A national news agency recently ran a report about parents who hire canine narcotics detection teams to search the rooms of their teenaged children to ensure there are no illicit substances.  Schools use dog teams to keep their halls drug-free, or safe from threats from explosives.  While opinions on the use of dogs outside of police or military work vary greatly, there is little doubt that commercial canine detection is a growing industry.

Businesses recognize the value a trained detection canine can bring to their organization.  Concert venues and sports stadiums are safer because of the work of dedicated teams of explosives detection canines and handlers.  Homeowners are more confident with their purchase knowing there is no harmful mold growing inside their walls.  Hotels use detection dogs to ensure their rooms are free of bedbugs.  Lumberyards use detection dogs to find termites before they ruin their inventory.  The list goes on and on.

Detection dogs can be trained for a variety of uses.  If something produces a unique odor signature, a dog can be trained to find it.

Not every dog makes a suitable candidate for detection work.  Whether searching for narcotics, explosives, or truffles, selecting a dog with the right drive and temperament is vital to training for work in the field of detection.  Detection dogs possess high drive and strong motivation to work in a variety of situations and circumstances.

Once a dog has been imprinted on a specific odor, it is not something that can be changed.  It is also unwise to cross-train a dog for multiple odors.  One of the biggest reasons to avoid cross-training scents, according to Highland Canine Training, LLC’s Training Director, Jason Purgason, is that, “the response when a dog finds odor is different.  If a drug dog indicates on narcotics, there will likely be several people checking the area.  But when a dog indicates on explosive materials, the area is evacuated and EOD [Explosives Ordnance Disposal] technicians are called in.  If a dog is trained to indicate on both odors, it is impossible to know which response is appropriate.  The wrong response can endanger lives.”

That is not the only problem; however.  Confusion is another problem that can result from cross-training detection dogs on multiple scents.  It can hinder and even prevent the dog from working.  Cross-trained dogs in Search and Rescue operations – essentially large-scale detection work – who were trained in both live human odor detection and human remains detection were found to be confused by the different odors during the large-scale rescue and recovery operations following the 9/11 attacks.  The uncertainty surrounding those indications meant a lot of wasted energy, time, and effort during a time when lives depended on them.

Students who attend our Detection Trainers Course learn the fundamentals they need in order to train these spectacular animals to be successful in their work.  Students learn to test and select dogs for detection, how a dog uses his nose to pinpoint an odor, and how to train a dog to effectively search for a specific type of odor.  With the commercial detection industry growing each year, it is a great time to sign up for a course in canine detection.

Contact us by email training@highlandcanine.com or toll-free at 866.200.2207 for more information.