introduces us to intrepid canines who are protecting us from antibiotic-resistant bugs, and to dogs who may one day help keep us safe from epidemic catastrophe. Their paycheck for their lifesaving work? Heartfelt praise and a tasty treat or favorite toy."
I wanted to learn more about Ms. Goodavage's new book and I was thrilled that she could take the time to answer a few questions about her forward-looking and well-researched book. Our interview went as follows.
Why did you write Doctor Dogs?
I’ve always been fascinated with the intersection of dogs and our health. I’m a science geek, and relished the excuse to take a deep dive into all the research that’s going on now in this realm. It’s an exciting new field, and the jobs these dogs are doing are important and often lifesaving. They do it all for loving praise, combined with a little treat or a favorite toy. But I think the ones who work one-on-one with people as service dogs also do it because they may sense how much they’re helping. I loved being able to uncover both the cutting-edge science and the poignant, inspiring, enlightening stories of the dogs and their people.
How does your latest book follow up on your long-time interest in dog-human relationships?
My previous books have focused on the dog-human bond in times of war, or during missions protecting the leaders of the free world. Those dogs, and other law-enforcement dogs, develop a profound bond with their handlers. Dog handlers who have deployed to war zones with their dogs say there is no deeper bond than the bond developed on and off the battlefields. They work together to keep one another safe and out of harm’s way, and their lives depend on this bond. It’s much the same with the dogs who help their people with physical and mental health issues.
Another similarity is the way bomb dogs and medical detection dogs use their noses to save lives. Doctor Dogs gets up close and personal with the marvelous olfactory capabilities of dogs, and just how much they can do.
Who is your intended audience?
The audience for this book is anyone who has ever loved a dog, and also people who enjoy reading about health topics, and even technology (thanks to some fascinating devices scientists are working on developing)! There’s even something in it for those who are more cat people than dog people. (A few feats of self-trained “clinician cats” made it into the book.)
What are some of the disorders dogs are detecting?
Most of the dogs in the book have been highly trained in detecting specific diseases and disorders, but I also write about a few seemingly “self-educated” doctor dogs. The book delves into the science and the stories of dogs who alert to a variety of issues, including low and high blood sugars for type 1 diabetes, the onset of seizures, cardiovascular issues including impending angina and heart attacks, mysterious paralysis and dystonia attacks, certain sleep disorders, anxiety or panic attacks, and disorders where people lose consciousness.
In research settings—where the pet dogs who go in to “work” have a ball (literally, or a treat, and lots of love and praise)—dogs have been able to accurately detect several types of cancer from samples of blood, urine, saliva, sweat, exhaled breath, and feces. Dogs are also sniffing out Parkinson’s, malaria, and a few deadly pathogens that spread quickly, especially in vulnerable populations. The implications for this research are far-reaching, exciting, and hopeful.
How so?
One day, what dogs are helping scientists uncover about the scent of cancer might lead to devices that can inexpensively, noninvasively, accurately detect early-stage cancer for some of the cancers that are often detected when it is too late. Cancer like that—ovarian—runs in my family, so I have skin in this game. I find it beautiful and heartwarming that dogs may help guide us with this technology. It adds another layer to the idea that dogs are humans’ best friends!
What was one of the biggest surprises in your research?
I found it fascinating that recent research is showing that dogs can smell emotions. Maybe those of us who have experienced how our dogs are so attuned us, and seem to comfort us when we are sick or down, will not be surprised by this. But I was surprised that science is bearing this out.
This knowledge is starting to be employed in the training of some service dogs. One facility in Indiana has a freezer and fridge stocked with “emotions”—saliva and sweat samples—from people experiencing anger, anxiety, panic, fear. The trainers use the scents to help dogs recognize these states for many people, and then specifically in the people with whom they’re eventually paired.
Your book really has a lot more to say beyond the ways in which dogs diagnose diseases and otherwise help people along. Many people benefit from "doctor dogs" and other sorts of relationships with their canine companions while some don't. I always say that regardless of "the science," if the relationship works for you and the dog. it's a win-win for all. Can you say something about how important it is that the dogs' well-being must be taken into account, because many people are concerned that it's a one-way relationship and what really matters is how the humans do, a point with which I disagree?
I have never heard anyone say that what really matters is the human, and the dog is not such a concern. That’s the opposite of everyone I dealt with during the extensive research for this book. The dogs are beloved, treated with profound love and respect. Without happiness going both ways, it’s not going to work. It’s all about the bond. These are not robots, they are treasured companions.
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Thank you, Maria, for such an insightful and fascinating journey into the world of doctor dogs. I hope your book enjoys a global audience, because numerous people around the world could benefit from having dogs help humans in diagnosing different conditions. And, of course, the relationship has to work for the dogs and the humans, as you note. I agree with Cat Warren when she writes, “Doctor Dogs is fascinating, beautifully researched and written—and deeply moving...Goodavage doesn’t shy away from the training challenges, the sometimes disappointing study results, and the problems with dishonest organizations taking advantage of desperate families. But the reader comes away feeling hope and profound admiration for the complex new roles that dogs are playing in helping humans—and for the dedicated researchers, trainers, and owners who work tirelessly and lovingly with our best friends.”
References
Bekoff, Marc. Secret Service Dogs: How Their Work Is Vital to Our Safety. (An interview with Ms. Goodavage about her book called Secret Service Dogs: The Heroes Who Protect the President of the United States.)
