K9 training at SFO
I got to see something kind of cool the other day at SFO (San Francisco Airport). The SFPD was doing training for their K9 units.
Both of the dogs are German Shepherd. I was blown away by their calculated movements and relentless focus. No matter what was going on around them. A child crying, a lady that smashed her luggage while trying to go up the escalator, my camera and the flash. Both dogs did not care at all about my presence or anyone else’s. They simply follow the Officers’ commands and remain alert while searching for anything that will trigger their sensitive sense of smell.
I suppose much of it is a game to them, clearly they can’t tell that their abilitiy to sniff out dangerous explosives in exchange for treats and attention is actually helping us defend ourselves. I am sure they simply go about their day thinking this is playtime, all day long. If they only knew.
Python on another round of play searching.
Czar with his trainer, an officer from the SFPD.
Python is this other dog's name, and if I remember correctly, he is a little older than Czar.
This is Czar, he's just 3 years old. explosives expert.
The first officer explained to me that the dogs can be trained to do both explosives and narcotics, but they usually go one route and hone in the skills for that particular type of search. It seems to me like that would be more effective. One thing that both cops reminded me of as I approached the dog was not to pet them. They seem all cool and like your own dog, or your neighbor’s, but these are highly sophisticated and extensively trained K9 units. They don’t care if you pet them, they want to find your stash, or whatever they’ve been commissioned to search. You are simply getting in their way if you try to pet them and stuff; not a good idea.
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