Science Buddies: "Ask an Expert"

I am doing an experiment on the above topic, and have a question. I am collecting dog saliva and testing it to see if it has antibacterial properties. In trying to do so, I have ran into a problem. I am collecting it using a sterile 10 mL syringe and need about 5mL. When I collect it, I will filter it onto a prepared Petri dish and test it using discs. The problem is I do not know how to collect the quantity of saliva I require because I don't know how to get my dog, a yellow lab, to generate saliva that I can collect using the syringe. I need to have this saliva soon so I can complete my experiment and write my research paper by December 10.

The most common cause of drooling in dogs is food, because dogs have many smell receptors. Sometimes even stimuli associated with food such as smells or sounds signaling meal times can cause a dog to drool. You could just hold a food bag near your dog, and the dog would salivate.