Cynological service "LIS", St. Petersburg, Bolshoi pr VO, house 89
Signaling near the source of the desired scent is an important element of dog training in this skill. The correctness of its implementation will depend not only on the effectiveness of further training, but also on the safety of prospecting operations in practice. The experience of using dogs to search for explosives has shown that the most acceptable warning signal is the dog adopting a certain posture (landing or laying). A rational way to train dogs to take the desired posture near the source of odor is the method adopted when preparing animals for odorological identifications (samples for canned odors). In this case, the dog begins to perform all the necessary actions during the sampling according to the simplified version. Samples are carried out on a specially equipped site or indoors using 0.5 liter glass jars. Banks are placed on marked places in a circle or an ellipse at a distance within 1 m from each other in an amount of at least 6 pieces, if possible, you need to use ready-made sites or rooms. It is necessary to start training dogs without distracting stimuli (especially smell). Training begins with an exercise that teaches dogs to sniff the cans. The containers are about 3/4 of their volume tightly packed with paper. The trainer, having seated the dog at the launch site (it is chosen at random from the outer or inner side of the circle), calmly walks away and begins to lay out small pieces of treats (boiled meat) in all the cans, leaving only the can in front of the dog empty. After that, the trainer walks up to the dog, lets a piece of meat to smell, and then puts it in an empty jar. The dog is guided in a circle on a leash. Before starting, a hand gesture is given in the direction of the nearest can. The dog, as a rule, independently and very willingly moves, eating the treat, from the first to the last container. In the first lesson, this exercise is repeated 3-6 times with an interval between starts of 5-10 minutes. In the second lesson, the exercise is somewhat modified: the delicacy is not placed in all the jars, but selectively. For 3 - 4 lessons, more significant complications are introduced: 1/3 of the cans are left with paper, the rest of the containers are empty. Various things and objects that do not have strong odors are placed in clean empty jars (washed with hot water). An explosive odor simulator and a piece of delicacy are placed in a separate container. This container is given to the dog for sniffing, and then discreetly displayed in any free place. The start is carried out by the verbal command "sniff" and a hand gesture in the direction of the first can located in front of the dog. While walking the dog in a circle, the trainer should carefully monitor that it consistently sniffs all the containers, not allowing it to pass. When approaching a can with the smell of an explosive and a treat, the trainer needs to see the dog's behavioral reaction in time, indicating the detection of the desired odor object (stopping, intense sniffing, attempts to extract the contents with a paw or teeth, etc.). Having made sure that the dog expresses interest in a given container in one way or another, the trainer makes an imperceptible mechanical effect on the dog's sacrum (as on the command to sit), thereby forcing the dog to sit down. Planting should be carried out directly near the desired container. The dog, in one way or another, has taken the desired position, is encouraged to say "good" in an affectionate intonation and stroking the dog. Then the trainer takes the jar with his hand, takes out the meat from it and feeds it to the dog. If necessary, the dog is given another piece of delicacy from the pouch with an imitation of getting it out of the can. It is possible that the dog, having sniffed the desired jar, will not stop, but will reach for the next one. In this case, the dog should be given the opportunity to continue examining all the containers of the circle. With a secondary approach to a can with an imitator of the smell of an explosive and a delicacy at the moment of sniffing it, the trainer needs to apply mechanical action and achieve a signal pose. In order to draw the dog's attention to the desired bank even more, at the end of the exercise, after the described actions on several initial starts, it is recommended to carry out the following manipulation. In full view of the dog, the trainer puts pieces of treats from the pouch into a jar with an explosive smell simulator and pronounces the command “sniff”. As soon as the dog lowers its muzzle to the can and begins to sniff at the neck, the trainer encourages it with the combination "good" and achieves a fit, takes out a treat from the can and feeds it to the dog. Then the can with the simulator is put in its original place, and the dog is taken to the starting position and intensively stroked. Sniffing a can with a simulant and a treat is carried out, as a rule, before the first start. It is performed again only in the case of a fuzzy detection of the desired bank. According to the indicated scheme, 2 - 3 classes are held (at each - at least 5-10 launches). It is easy to understand that in these exercises, when a can is detected, the dog reacts mainly not to the smell of the imitator, but to the smell of a treat (meat). However, multiple combinations of the treat smell with the imitator smell in the desired container prepares the dog to give a similar reaction to an object with only the imitator smell. Before proceeding to exercises without treats as an auxiliary source of odor, it is best to put the treat in a jar for sniffing and the first start for 2 - 3 more sessions.
