Guernsey puppies to be trained to detect diseases

A Guernsey woman is sending 4 of her puppies to Milton Keynes to be trained at the charity Medical Detection Dogs.

The group teaches dogs to detect the odour of human diseases like cancer through samples like urine, breath and swabs.

Andie Fuller will send her dogs to the charity where they will be taught to detect even the slightest of changes in an individual's personal odour when it is triggered by a disease.

The charity say that all dogs and breeds have the ability to detect cancer and other diseases but they will select certain breeds that that have a high hunting instinct.

The length of time it takes for a dog to be trained can be up to 8 months but the charity say it depends on the dog.

Using dogs can help in detecting diseases like prostate cancer that are usually difficult to diagnose.

The group are also researching into whether dogs can detect other illnesses like Parkinson's disease, malaria and bacterial infections.