It is thought that dogs get just as much information from scent as humans do from vision. Dogs can be trained to detect one particular scent from the millions that abound in the air. Dogs who do this professionally need to have a high play drive to want to do their jobs. For this reason, many drug-sniffing dogs are found in animal shelters, abandoned by people who couldn't handle an energetic dog.
Find out what toy makes your dog excited. This is the toy you will use as a reward.
2
Let the dog sniff a packet of drugs or pseudo drugs (fake drugs that put off an identical scent to real drugs). When the dog sniffs, tell the dog to sit, scratch or bark, depending on the dog's personality. This is to let you know that your dog has found a "strike," or illegal drugs.
3
Put the packet of real or pseudo drugs in one of the holes of your box when the dog is not there. Remember which hole the packet is in.
4
Bring in the dog and use the short command you will always use to tell the dog to sniff for drugs. This command might be "Find!" or "Search!" or "Show me!"
5
Reward the dog with verbal praise when he makes any move to the correct hole. When the dog gets to the correct hole and sits or barks to let you know there's a strike, immediately give her the toy and play with her as a reward.
6
Repeat, moving the box or packet to increasingly challenging locations.
Tips & Warnings
Reward your dog as soon as he signals a strike.
Your dog must know basic commands to undergo this training.
Be sure your dog gets a good diet and regular exercise.
Make this seem like play to your dog rather than work.
Not all dogs can learn to do this, and all dogs learn in their own time.
