After viewing the link Mr. Spencer provided on the board regarding a SWAT dog that is utilized as a bomb dog, a drug dog, and a patrol dog (not to mention it is an AB), I am curious to know how often it is that a dog does all three.

My question really comes down to how does the dog indicate the presence of a bomb as opposed to drugs? Passive v. Active?

Another question comes up as to what happens when the dog indicates on a bomb that was tainted with narcotics odor. Granted this may be a far fetched scenario, but I believe it could happen now days. The dog hits the scent of the narcotics and gives an active indication....the officer starts digging around looking for the narcs and KABOOM......

How is this remedied? It seems that typically dogs are either bomb detection or drug detection, but rarely both. This is just my observation so if someone could shed some light on the subject I would appreciate it.

One very good reason why a patrol dog should have only one specialty, among a multitude of other reasons.

I'm not a K9 handler, not a police officer either, but (of course) I do have a comment. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

The dope/patrol dual purpose concept is a proven one, but I would have serious reservations cross-training a bomb dog to do anything more than bomb work.


A missed 8 ball here and a couple joints there isn't life or death, missing 10lbs of TNT might be.

I've seen the intensity and high level of training a good bomb dog takes, and I honestly think it would be very difficult to maintain the dogs training, let alone get him trained if you have multiple disciplines going all at once.


Not that some basic protection work or fun training on the side couldn't be done, but I would worry about having to do building searches, tracking, apprehension and control work, Narcotics detection, and a whole other area of control work and bomb detection. What a nightmare for the dog trainer.


But what do I know?

Well Robert it seems you know more than some who think they know it all; No serious Police k9 unit imo would even contemplate this, let alone try or do it, just to show that it can be done – the arguments are all against this type of application.

My question, who in his right mind approved this??????? It's tax payers money , time, safety etc.

Originally posted by Drew Corry:
After viewing the link Mr. Spencer provided on the board regarding a SWAT dog that is utilized as a bomb dog, a drug dog, and a patrol dog (not to mention it is an AB), I am curious to know how often it is that a dog does all three.

My question really comes down to how does the dog indicate the presence of a bomb as opposed to drugs? Passive v. Active?... Not only does this not work, but it would not stand up in court for any drug search made pursuant to this dogs alert. If the dog were trained on explosives, then it has been trained on legally obtained substances (black powder, flash powders, etc...).
I cant imagine any dept wanting to do this.
John

Here is the URL that Mr. Spencer provided. It says the dog is trained in protection, bomb detection, and drug enforcement. It is possible the drug enforcement is a play on words, though it implies detection in my opinion.

I am uncertain how to make this link directly to the site.....perhaps someone can tell me how if I didn't do it right....
web page

I can't imagine why a dog would be trained in all three disciplines unless it is a funding issue, but even that doesn't float. It seems like an accident waiting to happen. Has anyone actually had success in training a dog and then utilizing a dog in all three areas, or know of anyone who has?

Drew,
My current partner is a patrol/bomb detection K9. John is correct about the legal nightmare in court with a multi-purpose working dog. When you have the ability to take someones rights away on the say so of a dog then there had better be no room for error. A good defense attorney will tear you apart in court.
VanCamp is correct as well. 9/11 happened right after I finished my current partners' basic school. I originally wanted to train him to be a cadaver dog as I was burned out on the drug thing. I was told we needed an EDD (the first ever for our city, and a privelige) so I went to a 160hr explosives school. I had no clue what I was in for. Roscoe is currently trained on 14 different odors for the bomb work, almost 3 times as many odors as you would train for narcotics. I have to put three time the amount of time in for explosives as opposed to the drug work with my previous K9. Also the searches have to be extended for the dogs' endurance. Certification demands a higher find/alert percentage as well, no pressure there.
Add the other training for his main job, patrol, and you have one tired handler by the end of the week, especially if you train extra to keep the dog really sharp.

Just think if you added Narcotics detection as well as this AB is supposedly doing.

Not to mention the dog looks to be used in a SWAT setting as well.

I thought that all K9's in UTAH had to go through the POST state school; how was this allowed?