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Substance Detection Golden Retrievers: Explosives
During World War I, the British were the first to employ
the talents of explosive detection canines when they
were trained to find land mines. Trained dogs, with their keen sense of smell, have proven to be
the most effective means known for detecting explosive materials.
While explosives detection dogs have come into increasing use by enforcement and security
agencies, the need for explosive detection has
skyrocketed in our post-9/11 environment. Explosives or Bomb Detection Dogs are
actually now an important tool in defending
America. Having to be great scent
dogs, they must also maintain focus in the face of countless distractions,
carefully and
thoroughly search structures and vehicles for target odors, and alert
when they detect the scent of an explosive. Taught to alert in a
"passive" manner, these dogs are able to indicate the target
odor's
location without ever touching it.
Good candidates for training evidence the following: intelligence, ability to
remain calm even in the presence of loud noise, ability to stay focused in the
presence of distractions, and a compulsive desire to play with a toy.
The Nose Knows
(Pups for Peace)
An average human being has 125 million smelling cells
in the nasal passage. In a German shepherd's nose, 250 billion smelling cells go
to work to detect what the canine has been trained to find. To illustrate: A
person walking down the street can pass a bakery, take a whiff, and
think--bread. In comparison, a dog passing the bakery would think--flour, water,
sugar, salt, yeast.... Scientists estimate that a dog's nose
is from 100 to 10 million times more sensitive than a human's. In laboratory
tests, explosives detector dogs were able to detect odor concentrations as small
as one to two parts per billion; in several tests, the dogs detected
concentrations too small to measure with current equipment, At Auburn
University's Canine Olfactory Detection Laboratory, one of the lowest detection
limits identified so far is 500 parts per trillion. Dogs
often work in environments that involve contact with strong odors such as car
exhaust. Studies have shown that dogs are remarkably good at detecting a target
odor even when mixed with high concentrations of extraneous odors. An as-yet
unquantifiable combination of intelligence and smell sensitivity makes it
possible for dogs to discriminate between clashing odors. They can filter out
"junk smells" and zero in on one scent. The same thing happens if someone tries
to mask the presence of explosives in a suitcase. An FAA dog can detect dynamite
through dirty diapers, or C-4 through smelly socks. Remarkably, dogs have been
known to locate a case of dynamite buried 2 ft. in the ground. This ability to
discriminate between odors is important because a terrorist might try disguising
a bomb with strong smells like coffee or perfume. But that's not likely to fool
a well-trained bomb dog. Research into the mechanism of dog
smelling and discrimination is being conducted by the government and by private
agencies with the goal of creating handheld devices to replicate a trained dog's
performance; but even with the capability of detecting the smallest molecular
presence in the air, no machine has yet been able to duplicate the success of a
trained dog. In fact, there are still no machines sophisticated enough yet to
measure the power of a dog's nose. |
ATF's Explosives Detection Canine Program
Applying knowledge from its accelerant
detection program, the ATF developed a scientifically based
program that trains dogs to detect a myriad of different explosives.
After a 10 week program, these dogs have been conditioned to detect exp losives,
explosives residue, and postblast evidence. Because of
their conditioning to smokeless powder and other explosive fillers,
these canines can also detect firearms and ammunition hidd en in
containers and vehicles, on persons and buried underground. ATF
certification, all dogs must pass a blind test wherein they must
successfully detect 20 different explosives odors, two of which they
were never exposed to during training.
ATF uses a food
and praise reward training methodology that exposes canines to five
basic explosives groups, including chemical compounds used in an
estimated 19,000 explosives formulas. It is believed that exposing canines to
various explosives from the basic explosive families will give the dog
the ability to detect the widest range of commercial or improvised
explosives possible when working in the field. Successful detection of
an explosive or firearm earn the canine a food and praise reward, which
encourages repetition. As a public service, ATF
sponsors educational programs and training for schools, civic groups, and other
law enforcement agencies about explosives and firearms, explosives and firearms
detection, and other safety issues. During many of these programs, a canine team
will promote community safety issues through prevention and detection
demonstrations.
Puppies Behind
Bars Explosive Detection Canine Program
Because of the events
surrounding September 11, 2001 and its aftermath, law
enforcement agencies' need for dogs have increased. Our
organization is honored to have been selected to help agencies
meet these needs.
