Sniffer dogs that have been trained to sit and stare whenever they detect
drugs, tobacco or cash will soon begin patrolling airports and seaports in
Great Britain.
"Our dogs need to be totally flexible if they are to continue to be
successful in catching smugglers," said a government spokesperson. "The new
'sit and stare' dogs can be used in different working environments in any
location and can be trained to detect any scent. They will be a formidable
weapon in the war against smuggling."
"Proactive" sniffer dogs that scratch and bite containers in which they
detect drugs are currently employed by British Customs and Excise agencies.
The dogs are used to help search large areas such as warehouses and cargo
holds.
Customs officers also currently employ "passive" sniffer dogs that simply
sit down next to travelers on which they detect drugs.
Sniffer dogs, which are used in many countries, not only act as drug, cash
and bomb detectors, but help to counter exotic animal smuggling and
participate in search and rescue operations such as those conducted at the
World Trade Center and Pentagon after September 11th.
Individuals attending the Aviation Security Technology Symposium recently
held in New York City concluded that dogs are the best way to find bombs in
large buildings or airplanes.
"A dog's nose is probably the most sensitive piece of equipment going," said
Brook Miller, Vice President of Barringer Technologies. "They're enormously
accurate."
