Dogs to the Rescue!
It’s five a.m., somewhere in the north-west corner of Bosnia-Herzegovina. Canadian-trained
mine-detection dogs are already at work, sniffing their way down metre-wide, red-staked
corridors. They are well suited to the work.
Dogs can detect odours at concentrations of nearly 100 million times lower than humans can. In fact, they can detect one drop of blood in five quarts of water. They can also distinguish one scent from another, even when mixed in low concentrations. This makes it possible for them to detect tiny amounts of explosive fluids that seep out of landmines.
Of course, the safety of the dogs is a high priority. For them, finding land mines is a game, so it’s important that they not work too long, or on days when they are not healthy. It’s also important that they have a good relationship with their handlers.
The Canadian International Demining Corps has sponsored four mine-detecting dogs at work in Bosnia right now. They are all German Shepherds, all were born in Hungary, and all have gone through six months of training with their handlers in obedience, retrieval, scent detection and search patterns. The dogs’ names are Alex, Fanny, Pax, and Nightingale. All are male, except Fanny.
Because all the handlers of the dogs are local, reclaiming of the thousands upon thousands of landmines in Bosnia can go on after peacekeepers have accomplished their mission and gone home.
Dogs can detect odours at concentrations of nearly 100 million times lower than humans can. In fact, they can detect one drop of blood in five quarts of water. They can also distinguish one scent from another, even when mixed in low concentrations. This makes it possible for them to detect tiny amounts of explosive fluids that seep out of landmines.
Of course, the safety of the dogs is a high priority. For them, finding land mines is a game, so it’s important that they not work too long, or on days when they are not healthy. It’s also important that they have a good relationship with their handlers.
The Canadian International Demining Corps has sponsored four mine-detecting dogs at work in Bosnia right now. They are all German Shepherds, all were born in Hungary, and all have gone through six months of training with their handlers in obedience, retrieval, scent detection and search patterns. The dogs’ names are Alex, Fanny, Pax, and Nightingale. All are male, except Fanny.
Because all the handlers of the dogs are local, reclaiming of the thousands upon thousands of landmines in Bosnia can go on after peacekeepers have accomplished their mission and gone home.
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