Dogs>Technology???
The following is a pretty interesting story I came across online...
By: Ed Kane, PhD
DVM NEWSMAGAZINE
On Christmas Day, 2009, a terrorist attempted to
bring down Northwest Airlines flight 253 from
Amsterdam to Detroit. Despite known intelligence,
this alleged suspect slipped by airport
security with a PETN explosive sewn into his
underwear. He boarded the plane and tried to
destroy it in flight.
If a detection dog was screening that airport
security area, it's likely this suspect would
have been discovered and this incident could
have been avoided. Because of their high
olfaction sensitivity, dogs play a special
role in explosive detection at airports and
provide invaluable assistance to law enforcement
agencies that help deter terrorism worldwide.
Dogs outperform technology
The Animal Health and Performance Program (AHPP)
at the Auburn University College of Veterinary
Medicine was created with the mission to advance
and disseminate knowledge in the area of animal
health and performance. The AHPP is home to the
Canine Detection Research Institute (CDRI) and
the Veterinary Sports Medicine Program (VSMP).
The team at CDRI takes dogs' noses very
seriously. A dog's nose can out-perform even
the most sophisticated technology. "Dogs are
sensitive, or more sensitive to at least some
substances, than instrumental systems," says
James M. Johnston, Ph.D., former Director of
Behavioral Research at the Institute for
Biological Detection Systems (IBDS) at Auburn
University, now the CDRI.
"When we were developing the various detection
dog applications, we realized that the dog
could do even more than we were giving it
credit for," says John Pearce, associate
director at CDRI.
The dog's ability to detect odor is the focus
of the CDRI's research and canine training
program. Established in 1989, this one-of-a-kind
facility is dedicated to studying canine
olfaction. The Canine Detection Training Center
(CDTC) is one of the largest canine detection
training programs outside of the federal
government. After 9/11, the CDRI established
the CDTC, in order to train law enforcement
agencies in dog detection principles.
After the closure of Fort McClellan in Anniston,
Ala., Auburn University received 320 acres
and 17 facilities of the former army base for
its CDTC training center with a 99-year lease.
The CDRI conducts research and provides solutions
for foreign and domestic military, government
agencies and private industry applications. Its
varied research program includes exercise
physiology, olfaction, training, conditioning,
nutrition, biomechanics, general performance
and field and clinical veterinary medicine.
The CDRI has developed advanced training,
conditioning and search protocols that have
drastically improved the performance of
detection dogs.
Developing the elite
According to Pearce, one of the missions of the
CDRI is to develop an ultimate breed that would
develop into an excellent detector dog. The
Australian Customs Service gave CDRI some
Labrador Retriever breeding stock to lower
the inbreeding coefficient. CDRI is also
evaluating other breeds for future breeding
stock, such as German Short-Haired Pointers.
"We're looking at different outside-the-box
applications and how we can get a dog to do
various tasks," Pearce says.
Recently, the CDRI developed an improvised
explosives device (IED) detection dog and a
vapor wake detection dog. These novel approaches
have placed the dogs in vital roles such as
protecting the President of the United States
and the U.S. Capitol building during the
inauguration, as well as helping protect
soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan.
These dogs also work in airports around the
U.S.
The IED detection dogs have successfully
served with the U.S. Marine Corps Infantry in
Iraq. "We didn't lose one Marine out of those
units in which those dogs were deployed,"
Pearce says.
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Dogs that chase cars have learned that cars run away. This behavior is reinforced each time he chases one away.
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