Since September 11th, a number
of individuals and companies have gone into the business of training
explosive detection dogs, but they have done so with very little
knowledge of how to accurately train such dogs and with little
regard of the quality of life the dogs have. As a result, dogs that
are improperly trained, worked too hard and with too many different
handlers, or are "cross-trained" (trained to sniff both bombs and
drugs, for example) are making their way into public life. It is
probably just a matter of time before one of these dogs misses a
bomb or makes a wrong decision which could have serious
consequences. By comparison, PBB is honored to work with the NYPD
Bomb Squad and other law enforcement agencies because we have
visited their training headquarters, we have seen the love between
handlers and their dogs, we have seen the conditions under which the
dogs live while they are being trained and we know that the dogs,
once trained, do not live in kennels but live at home with their
trainers. Two bomb
technicians from the NYPD Bomb Squad visited the Edna Mahan
Correctional Facility for Women to meet and thank the women for the
work they are doing. One of the bomb sniffing dogs currently in the
NYPD Bomb Squad, "Sheeba," was raised at the Edna Mahan facility and
came back with her handler, Police Officer Paul Perricone, as a
graduate of the NYPD's program. It was wonderful to have Officer
Perricone come back and thank the inmate who raised his dog, for at
that moment, it wasn't a police officer talking to an inmate; it was
a bomb technician who spends his days making New York City safe for
private citizens — and who depends on his dog to make the right
decisions — speaking with the young woman who raised this incredible
dog. All labels and barriers were nonexistent as two people
discussed the pride and joy who sat between them, eagerly wagging
her tail and looking up at people she loved.
Puppies Behind Bars gives inmates the
opportunity to contribute to society rather than take from it, and
lets law enforcement see that inmates are capable of doing something
positive for the community. |
U.S. Immigration & Customs Enforcement
Explosive Detection
Dog (EDD) Teams
The mission of the Explosive Detector Dog (EDD) Teams is
the protection of life and property and providing a strong visible and
psychological deterrence against criminal and terrorist acts. Prior to the
terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, the Federal Protective Service had a minimal program of 10 EDD
Teams located in the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan area. Since that time, the
program has expanded to more than 60 teams nationwide. These teams conduct routine explosive searches of office areas, vehicles, materials,
packages and persons housed in federally owned or leased facilities. And, they respond to bomb threats and suspicious packages or items and are used to
assist in clearing identified areas. Further, they deploy to special events such
as the Olympic games, the Republican and Democratic National Conventions, and
the G-8 Summit.
The Canine Training
Academy is located in Fort McClellan, Alabama and is conducted in partnership
with the Auburn University Canine Detection Training Center. Each handler and
respective canine attends the mandatory 10-week EDD Handler Training Course. The
handlers and their canine partners graduate from the course as a team.
These highly trained and dedicated EDD Teams are on call 24-hours a day and
serve a crucial role as part of a greater network of first responders in a
growing national network of federal task force officers.
TSA's
National Explosives Detection Canine Team
 Law enforcement officers from all over the country
travel to the our Explosives Detection Canine Handler Course at Lackland Air
Force Base in San Antonio, TX where they are paired with a canine
teammates. These dogs are bred specifically for the program by their puppy
program, also at Lackland AFB. After dog and handler are paired
up, the new team completes a rigorous 10-week course to learn to locate and
identify a wide variety of dangerous materials while working as an effective
unit. This training includes search techniques for aircraft, baggage, vehicles
and transportation structures, as well as procedures for identifying dangerous
materials and "alerting" or letting the handler know when these materials are
present.
The puppy program depends on volunteer families in the San Antonio
and Austin, TX area. Potential puppy walker foster homes must have a secure
fenced yard, a vehicle in which the pup can be transported, and no more than
two other dogs in the home already. Puppy walkers foster the pups in their
homes from about 9 weeks until 12 months of age.
During this time
they are responsible for providing the pups with a
well-rounded, socialized and nurturing environment. To help, there is an
orientation before receiving the pup, a puppy raising guidebook, and the staff
is available anytime for questions or emergencies. The program also supplies
food, equipment, and medical care for the puppies while in foster care. The
puppies are returned to the program for one week each month for medical and
behavioral evaluation, the puppy walker provided with feedback on how the puppy is developing.
At about
on year of age, the
pups are returned to the program to start their official training. If
interested in the becoming a volunteer Puppy walker, please complete this
Puppy
Walker Foster Home Application Once the program receives your
application, it will be reviewed and a staff member will contact you with further
details. Learn more about this important profession and meet some wonderful
explosive detection Goldens below.
 TaleTell: Your own Stories of Explosives Detection Goldens
Meet some wonderful, hard-working detectors.
And, if you have an Explosive Detection Golden tale to tell,
just send it, along with photos, to:
ba
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