Sniffer dog joins fire service
Dogs are often called man’s best friend because they can be their owners’ closest companions. There are many dogs that have been trained to complete very important and sometimes dangerous jobs, including helping people with disabilities and detecting life-threatening diseases.
A four-year-old cocker spaniel called Reggie recently joined the Northern Ireland Fire and Rescue Service. Based in County Fermanagh, the new recruit’s job is to help establish whether a fire was started on purpose. Reggie has been trained to use his keen sense of smell to detect flammable substances. The presence of these substances can suggest that a fire was set deliberately. Having these special skills on hand means the teams don’t need to spend as much time investigating the scene of a fire, and the results are more accurate.
Dogs all over the world are trained to sniff out all sorts of things, including bombs, illegal substances, money and stolen ancient treasures. Their handlers will train the dogs to find something specific in a number of ways. Some will hide what they want the animal to find inside their favourite toy, which is often a towel for playing tug-of-war. Once the dog is able to recognise the smell, the trainer will hide it for the hound to locate. Other handlers will use treats, such as food or tennis balls, to reward the dog every time they correctly sniff out what they’re supposed to find.