Revolutionize Your Dog's Scent Detection Training
Introduction
Getxent K9 Odor Training: Safe, Accurate, Field-Proven
Training detection dogs requires consistent, safe access to target odors. Whether you're training for narcotics, explosives, or specialized detection work, Getxent tubes deliver the real odor profile without the risks of handling dangerous materials.
Getxent's patented polymer technology is trusted by the FBI, U.S. Army Military Working Dog Program, French Army, Royal Canadian Mounted Police, and law enforcement agencies across the globe. This isn't experimental equipment—it's proven technology that performs in the field. What makes Getxent different:
- Absorbs and emits target odors with precision you can control
- Safe for training in public environments, underwater, and in soil
- FBI-funded studies confirm superior purity and consistency over competing products
- Used by elite military and law enforcement K9 units worldwide
Leerburg has partnered with Getxent to bring you complete training solutions designed for professional handlers. Whether you're imprinting on fentanyl, TATP, or any of dozens of target odors, Getxent tubes give you the control and safety you need to train effectively.
What Are Getxent Tubes
Revolutionary Polymer Technology for Odor Detection Training
A Getxent tube is a small cylinder made from a proprietary polymer that absorbs target odors and releases them at a controlled, consistent rate. Think of it as an odor reservoir—it captures the molecular signature of your target material and emits it continuously during training.
The science is straightforward:
When you place a Getxent tube in an airtight container with your target material—whether it's cocaine, TNT, or any other substance—the polymer absorbs the odor molecules from the air. No direct contact with the material is necessary. The tube becomes saturated with the exact odor profile of your target.
Once impregnated, the tube releases that odor steadily over time. The release rate is constant throughout the tube's usable life, which means your dog gets consistent training stimulus every session. There's no degradation, no contamination, and no guessing whether the odor is still present.
Key advantages:
Safety: You never need to handle hazardous materials in the training environment. Getxent tubes contain only the odor—not the dangerous substance itself.
Portability: Train anywhere. These tubes work in vehicle searches, building searches, outdoor environments, even underwater. The polymer doesn't absorb environmental odors, so your tube stays true to the target scent.
Precision: Control odor concentration by adjusting impregnation time. Need to simulate a large cache from a small sample? Extend the impregnation period. Training a green dog that needs lower concentration? Use a shorter exposure time.
Compliance: Getxent tubes meet OSAC (Organization of Scientific Area Committees) standards for canine training aids. They include proper blanks for negative training and maintain odor purity that competing products can't match.
The polymer material is inert and safe. It won't react with target substances, won't change color in most applications, and can be handled with basic precautions (tweezers and nitrile gloves). Each tube comes with a glass storage vial that maintains the tube's integrity between training sessions.
This is the training aid that lets you focus on your dog's performance—not on managing hazardous materials.
Why Trainers Trust Getxent
FBI-Funded Research Confirms What Handlers Already Know
When the FBI finances a study comparing canine training aids, you pay attention. The results weren't close.
The evidence:
An independent analysis of TATP (triacetone triperoxide) training aids—funded by the FBI—evaluated Getxent against every major competitor on the market. Getxent dominated in every category that matters:
Lowest background odor. Your dog detects the target scent, not polymer off-gassing or manufacturing residue. Getxent had the cleanest odor profile of all products tested. Competitors like ScentLogix failed to even provide blank training aids—a basic requirement for proper detection training.
Highest purity. Getxent tubes contained only TATP odor. No contaminants, no breakdown products, no mystery compounds. ScentLogix, by contrast, showed "the highest number of contaminants" and released multiple unintended chemicals including acetone and diacetone diperoxide for weeks after deployment.
Consistent odor release. When comparing odor at initial exposure versus 60 minutes later, Getxent showed no significant decrease. Every other training aid tested—including all competitors—showed significant odor degradation within the first hour. Your dog isn't chasing a fading scent with Getxent.
OSAC compliance. Getxent adheres to Dogs and Sensors Subcommittee recommendations, including the provision of blank aids for negative training. Most competitors don't meet this standard.
