Other Working Dogs
Some Federal agencies outside USDA also use detector dogs for a variety of tasks. The Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Postal Service, Secret Service, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Drug Enforcement Administration, State Department, U.S. Marshal's Service, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms all either have their own detector dogs or use teams that belong to other agencies. During emergencies and natural disasters, search-and rescue dog teams help locate survivors and victims. There are also a variety of State detector dog programs and, of course, military and police dogs. Among other items, detector dogs have been trained to find gypsy-moth egg masses, termites, gas pipeline leaks, drowning victims in less than 10 feet of water, and shrink-wrapped currency. Seizure numbers from just the dogs and their human partners in Federal service run high into the tens of thousands per year.
In and around airports and land border ports, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), INS, and Customs all use dog teams. FAA started a K 9 Explosives Detection program in 1972. Currently, FAA has about 100 explosives-detection teams at strategically located airports throughout the United States. INS uses dogs to look for stowaways and drugs; it has about 140 teams in 17 geographic sectors.
Different dogs are selected for different jobs depending on their natural skills, instincts, and temperament. A wide variety of training methods and rewards are used in detector dog programs as well.
The dog teams that work side-by-side with the Beagle Brigade in passenger arrival areas and baggage ramps are usually Customs detector dogs. These dogs, which sniff for drugs, are trained to work in airports, seaports, and border ports. They screen aircraft, cargo, baggage, mail, ships, and vehicles. An increasing number are trained to work in international arrival areas where passengers claim their bags. When the Customs dogs find drugs, they are rewarded with a rolled towel to roughhouse or play with.
Many detector dog programs, including USDA's Beagle Brigade and Customs, get dogs from animal shelters or rescue leagues. Golden retrievers, German shepherds, Brittany spaniels, German short-hair pointers, and mixed breeds have all been recruited by Customs.