The drug-sniffing dogs, which together with the handler form an “Anti-drug Canine Unit”, are dogs trained by the police to search for narcotic substances, are supplied to some police forces and are used above all in customs, airports and ports . According to one false belief very common, police dogs are drugged during training to make them dependent on the drugs they will then have to look for. Nothing could be further from the truth: all dogs are also extremely vulnerable to many chemical compounds and sometimes even foods commonly used by humans can be toxic to a dog, let alone medicines and drugs. Scientific studies have shown that even small doses of opioids can have harmful consequences for dogs such as respiratory crises, hypothermia and bradycardia. The training of all “substance detection” dogs (drugs, banknotes, tobacco, explosives or poison) it’s always based on the game, creating a strong mental association in the animal between the smell of the substances and a reward. When the dog finds the substance he is immediately rewarded with a play time with a training toy. Usually the dog is chosen based on the power of smell and temperament: some breeds, such as German shepherds and Labradors, are more suitable for this type of work, but recently mixed breeds are also being used.
How a drug police dog is trained
At the basis of the training is the concept of “positive reinforcement”. With this method, the animal is rewarded every time it adopts a certain behavior, to ensure that that behavior is repeated and becomes a habit. To accustom a subject to detecting drugs it is necessary to develop in the dog’s mind aassociation between the odor of substances such as cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine or marijuana and a toy training (a small ball or cloth sausage, much more rarely with food).
When the dog smells one of these drugs he is immediately rewarded with a moment of play with his toy and by continuously repeating the same exercise, the connection of that particular smell with the game is imprinted in the dog’s memory. When this mental connection is consolidated, the dog is taught to signal to the handler that he has identified the scent by sitting or making a bark. We work in short sessions, lasting around 20 minutes, to avoid stress and fatigue.
During training it is important that he is not distracted by other smells, but is focused only on finding his smell/toy. It starts with a single narcotic substance locked in a bag; the bag is placed on the ground and as soon as the dog smells it he is immediately rewarded so that he associates that smell with the game. Then we start hiding the envelope in increasingly difficult and distant places so that he gets used to looking for it. Over time, other substances to be recognized are gradually added. When the dog is able to identify the smell of drugs among many other environmental odors, it is ready to start inspecting vehicles, luggage, containers, even in noisy and crowded places. Specific training lasts 4-6 months. For this training period, each subject is entrusted to a handler with whom he or she will remain for the rest of his or her life, creating a close-knit and inseparable pair. This is how the Dog Unit was born.
How a drug dog is selected
At the base of everything is the dog’s very powerful sense of smell which is certainly the most developed sense on which it relies to explore the surrounding environment. In general, dogs have a olfactory capacity a million times greater than oursbut some breeds have a more sensitive sense of smell than others and have greater aptitude for this type of work, not only due to their sense of smell, but also due to their temperament. For this reason, the most commonly used are the German shepherd, the Belgian shepherd Malinois, the Labrador retriever . The Labrador has an excellent sense of smell, is affectionate and balanced, but also a good hunter. The Belgian Malinois is alert, fast, athletic and bonds very closely with its handler. The German shepherd also has an excellent sense of smell, maximum attention and strong nerves.
In addition to the power of smell and temperament, for the choice of suitable subject behavior and the ability to establish full collaboration with the handler are fundamental. A study carried out by a group of Japanese researchers has correlated the success of drug-sniffing dogs with the number of drug receptors.oxytocinthe “love hormone” that binds them to the conductor. The subject must then be courageous, inclined to play and obedience and not very aggressive.
Recently other breeds are also being experimented with and sometimes i mestizosif they are particularly gifted subjects. For example, for some years the Local Police of Genoa has had an anti-drug dog team made up of a presenter and a Jack Russell Parson who by appearance does not inspire fear and is therefore an unsuspecting detective.
What are Anti-Drug Dog Units?
Drug detection dogs are trained to search for and report various narcotic substances and together with their handler they form a duo called “Anti-Drug Dog Unit”. Selected for this specialty, they are supplied exclusively to the Police Forces: Guardia di Finanza, State Police, Carabinieri, and more recently also Local Police. They are used systematically in Customs, Ports and Airports, but more generally wherever the presence of drugs is suspected.
In Italy the first drug-sniffing dogs were introduced in the 1970s by the Guardia di Finanza, when the drug trafficking emergency began. In particular, the first course was started in 1976, after a period of training for financiers in the United States with the instructors of the American Customs Service.
