Bomb dogs are trained with the use of realistic explosive materials, not simulated scents. Each dog is taught to detect the particular scent of different explosive materials. By the end of their training, bomb dogs can detect about 15 different combinations of explosives — in trace samples and in bulk samples.
As ‘passive-alert’ dogs, bomb dogs learn to signal the presence of anything suspicious by taking an unassisted ‘sit’ position near a suspected explosive device. When explosive detection dog training takes place, the scenarios and situations that bomb dogs will possibly encounter while working in the real world should be carefully recreated .
