Page Content
Detector Dogs
- Introduction
- Passive response dectector dogs
- Active response detector dogs
- Target odours
- What dogs does AQIS recruit?
- What happens if your dog is accepted?
Introduction
AQIS detector dog teams are deployed at airports, seaports, mail centers and private courier depots throughout Australia.
AQIS detector dogs play a vital role in helping to protect Australia from exotic pests and diseases, and are used in conjunction with a number of other quarantine strategies and detection technologies. AQIS trains both 'passive' and 'active' detector dogs.
Passive response detector dogs
Passive response detector dogs are trained to sit when they find a target odour, such as fruit or meat, and await a food reward from their handler. Passive response detector dogs generally work around the public in airports and seaports.
Beagles and labradors have been chosen by AQIS as the most suitable dog breed to be trained as passive response detector dogs as they have an extraordinary sense of smell—said to be at least 100 times more acute than our own. They are cooperative and gentle with people, remaining calm even in the commotion of an airport baggage collection area.
Training of a passive response dog entails placing a target odour (e.g. a plant cutting) in a cardboard box and encouraging the dog to sniff it—the dog is then told to sit and is rewarded with a piece of food.
When the trainer is certain the dog will respond to all target odours by sitting, irrespective of the presence of non-target odours (e.g. soap), the detector team progresses to an airport for training under field conditions. The dog progresses to being encouraged to find a box with a target odour in it, in amongst many boxes. If the detector dog sits next to the boxes that contain the target odour they are rewarded.
Active response detector dogs
Active response detector dogs are trained to dig in response to items that contain a target odour and are rewarded with food or a game of tug-of-war (play reward) when they find quarantine material. A range of dog breeds are currently utilised by AQIS as active response dogs including labradors and a range of cross-breeds. These dogs work at mail centres and for private courier operations.
Active response dogs have to be agile due to the nature of the environments in which they work.
Training an active response dog involves encouraging the dog to get into a cardboard box to retrieve a dummy (a length of rolled fabric). Once the dog has developed a strong drive to retrieve the dummy, the target odours (e.g. an apple ) are placed in selected boxes along with it. At the right stage of training the dummy is left out of the box to see if the dog can find the odour where no dummy is present. If the detector dog is able to find the target odour the dummy is produced to reward the dog with a game of tug-of-war.
Target odours
Dogs are generally trained to detect the following target groups:
- fresh plant material
- dried plant material
- fruit
- vegetables
- eggs
- all meat products (excluding fish)
- seed
- cheese
- bees
- soil.
What dogs does AQIS recruit?
The recruitment of trainee dogs (passive and active) is achieved through formal agreements with international and domestic agencies, purchase from private breeders and donations from welfare organisations and the public.
AQIS currently has dogs from a wide variety of breeds, including passive beagles and labradors and a range of active dogs including labradors, border collies, pointers, terriers and several mixed breed dogs.
One thing all of these dogs have in common is that they possess extreme hunt, food and play drives.
As the dogs work in public areas, they are also socially well adjusted.
The dogs AQIS looks for are generally either:
- fanatical about food (even after being fed) or
- fanatical about play (tug-of-war/retrieving).
They must also be:
- friendly, agile and outgoing (not upset by noisy and stressful environments)
- 1 to 3 years of age at time of assessment and/or training
- physically sound and healthy.
To help you judge if your dog has the required drive to become a detector dog here are some simple tests you can try.
Does your dog have an extreme food drive?
Throw a handful of dry dog biscuits in the garden or long grass. A dog with good food drive will seek out all the biscuits and continue searching after all the biscuits have been found.
Repeat the above exercise but this time at the local park where there are increased visual and audio distractions (e.g. other dogs, children playing, people on bikes).
Does your dog ignore these distractions and focus completely on finding the dog biscuits in amongst the grass? If the answer is yes, your dog may have the food drive required to become a detector dog.
Does your dog have an extreme play drive?
Pick up your dog's favourite tug toy or ball and walk around the yard. A dog with a strong play drive will follow you everywhere and remain transfixed by the toy waiting for you to drop or throw it.
Repeat the above exercise but this time at the local park where there are visual and audio distractions.
Does your dog ignore these distractions completely and remain entirely focused on the toy in your hand? If the answer is yes, your dog may have the play drive required to become a detector dog.
My dog has extreme food and/or play drive—what next?
If your dog has successfully completed either the food drive or the play drive tests described above and meets socialisation, age (1-3 yrs) and health requirements, AQIS would love to hear from you. Simply contact the Detector Dog Program (02 6272 4992) and we will arrange for a manager in your State or Territory to contact you and organise an assessment of your dog.
Please note that AQIS will only recruit in line with its requirement for dogs and to meet its training schedule. Your dog must pass evaluation assessments before being accepted for training as a detector dog.
1. Initial assessment
An initial evaluation will be completed over the phone with the manager assessing dog suitability. Should the manager wish to evaluate further, they will arrange to visit the dog at your home or arrange for the dog to be assessed in an alternate location. This process aims to evaluate your dog's interaction with new people and an assessment of its hunt, food and play drive.
If your dog is of sound temperament and displays the required drives it will then progress to a formal assessment.
2. Formal assessment
This formal assessment takes about an hour and is a detailed review of the tests carried out during the initial assessment and is conducted in an unfamiliar environment. The owner is not present for the assessment as it can create a significant distraction for the dog. It is important to understand at this stage that dogs may behave differently when taken out of their 'normal' environment and results can vary greatly from initial testing. We will provide you with open and honest feedback in regards to your dog's suitability.
If your dog passes the formal assessment they will be provisionally accepted for training.
3. Provisional acceptance
This stage of the assessment requires that the dog spend 1-2 weeks in the AQIS detector dog kennel facility (we will need to view current vaccination certificates). During this time your dog will be introduced to the kennel and operational environment where it will be closely monitored to ensure it is coping with the transition to detector dog life.
It is important to note that this is a provisional acceptance for training and your dog will be returned to you if we do not believe it will be happy as a working dog.
This has the added advantage of providing you with 1-2 weeks away from your dog to ensure you are comfortable with your decision to offer the dog to AQIS.
4. Notification
The manager in your State or Territory makes the final decision on whether your dog has been successful in passing the assessment process and will advise you of the outcome.
What happens if your dog is accepted?
All recruited dogs are given the highest level of care and attention. Dogs live in a kenneled environment and are assigned to highly trained handlers who are responsible for dog welfare and work performance. Dogs receive regular veterinary check-ups throughout their career and when they eventually retire from work, AQIS will find them a loving and caring home.
We are happy to discuss any concerns you may have regarding your dog's future.
The final stage is simply signing ownership of your dog over to AQIS. The dog will be entered on to the next training course and be well on its way to a new career with AQIS!
For further information contact the AQIS Detector Dogs and Operational Services Program or phone 02 6272 4992.