Discussion on:

Dogs sniff out early-stage lung cancer

Between sniffing out cancer, expolsives, drugs and those dogs that are trained for law enforcement / military purposes, I can't help but appreciate what a dog's nose is capable of. And you can't forget the services provided by companion/guide dogs. In general, a properly trained pup is just plain good for us...

"Some are already working on ???electronic noses??? that would be able to detect the same chemical as dogs"

Why not just use dogs?

if the researchers do not know what the dogs are reacting to, how were the dogs trained??
Are you saying it is a natural reaction for the dog to sit when they sniff cancer VOCs?

I guess I need to get a dog. My cats will come snuggle with me when I am 48 hours from dying. At least the dog will give me longer warning. - except I have never been a smoker.

Must ... not ... post ... cat ... scan ... and ... lab ... report ... joke

I am fortunate to have one that can detect my seizures. My life has literally been extended so far.

They can call this, "DBDS or Doggie Breath Detection Systems".

My Chakli (Coal, in my language) smells my breath whenever I get back in the pickup after going into a store, & his reaction to food smells is markedly different from non-food smells. It's a lot like being a teen-ager again, & having my breath smelled to see if I had been drinking. If I don't bring him something from the table, I get The Dirtiest Looks.....
His predecessor, Wa Ska (Snow White, in my language), could scent rattlesnakes at a solid 100 feet, & she would snarl like a tiger. Considering her otherwise sweet disposition, this was a great thing, since I live in the country..
My dog who went to university with me, Sandy, was deadly about marijuana, & would bite anyone who had that smell on them.. GOOD DOG, Sandy! And Sandy was never wrong about whether a person was friendly or dangerous, either. Handy if giving rides to hitchikers in bad weather - they put their hands up near the window-opening & let him smell them. If he wagged his tail, they were good. If he tried to eat the glass, they had to look for another ride. And he was absolutely never wrong, in 17 years..
All of them natural (ie, not taught / learned behaviors). This is nothing new. But is good to see just the same.

My dog used to warn me about heart attacks, lung cancer and the like, and I was so grateful that I wrote him into my will. Now he doesn't warn me anymore!

Just kidding!

No, dogs are bundles of furry love... like my old girlfriend, Neanda. It is a good indicator of how twisted Islam is, in that it vilifies them, or at least, interacting with them.

Ya gotta love a dog!