How to Train Drug Detection Dogs

Bloodhounds have the best dog sense of smell, making them perfect for drug detection.

Properly trained drug detection dogs are a crucial element of any police force. Dogs have the unique ability to differentiate one scent from millions in the surrounding environment. If trained properly, a dog can detect drugs outside a building, in a car, or on a person. A drug detection dog's ability to find narcotics is so trustworthy that it gives officers probable cause for a warrant, according to the North American Police Work Dog Association.

Things You'll Need

• Drug dog
• Pseudo drugs or illicit drugs
• Dog treats
• Dog toy

Instructions

1. 

   A German Shepherd has characteristics necessary to perform as a drug detection dog.

   Some dogs are better suited to drug detection than others, so start by selecting a breed of dog that possess the necessary traits. The German shepherd and the Belgian Malinois are the two most popular breeds of police dog in the United States. The Belgian Malinois "are hard working dogs with a high level of endurance, noted for their speed and agility, while the German shepherd "is so named because of their unique ability to retrieve fish or game that has been hunted or caught," according to the Summerville Police Deparment in South Carolina. Look for breeds with intelligence, retrieving ability and a strong work ethic.

2. A dog also must have certain behavioral characteristics to function as a drug dog. Find a dog that is playful and aggressively plays with and finds toys. Make sure that the dog is friendly and well-behaved in public. According to the National Narcotic Detector Dog Association, "lunging, uncontrollable barking, and over-aggressiveness" are unacceptable behaviors for a drug detection dog.

3. You need something that smells like illegal drugs to use when training your dog; these are called pseudo drugs and can be purchased from a chemical or life sciences company. "Every dog that is trained on pseudo will always hit on the real drugs," according to the website for Leerburg Video, which produces dog-training videos.

4. Attach the pseudo drug to a dog toy to train the dog to recognize the smell. This can be done using tape, glue, or by inserting the drug into the toy. Or you can coat the toy with the pseudo drug.

5. Allow the dog to smell the toy, then hide the toy and tell the dog to find it. Reward the dog with a treat and continue training until the dog can find the substance without it being attached to the toy.

6. Train the dog to indicate to you when it has found the pseudo drugs. This can be by scratching, barking or smelling a certain area. Make sure that the indication is precise, so that false alerts can be prevented.

Tips & Warnings

• Training a dog to detect illegal drugs takes time. Work with the dog on a daily basis and always reward it with attention and a treat.

• Try out real world scenarios with the dog; hide the pseudo drug in a pocket, car, or house to test its ability in the field.

• Do not use actual illicit drugs to train a dog unless you have a license for them.

References

• National Narcotic Detector Dog Association:Narcotics Detection Standard
• World Wide Canine:Drug Dogs
• Leerburg:On Narcotics Training
• National Narcotic Detector Dog Association:Police Dog Certification
• PBS:The Bloodhound's Amazing Sense of Smell

Resources

• The Dog Training Guide:Making The Best Use of Your Dog's Special Abilities
• Summerville Police Department:Breeds of Police Working Dogs
• North American Police Work Dog Association:Public School K9 Narcotic Sniffs!