Who uses Getxent:
This isn't hobby equipment. Getxent tubes are standard issue for:- FBI (financed the comparative study)
- U.S. Army Military Working Dog Program (invited Getxent for evaluation)
- French Army
- Royal Canadian Mounted Police
- Swiss Police
- Belgian Police
- French Railways and Civil Aviation
- Indian Police
These agencies don't adopt new training aids on marketing promises. They demand proof. Getxent delivered it.
The bottom line:
When you're training dogs to find bombs or fentanyl, you can't afford inconsistent training aids. Your dog learns what you present. If the training aid contains contaminants or degrades rapidly, you're teaching the dog to detect the wrong odor profile. That creates false alerts in the field and undermines the reliability your agency depends on.
Getxent tubes present clean, consistent, accurate odor signatures. That's why they're trusted by the most demanding K9 programs in the world.
Target Odors
Train for Any Detection Mission
Getxent tubes work with virtually any target odor. The polymer absorbs whatever material you expose it to. One training aid covers your entire detection program.
What you can train:
- Narcotics Fentanyl, heroin, cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, suboxone, xylazine, nicotine
- Explosives: TNT, C4, TATP, RDX, PETN, HMTD, ammonium nitrate, black powder, Semtex, gunshot residue, and more
- Electronics: TPPO (for phones and devices), damaged lithium batteries
- Medical: COVID-19, cancer, C. difficileEnvironmental: Endangered species detection (turtle nests), invasive species (bed bugs, American foulbrood)
- Specialty: Currency, truffles, allergens (gluten, nuts), essential oils
Why concentration matters:
You control how strong the odor is by changing impregnation time. A small sample of fentanyl can create tubes that simulate larger quantities. This is critical when your agency has limited access to controlled substances for training.
Military units worldwide use this capability—they can simulate tons of explosive material from a small training sample. Your K9 learns the exact odor signature at the concentration they'll encounter in the field.
How to Impregnate Tubes
The Basic Process
Impregnation builds your training aid. This determines how strong the odor will be and how long the tube will last.
What you need:
- Getxent tubes (sealed until use)
- Target odor sample
- Airtight container (glass jar works well)
- Tweezers (included in our Getxent K9 Odor Training Kit)
- Powder-free nitrile gloves
- Glass storage vials (included in our Getxent K9 Odor Training Kit)
The golden rule: Never touch tubes with bare hands. Always use tweezers and gloves. Skin oils contaminate the polymer.
Step-by-step for drugs, explosives, and other non-living materials:
- Prepare a clean, airtight container. Glass jars work best.
- Add your target material. For narcotics, 200mg of pure substance with a 7-day impregnation is the global standard. Less material works but may require multiple tubes per hide.
- Position the tube without direct contact. Two methods:
- Suspend tubes above the material using stainless steel wire
- Place target material in a smaller glass jar inside the container, arrange tubes around it
- Seal and wait. Impregnation time controls concentration:
- Less than 24 hours: Lower concentration than target
- 24 hours: Equal concentration to target
- More than 24 hours: Higher concentration (see table below)
- Remove and store. Use tweezers to take the tube out. Immediately place it in a clean glass vial with airtight seal. Label with odor type and date.
For living subjects (animals, insects, plants):
If the subject can be contained: Follow the same process but you can leave the container slightly open for airflow.
If it cannot be contained: Place tubes as close as possible to the subject without touching (in burrows, near nests, hung in foliage, etc.). Allow 24+ hours for absorption.
Important notes:
- Record everything. Use the Getxent Tube Tracking Card (compliant with OSAC standards). Log target odor, dates, and duration.
- Tubes cannot be reused. Once impregnated, the polymer keeps that odor permanently.
- Some explosives may discolor tubes. This doesn't affect performance.
Concentration Levels
Understanding Odor Strength
The formula is simple:
Tube odor concentration = impregnation time (days) × target material concentration
If you impregnate with 1 gram of cocaine for 2 days, the tube simulates 2 grams. Impregnate with 100 grams of TNT for 5 days, the tube simulates 500 grams.
Why this matters:
Dogs reliably detect concentrations 10 times higher or lower than what they trained on. This is proven in research. But when you only have limited access to target material—like fentanyl—Getxent lets you multiply that small sample into tubes that simulate larger quantities.
