Drug dogs are carefully hand-picked for intense search and strong passive alert.
These dogs go through realistic, methodological, scenario-based drug detection training. With the use of real drugs, not pseudo drug scents, as this is crucial in cases when K9 officers are to testify.
Drug dogs are trained to detect marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamines. When a dog finds drugs, it signals the discovery with a passive alert – an unassisted sit position. When training drug dogs we should never let them have physical contact with the drugs; the dogs are supposed to be taught specifically to detect the scent of the drugs. What is important, building each dog’s confidence should be done with the use of positive reward-based training. This guarantees that the drug dogs are always certain and eager to cooperate in unfamiliar surroundings.
a drug detection dog learns to carry out drug searches in structures varying in size and complexity. A crucial point here is that the dog is able to work properly through a high number of distractions and disturbance.
drug dogs get a realistic airport training in order to effectively search crowded areas, conveyor belts luggage and lockers to detect drugs.
drug dogs learn to look for palletized and stacked cargo in various arrangements, environments and areas.
the dogs are also trained to search through a different vehicle types ranging from small cars to large trucks. That ensures the simulation is realistic.