Sachin Walls
Dogs are vital members of airport security teams. Their advanced sense of smell can detect dangerous substances, including drugs, guns, and explosives. They can also detect contraband that doesn't pose an immediate security threat, such as certain fruits, vegetables, and flowers. The speed at which they can work is also advantageous, as they can identify scents in a matter of seconds. In addition to security, dogs at airports also provide assistance to travellers with disabilities and act as therapy dogs for nervous fliers.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Explosives | Nitroglycerin, Bomb components |
| Drugs | Marijuana, Cocaine, MDMA, Heroin, Crystal meth, Opioids |
| Firearms | Guns, gunpowder |
| Contraband | Cash, Wildlife, Animal parts, Plants |
| Medical | Covid-19 |
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What You'll Learn
Explosives
Dogs are crucial members of an airport's security ecosystem. Explosives are known to be the greatest threat to the aviation system, so bomb-sniffing dogs are trained to detect the individual chemical components of explosives, like nitroglycerin. These chemicals are usually undetectable by the human nose but are easy for a dog to find. Their noses contain over 100 million scent receptors, so it's impossible to mask the chemicals that compose explosives.
Bomb-detecting dogs work in conjunction with the TSA and local police forces at airports. They monitor security checkpoints and screen checked baggage for signs of explosives. They can even sniff out explosives if someone tries to disguise the smell.
The TSA trains dogs for 12 weeks to detect explosives and explosive materials in busy transportation environments. The dogs sniff the air currents surrounding travelers and their belongings as they pass through the airport terminal. The canine teams assist with the efficiency and effectiveness of the TSA's screening operations.
Canine teams capably navigate among large groups of people to pinpoint the source of an explosive odor, even if the source is mobile and often without the source being aware it is being tracked. The canine handlers are trained to read their dog's change of behavior when it indicates an explosive scent has been detected. If a dog alerts its handler to the presence of an explosive odor, TSA follows an established procedure to resolve the alarm.
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Drugs
Dogs are employed as sniffer agents in airports because of their incredible sense of smell. A German Retriever's nose, for instance, contains about 300 million sensory nodes, compared with just six million in a human's nose. This enables them to smell what's inside a sealed bag and detect many details.
While drug-sniffing dogs do exist, most sources suggest that the sniffer dogs in airports are primarily trained to detect explosives and bombs. This is because bombs are a much greater threat than narcotics and can be more easily concealed. In fact, one source mentions that the TSA has specifically stated that it does not search for cannabis products anymore and only takes action when it comes across them in the course of other investigations.
However, some sources do mention that drug-sniffing dogs are also deployed at airports. These dogs are trained to identify the scent of narcotics, including marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and methamphetamine. They can also detect edibles, as the individual ingredients are as different to a dog as two different-coloured T-shirts are to a human's vision. Additionally, drug-sniffing dogs can detect pressed pills by smelling drug residue on containers, even if they are airtight.
Drug-sniffing dogs are also capable of detecting other substances that may be of concern in certain contexts, such as firearms and currency. Their versatility makes them an essential part of law enforcement efforts to protect the public.
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Firearms
Dogs have an incredibly advanced sense of smell, allowing them to detect scents from considerable distances. Their noses contain over 100 million scent receptors, making it impossible to mask certain smells. This capability, combined with their speed and accuracy, makes them vital members of airport security teams.
At airports, dogs are primarily used to sniff out explosives and firearms. They are also trained to detect other contraband items that may not pose an immediate security threat but are still forbidden, such as narcotics, certain types of food, and organic goods.
When searching for firearms, dogs are trained to smell the gunpowder residue, which can linger on a gun for weeks after it has been fired. This distinct odour is easily detectable by dogs and allows them to locate firearms in most circumstances. Their sensitivity to scent particles is believed to be 10,000 to 100,000 times more acute than that of humans, making them invaluable in ensuring the safety of passengers and staff at airports.
Different breeds of dogs are known for their specific capabilities in firearm detection. For example, Springer Spaniels are renowned for their sense of smell and enthusiasm in locating firearms, while Labradors excel in retrieval. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) in the United States utilises Labrador Retrievers, German Shorthaired Pointers, German Shepherds, and Belgian Malinois for their strong sense of smell, trainability, and temperament.
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Contraband
Dogs are important members of airport security teams, and their advanced sense of smell can detect a variety of contraband items. One of the primary roles of airport dogs is to detect explosives and explosive materials. They are trained to identify the individual smells of bomb components, such as nitroglycerin, and volatile chemical substances used in bomb production. Their sensitive noses contain over 100 million scent receptors, making it nearly impossible to mask the scent of explosives from them.
In addition to explosives, airport dogs are also trained to detect firearms and drugs. When searching for guns, they are trained to identify the scent of gunpowder, which can linger on a firearm for weeks after it has been fired. As for drugs, they can detect a wide range of substances, including marijuana, cocaine, MDMA (ecstasy), methamphetamine, and heroin. They can even differentiate between different types of edibles based on their ingredients.
Airport dogs also play a role in preventing the smuggling of other contraband items, such as cash, wildlife, animal parts like ivory and rhino horns, and foreign or potentially harmful plants. Their keen sense of smell and speed make them invaluable in enhancing airport security and improving the efficiency of screening operations.
While airport dogs are highly trained, it is important to note that their detection capabilities are not infallible, and multiple studies have shown that they can have a percentage error of over 50%.
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Covid-19
Dogs have an incredible sense of smell, far superior to that of humans. They have up to 300 million scent receptors, compared to our 5 million. This gives them the ability to detect diseases, including COVID-19.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, early and rapid detection methods were crucial to slow the spread of the virus. Traditional COVID-19 testing involves collecting oro/nasopharyngeal swabs, nasal turbinate, anterior nares, and saliva. However, these methods can be time-consuming and may not be readily available, especially in the early stages of a pandemic.
Trained scent dogs have been shown to effectively detect COVID-19 in airport settings. Their acute sense of smell allows them to identify distinct volatile organic compounds (VOCs) released during viral infections. At Kigali International Airport in Rwanda, a detection dog training system (DDTS) was set up to train dogs to distinguish between positive and negative sweat samples. The dogs were introduced to sweat samples stored at the appropriate temperature and transported daily from the National Reference Laboratory. Each dog smelled each sample for about one second and indicated a positive sample by stopping at the olfaction cone for 3-4 seconds.
In another study at Helsinki-Vantaa International Airport in Finland, four trained dogs sniffed 303 incoming passengers between September 2020 and April 2021. The dogs' results matched 296 out of 303 (98%) of the PCR swab tests. Additionally, Russia has been training a rare breed of dogs called Shalaikas to detect COVID-19 by smelling urine samples from patients who have tested positive. These dogs are a cross between Arctic Nenets herding dogs and Southern Turkmen golden jackals, giving them a unique ability to detect smells in both warm and cold air particles.
The use of trained scent dogs for COVID-19 detection offers cost-saving and rapid alternative to traditional testing methods. They can smell an average of 50 samples within 3 minutes, providing early and accurate identification of infected individuals. This makes them a valuable tool in the fight against the spread of infectious diseases like COVID-19.
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Frequently asked questions
The primary role of airport dogs is to detect explosives and their components, such as nitroglycerin.
Airport dogs can also be trained to detect firearms, drugs, cash, contraband, and wildlife.
Airport dogs can be trained to smell marijuana, cocaine, MDMA, heroin, crystal meth, and opioids such as fentanyl.
