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Ore-Sniffing Dogs Rediscovered By Mining Industry

Posted by samzenpus on from the chopper-fetch-gold dept.

An anonymous reader writes "In the 60s and 70s Sweden, Russia and Finland were the foremost players in the game of ore dogs, using dogs to sniff out ore deposits for mining. The technique was forgotten in the last century, but this article shows they're now being used again to discover ore deposits. From the article: 'The keen noses of sniffer dogs are proving so successful at locating ore that even the mining giants are sitting up and taking notice. Berenice Baker talks to Peter Bergman, geologist and CEO of the Swedish company OreDog, about his plans to turn the canine skills into a multi-million dollar global industry providing exploration services for the mining industry while offering a Google-like working environment for staff.'"

16 of 78 comments (clear)

  1. So I guess you could say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    they've created a new breed of rock hound?

    1. Re:So I guess you could say... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

      For under-sea mining can I get a rock lobster?

  2. Google-like work environment by artor3 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Dogs will be allowed to spend 20% of their time sniffing whatever they like!

    1. Re:Google-like work environment by stephanruby · · Score: 5, Interesting

      No. According to the founder, it's going to be 2/3 work, and 1/3 sniff whatever you want (thus exceeding the Googler's former practice).

      And he intends on having 200 to 300 employees, plus around 200 dogs. Right now, it's just him (1 employee) and his dog so far (1 dog). Or to be more accurate, his current company is at 1 employee and 1.2 dogs (I'm counting 0.2 dogs for the skin of the dog/wolf he's wearing on his head for the article).

      Also, he's looking for investors. And not just the big guys, he's willing to accept money from the little guys as well, because he's "willing to give everybody a chance".

    2. Re:Google-like work environment by TapeCutter · · Score: 2

      "willing to give everybody a chance" - Wow, where do I send the cheque?

      --
      And did you exchange a walk on part in the war for a lead role in a cage? - Pink Floyd.
  3. When do we get these... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    ...in Minecraft? I have a legion of about 20 tamed wolves now. If they could all sniff out the ores it would make the mining grind go a lot faster.

  4. Lassie by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Whats that Lassie , you have discovered a large deposit of unobtainium?

    1. Re:Lassie by Grayhand · · Score: 5, Funny

      Whats that Lassie , you have discovered a large deposit of unobtainium?

      And it's at the bottom of a well?

  5. Re:How they locate ore deep underground ? by ozmanjusri · · Score: 4, Funny
    You tell them there are bones down there.

    And wait.

    --
    "I've got more toys than Teruhisa Kitahara."
  6. "Ore-Sniffing Dogs Rediscovered" by circletimessquare · · Score: 4, Funny

    Oreo-sniffing dogs still useless, and annoying

    --
    intellectual property law is philosophically incoherent. it is your moral duty to ignore it or sabotage it
  7. ores by fizzer06 · · Score: 5, Funny

    Thems not ores, thems me sisters.

  8. Artificial sensors? by martas · · Score: 2

    Can someone explain to me the challenges and state of the art in creating artificial sensors capable of replicating, e.g., dog's amazing sniffing abilities, even if only for specific compounds (I imagine replicating the amazing generality of canine sniffers is for now "very sci-fi").

    --
    weinersmith
  9. Re:while offering a Google-like working environmen by Shag · · Score: 2

    And what would dogs want with foosball tables and beanba... okay, okay, I'll grant you the beanbag chairs.

    --
    Village idiot in some extremely smart villages.
  10. Meanwhile in China... by aaronb1138 · · Score: 3, Funny

    When asked for comment, China said they will continue just throwing 1000s of workers with pickaxes at large piles of rocks.

    At least I didn't make the other joke I thought of. Well I guess, if you insist.
    When asked for comment, Chinese officials stated that the mere offer of bringing a 60 lb bloodhound to mining sites increased productivity by 18%. When we asked a foreman about the increase in productivity, he said the minor miners were famished and welcomed the company of a friendly meal.

  11. Re:40 years is a century now. by devphaeton · · Score: 2

    We're talking about Sweden, Finland and Russia.

    40 years is a metric century.

    --


    do() || do_not(); // try();
  12. Dogs were used in Finland between 1962 - 1994 by livingboy · · Score: 2

    I did google search malmikoira and the first hit was document by Geographical survey of Finland.

    One fascinating fact from the document was, that drug sniffing dogs were developed based on the methods used in training of ore dogs.

    For non finnish readers perhaps documents bibliography gives some leads for real information instead of jokes:

    Aaltonen, U. & Unhola, K. 1999. Suomen koirat sodassa ja rauhassa. Gummerus. 1999.
    Ekdahl, E. 1976. Pielavesi: the use of dogs in prospecting. Journal of Geochemical Exploration 5
    (3), 296-298.
    Hamilton, S.M., Cameron, E.M., McClenaghan, M.B. & Hall, G.E.M. 2004. Redox, pH and SP
    variation over mineralization in thick glacial overburden. Part I: methodologies and field investi-
    gation at he Marsh Zone gold property. Geochemistry: Exploration, Environment, Analysis 4 (1),
    45-58.
    Hyvarinen, L. 1965. Selostus lohkare-etsintÃjà koskevasta tutkimuksesta jossa vertaillaan lohkare-etsintÃihin koulutetun koiran sekà kokeneen lohkare-etsijÃn keskinÃisià tyÃsuorituksia. Geo-
    logian tutkimuskeskus, Arkistoraportti M17/Vrs-65/2.
    Hyvarinen, L. 1997. Saatanan moluuppi. Espoo 1997.
    Kahma, A. 1965. Trained dog as tracer of sulphide bearing glacial boulders. Sedimentology 5;
    Atlas Vol. 1. No. 4.
    Kahma, A., Nurmi, A. & Mattsson, P. 1975. On the composition of the gases generated by sulphide-bearing boulders during wethering and on the ability of prospecting dogs to detect samples
    treated with these gases in the terrain. Geologian tutkimuskeskus. Tutkimusraportti 6.
    Laitakari, A. J. 1969. Koira malminetsijan apuna. Pielaveden ja Keiteleen Sanomat 25.4.1969.
    N:o 16, s. 6.
    Lindmark, B. 1987. Volframitutkimukset Kangasalan Ahvenlammin alueella vuosina 1983 -
    1985. 45 s. Geologian tutkimuskeskus, arkistoraportti, M 19/2142/-87/1/10
    Mattsson, P. 1979. Outokummun Sanomat. 43 (3), s. 18-19.
    Nilsson, G. 1971. The use of dogs in prospecting for sulphide ores. Geol. For. Stockholm Forh.,
    93, 725-728.
    Nilsson, G. 1973. Nickel prospecting and the discovery of the Mjovattnet mineralization, northern Sweden: a case history of the use of combined techniques in drift-covered glaciated terrain.
    Teoksessa: âoeProspecting in areas of glacial terrainâ. Institution of Mining and Metallurgy, London, 97-109.
    Orlov, A.P., Robonen, V.I. & Kirilenko, G.M. 1969. Geologicheskie poiski s rudorozysknumi
    sobakami. âNedreâ, Moskva. 47 s.