Explosive Detection Dog

Detecting explosives: Dogs that are chosen for explosive detection work must not have aggressive reflexes towards explosives. The method used to train them is similar to the one used when training a dog to smell narcotics. The dog must learn to selectively discriminate the odor of the active device that is used in the preparation of explosives. Once the dog has learned to identify the smell of explosives, he will need to sit and indicate the place where the explosives are without getting too close or touching them. The dog needs to learn to move cautiously because of the danger explosives represent for both the dog and humans. These lessons are repeated over and over until the dog understands the responsibility of his job and has understood that he must sit and point. Touching an explosive could have detrimental consequences. Once the dog has learned bomb sniffing to the full, the next step will be to continue with the selection of other odors that have components which are used to make explosives. First the dog needs to learn to identify the basic component of the most common explosives, then with plastics and finally those that are used and made in houses because of the large amount of components that are used to make them. Continually training the dog to detect explosives, their excellent olfactory memory and ability to detect small quantities because of the smell, enables the dog to detect both weapons and explosives.
Sniffer dogs should not be used to do other types of work they were not trained for. Dogs that are used and trained as detectors of drugs and explosives must have an adequate resting place and they must be protected at all times. There are certain safety measures taken to protect the dogs from the possibility of being victims in sabotage or attempts by people involved. The dogs also have and must be under the constant care of veterinarians because of the physical and mental energy their job requires.