Recommended impregnation times:
| Target Odor | Impregnation duration |
|---|---|
| Human remains - Non-frozen | 5 days |
| Human remains - Frozen/cryogenized | 10 days |
| Animals | Contact Getxent |
| Insects | Contact Getxent |
| Plants | Contact Getxent |
| Explosives | 2 days |
| Narcotics | 2 days |
| Fire accelerants | 2 days |
| Currency | 2 days |
| Allergens (gluten, nuts, etc.) | 2 days |
Adjusting for your dog:
If your dog isn't alerting: The tube might be too strong or too weak.
- Too strong? Use shorter impregnation time (under 24 hours)
- Too weak? Use longer impregnation time or multiple tubes per hide
Working with limited material:
200mg of pure narcotic is enough for effective training when impregnated for 7 days. That's less than a quarter gram. If you have even less, extend the impregnation time or use multiple tubes per hide.
Temperature effects:
Warmer temperatures increase odor release. Cooler temperatures decrease it. This is the same as the real material—cocaine smells stronger when it's warm. Train in the temperatures where you'll work operationally.
Training with Getxent
Putting Tubes to Work
Deployment:
Use the Leerburg Magnetic Odor Box. Slide it open, place the tube inside with tweezers, close it, and you're ready. The magnetic design attaches to metal surfaces anywhere you'd hide contraband.
Never deploy bare tubes. Always use the odor box.
Where to hide them:
Deploy exactly where you'd hide real material:
- Vehicles: under seats, door panels, spare tires, engine compartments
- Buildings: baseboards, ceiling tiles, furniture, flooring
- Luggage: suitcases, boxes, containers
- Outdoors: buried in soil, underwater, in vegetation
- On persons: pockets, bags (for passive alert training)
The tubes don't absorb environmental odors. Submerge them underwater or bury them in dirt—they stay true to the target scent.
Training sessions:
Start with easy finds to build confidence. Progress to harder hides as your dog improves. Standard detection training protocols apply.
The tube emits odor continuously. If you train two 1-hour sessions per week with a 48-hour tube, it lasts 24 weeks—six months.
After training:
Retrieve the box, remove the tube with tweezers, and return it immediately to the glass storage vial. This saves the tube's life for the next session.
Use blanks regularly:
Getxent provides blank tubes that look identical but have no odor. Use these to proof your dog and reduce false alerts.
Public space training:
Getxent tubes are safe for airports, schools, government buildings—anywhere you'd work operationally. There's no hazardous material present, just odor molecules in polymer.
Storage & Longevity
Making Tubes Last
Storage:
Always use glass vials with airtight seals. The vial matters more than anything else for tube longevity.
Refrigeration: Not required. While it doesn't hurt, it doesn't significantly help either. The glass vial is what counts.
Shelf life:
- Blank tubes (unopened): 36 months in original packaging
- Impregnated tubes (unopened): 12 months in glass vials
- Tubes in use: Usable life = impregnation time
How long will my tube last?
Simple formula: Usable life (hours) = impregnation time (hours)
A 48-hour impregnation gives you 48 hours of training time. Not 48 calendar hours—48 hours of actual use when the tube is out of the vial.
Example: You impregnate for 48 hours. You train two 1-hour sessions per week. That's 2 hours used per week. The tube lasts 24 weeks (6 months).
Track your hours:
Use the Getxent Tube Tracking Card. Log every training session date and duration. When you hit the impregnation time limit, the tube is exhausted.
Signs a tube is done:
Your dog will show you. Weaker alerts, longer search times, or inconsistent behavior means the tube is depleted. Check your logs—if you've exceeded the impregnation hours, retire the tube.
Disposal:
Spent tubes go in regular trash. The polymer is inert and the odor has dissipated.
RetryClaude does not have the ability to run the code it generates yet.Studies & Documentation
View the Material Safety Data Sheet for Getxent Tubes.
This study dives into dogs and their ability to detect 10x the concentration of a target scent. It proves how important it is to be able to control the concentration of your target scents in determining whether or not dogs will respond to it.
This study analyzes canine training aids that use TATP, a dangerous chemical found in bombs and explosives. The study analyzes whether the current canine training aids in the market such as Getxent and ScentLogix can mimic an actual bomb.
Learn why training aids like the Getxent tubes are so important when it comes to training volatile substances like fentanyl and explosives.
Still have questions on using Getxent tubes? View Getxent's Official Documentation.
