Issue Date: December 29, 2002

Pets

A serious nose for safety
Rover's sense of smell could be man's best friend. Here's why it's better than most high-tech gadgets.
By Steve Dale

When you walk into a delicatessen, the aroma socks you in the nose: It smells like, well, a deli. But soon that potent odor disappears into the background, and you focus on your order. But when a dog walks into a deli, it doesn't smell like a deli -- it smells like corned beef, pastrami, tuna salad, pickles, the perspiration of each person there and countless other scents.

"There's a direct connect from a dog's nose to its brain that works like a filing cabinet," says Ed Hawkinson, director of Auburn University's canine training center in Anniston, Ala., one of the nation's largest such facilities.

Paul Waggoner, of the Canine & Detection Research Institute, also at Auburn, says dogs can easily distinguish between legal pharmaceuticals and closely related illegal drugs. Trained dogs can sniff out illegal drugs even when hidden in air fresheners or ground coffee. Waggoner guesses a dog's nose is 1,000 to 10,000 times more sensitive than ours. "We can't even begin to comprehend a dog's world," he says.

That's why when your pooch meets another on the street, within 20 seconds "they learn each other's sex, social status in the neighborhood, reproductive condition, how they're each feeling emotionally and physically," says Chad Devitt, a veterinary surgeon from Englewood, Colo. In fact, with a single sniff of the local fire hydrant, a dog can get the 411 about every other dog on the block.

So it's no wonder the number of dogs working for the U.S. military, local law enforcement, the Department of Agriculture, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, customs and general homeland defense will at least double in the next two years.

The United States Police Canine Association sets standards to certify trainers and working dogs for law enforcement agencies around the country. Russ Hess, executive director of the USPCA, breaks down police dogs into four roles:

Patrol dogs protect police officers and search for evidence, criminals and lost individuals. "We like large but agile dogs with double coats to protect against the elements, jumping over fences, or from bushes in the woods," Hess says.
Detector dogs sniff out narcotics and explosives, and perhaps find cadavers.
Arson detection dogs isolate accelerants at fire scenes.
Tracking dogs locate escaped criminals or lost people.

Today, each individual piece of baggage is checked either by a person (usually using a trace detector and a wand), an explosive detector CAT scan machine or a dog's nose. Rebecca Trexler, a spokeswoman for the Federal Aviation Administration in Washington, D.C., says that, of the three, the dog's nose is the model. "We seek dogs who can stay focused on the game," she says.

"After all, to the dogs, it's all a game," Auburn's Hawkinson says. "Border collies could be the smartest breed out there, but you won't see them working at airports or for police departments, because they get bored so quickly. A Labrador or a German shepherd that's eager to play the same game is perfect."

The breed deployed depends on the required job. Beagles were bred to sniff, which is one reason the Department of Agriculture uses only beagles (or beagle mixes) at airports. "The other reason is that beagles remind people of Snoopy; they're not intimidating," says Calvin Shuler, senior manager for the Eastern region of the USDA's Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service. "Beagles also are small enough to maneuver at crowded airports."

German shepherds are commonly used to find explosives, and golden retrievers are good for search and rescue work.

"Greyhounds are generally not interested in the game. They're not motivated to play," Auburn's Waggoner says. "The terriers, in general, may be too easily distracted by other activities and lose focus on the game."

When it comes to trekking through the woods, no other dog can equal the legendary bloodhound. But you won't see many at airports, because they're not as likely to work together with a handler as an equal. And their nose goes to the ground, which isn't necessarily where the handler wants it to go.

"I've seen a miniature poodle test [for smelling talent] equal to a Labrador," says Larry Myers, associate professor at Auburn and a pioneer in the field of olfactory research.

Alas, there's a set of dogs that seem to be olfactory impaired -- the brachycephalic breeds, like the Shih Tzu or the pug, which have pushed-in noses.

Still, dogs are not machines, and even the most highly trained bloodhounds, shepherds or retrievers may err. Myers' research confirmed that 23 illnesses (and probably more) can affect performance. So can temperature: Dogs pant in hot weather, which dries out their nasal passages, which in turn affects their sense of smell.

Senior Master Sgt. James Kohlrenken, superintendent of operations for the 341st Training Squadron at Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, where most military dogs are trained, says: "Of course, dogs aren't perfect. But very often they're darn close. Most of all, they want to work with their handlers. They have a strong desire to please. Handlers can depend on their canine partners. They don't call them 'man's best friend' for nothing."

With this issue, Steve Dale joins USA WEEKEND Magazine as a contributing editor.