1. Locate Drugs and Explosives:
* They use their highly sensitive noses to detect the unique scent of substances like marijuana, cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, and explosives like TNT.
* Their ability to sniff out these substances is crucial for security at airports, concerts, and other public events, as well as in police investigations.
2. Find Missing People:
* Specially trained dogs can detect human scent, even if it's faint or masked by other odors. They're used to find missing persons in various situations, like:
* Search and rescue: After natural disasters or accidents.
* Missing person investigations: When someone is lost or has disappeared.
3. Detect Contraband:
* Dogs are also trained to sniff out various types of contraband, such as:
* Illegal wildlife products: Ivory, rhino horn, and endangered animal parts.
* Currency: Used to find hidden cash in criminal investigations.
* Stolen goods: Can help recover stolen property.
How they work:
* Training: Sniffer dogs go through rigorous training programs, learning to identify and respond to specific scents. This involves associating the scent with a reward, like a toy or praise.
* Detection: When they detect the scent, they'll signal their handler, usually by sitting down, barking, or scratching at the location.
* Confirmation: The handler then confirms the presence of the target substance using a more definitive test, such as a chemical analysis.
Important Note: Sniffer dogs are highly skilled tools, but they are not infallible. False positives can occur, and the information they provide needs to be verified by other methods.