About 3 months I adopted a rescue 88 pound GS male. I am over 70 but energetic. He is a beautiful dog and he does get about 45 minutes of exercise (as do I) a day.

However, he seems to have so much potential to do other things and am looking to train him in some sort of work.

I an considering narcotics detection on a social level. That means checking homes and businesses for narcotics but with no connection (at the beginning) with government officials.

This is not about making money but more for keeping Max and I sharp and alert.

QUESTIONS:
1. What are the restrictions for civilians getting drugs for training purposes?
2. How long would it take to have a dog fully trained if I devoted an hour a day.
3. Do I have to send me and my dog to training school or could I do it myself. Have had several dogs and love training my dogs.
4. Are there other tasks a dog can be trained to do with the general public. He is too big and unpredictable (occasionally like to jump up) for a therapy dog at a nursing home but thought about a veteran's hospital.
5. Is there a book/dvd about this subject.

FYI: I even saw a beagle that was trained to find bedbugs in a home or business.

Bill Miller

Termite detection. Always thought that would be cool.

Don't know anything about the liability involved, though. Don't know how you would handle misses or false alerts in a business like that. Either one could be bad news.

 Quote: william miller

QUESTIONS:
1. What are the restrictions for civilians getting drugs for training purposes?
2. How long would it take to have a dog fully trained if I devoted an hour a day.
3. Do I have to send me and my dog to training school or could I do it myself. Have had several dogs and love training my dogs.
4. Are there other tasks a dog can be trained to do with the general public. He is too big and unpredictable (occasionally like to jump up) for a therapy dog at a nursing home but thought about a veteran's hospital.
5. Is there a book/dvd about this subject.

FYI: I even saw a beagle that was trained to find bedbugs in a home or business.

Bill Miller

1. There is a procedure for obtaining a DEA license to posess drugs for dog training. You would register as a "researcher". You can read about the procedure here: http://www.deadiversion.usdoj.gov/drugreg/process.htm

2. My drug detector class, training a new dog, with new handler is 10 weeks long. Of course the class consists of more than just teaching the dog how to find drugs. Working just an hour a day, I don't know really how long it would take, but I would expect 3 or 4 weeks, for the basics.

3. It could be done by yourself. Working as a civilian without a government connection, you won't have the pesky 4th Amend. issues.

4. The previous poster mentioned termite dog, that could be interesting and lucritive. You might also, if you are an outdoorsy type person, train the dog to find antler shed. That could be interesting and there could be a market for that as well.

5. There are many books available. I'm sure Leerburg carries them as well.

Having said all this; the dog is a very important part of this equation. Just being energetic doesn't ensure the dog will make it as a detector dog. When looking at rescue dogs for our department (single purpose detector dogs, I often evaluate 10 to 15 dogs before I find one I select.

As for training, I don't think a truly reliable dog can be trained without assistance. If for no other reason that someone to hide your training aids. While it's not rocket science, it can be a little more difficult that some think.

DFrost

While Mr. Frost answered your questions quite nicely, I would add this. It would be next to impossible for you to get the DEA license if you are not a current or former LEO, a professional trainer with certification from an accredited school, and a previous history of tranining and/or handling narcotics detector dogs. They're a little particular about who they give those licenses to.

One more thing on that same note. You don't need a DEA license to purchase pseudo scents from Sigma. Some trainers don't like using them, but I've never trained a dog on pseudo that didn't hit on the real thing just as well.