Familiarization with the smells of the most common explosives. These skills are practiced on containers made of: glass, metal, plastic, wood, fabric, etc. Containers filled with a variety of odor carriers inevitably attract the attention of the animal. And do not addictive dogs to one material. The first exercises with containers should resemble the previous tasks: 3-4 containers (randomly) are left empty, the rest are filled with various objects: various smelling objects and things. Before the first launch, the dog is allowed to smell the desired smell. Then the desired object is placed in one of the empty containers. Start is carried out on a leash. If the dog does not independently perform the signal posture near the desired smell, it (the dog) is seated using mechanical action. After the encouragement, the dog is taken to its original place. Before each new launch, the explosive is transferred to another empty cell. When transferring the simulator to another place, it is best to remove the used container and replace it with a similar clean container, since odor particles remain in the container and the dog may pay attention to them. In addition to the skills of rational search in this cycle of classes, the following tasks are practiced: 1. Submitting an alert signal for the smells of other types of explosives (ammonium nitrate, hexogen, TNT, teng, tetryl, plastic, gunpowder), as well as weapons and ammunition (including fire conductive cord). 2. Detection of all types of explosives, regardless of weight (from 50 g to 1 kg), the state of the standard factory shell and the use of various packaging materials. The volume can be increased not only by a direct increase in the desired smell, but also by the time of setting. 3. Development of indifference to control objects - all kinds of odors (including food), not related to explosives. Dog training using containers lasts no more than 2.5 - 3 weeks. Triggers for the detection of new for the dog smells of explosives are introduced in 3 - 5 lessons. For acquaintance with each new type of explosive, 2 - 3 lessons are assigned. Moreover, launches to detect new explosives alternate with the search for already known odor objects. It is advisable to introduce weapons and ammunition at the very end, since the smells of grease and burnt gunpowder are the strongest and most easily remembered of all the smells studied. Before launching, the dog is given a sniff of the explosive that it has to look for. In all cases, when the desired odor carrier is found, the dog must clearly indicate it with a developed signal posture. Foreign objects before each subsequent launch are partially (at least 1/3 of the total) replaced with new ones. In the second week of this training cycle, in parallel with exercises on containers, the dog begins to be accustomed to searching for explosives hidden in rooms and in open areas.
Dogs to search for explosives must respond not only to certain materials, or materials hidden at a certain period of time. During training, the dog must be trained to respond to different amounts of materials and materials hidden in different ways. Increasing and decreasing the time of hiding, small and large quantities of explosives complicate the work of the dog. In such cases, two effects are summed up, since the concentration of the substance in the air increases or decreases accordingly. The longer the storage time and the greater the amount of the substance, the higher its concentration in the air. It also depends on the place of hiding, since in closed and poorly ventilated rooms or in a closed vehicle, the smell accumulates much more than in open spaces. "Smell habit" occurs when a dog is often forced to work with extremely small amounts of materials and will eventually give false positives. The reason for this is that with extremely small amounts of materials, the dog tries to find associated odors, including the smell of the person who hid the material, in order to avoid "smell addiction" the dog is carried out with materials that were hidden 5-10 minutes ago. In conditions close to the field, this time increases to 1 hour, until the dog successfully copes with the situation. During operation, a shorter time does not apply. In conditions close to field conditions, it makes sense to train with a short hiding time of 5 to 10 minutes, because a low concentration of odor helps the dog to maintain the ability to this concentration at a stable level. The longest hide time during training is 12 hours. During this time, such a high concentration of odor accumulates that it remains unchanged over a long period. The dog should be accustomed to such situations. A high concentration of odor can be so disturbing to an inexperienced dog that it will give a signal as soon as it smells, or, in the worst case, give up searching altogether. The largest amount of explosive used during training is 2000 g, which, together with a hiding time of 12 hours, results in a very high concentration of odor. These factors should be changed gradually so that the dog is not worried about the change. Abrupt changes lead to nervous stress and general fatigue. After training for two months, if the dog confidently finds 10-15 g of explosives hidden 1 hour ago, the amount of material and the time of hiding change according to the scheme described below.
Job no. - Hiding time (hours) - Amount of material (grams)
1. - 1–30 2. - 2–30 3. - 2–100 4. - 6–100 5. - 6–500 6. - 12–500 7. - 12–1000 8. - 12–2000
Through this gradual change, the dog becomes capable of working in the presence of large and small quantities of explosive at varying hiding times.
The most frequently encountered in practice for the purpose of detecting explosives are the following objects: luggage, storage rooms, various premises, structures, vehicles, terrain. It is more expedient to start practicing search actions with baggage.
Used bags, suitcases, diplomats and other luggage are selected for classes. The explosive is placed in one object, and so that the desired smell can freely go out and be caught by the dogs (suitcases, for example, are left ajar). Luggage items are placed tightly together, randomly, and then in a heap; Placed on a dais (on benches, racks, carts, fixed conveyor belts, etc.); Lay out on a moving conveyor belt; Placed at the feet of people scattered in the room or standing in line; Closed in automatic lockers. The search at this stage is carried out mainly on a leash. Off-leash starts are carried out after the dog has started to work in a stable manner. Initially, for placing the explosive, such places are selected where the dog could freely approach and perform a signal pose in the immediate vicinity of the object with the explosive. Then access to the suitcase or bag with explosives is blocked by other luggage. The dog is asked to give a signal after catching the desired smell coming from a pile of luggage and not try to get to its source. The dog is given the opportunity to move freely near the bookmark. It is quite acceptable if, after perceiving the smell, the dog does not immediately take the desired posture, but for some time will move around the heap, trying to find more convenient approaches to the source. The trainer needs to carefully monitor the dog and, at the very first signs of a decrease in interest in the desired smell, trigger a signal pose by mechanical action. All attempts of the dog to act with its paws or teeth in order to get closer to the source of the smell are also stopped by pulling the leash (not in any case with a jerk, because the dog can understand a jerk as a ban on sniffing objects). The performance of the signal pose is in any case rewarded with verbal “good”, delicacy and stroking. To consolidate the dog's skill of giving a signal near a bookmark located behind an obstacle (in this case, in a heap), after a short pause, the reward procedure is repeated again. Gradually, you need to ensure that the dog gives a signal at a distance from the trainer and does not move from the spot until the approach to it. To this end, the trainer, having noticed the signal, encourages the dog verbally "good", and then, without haste, approaches, gives a treat and strokes it. This procedure is done first on a leash, and then without it. In the event that the dog cannot smell the explosive, the dog, after a short rest, is offered an easier task (the thing with the explosive is moved closer to the edge of the luggage pile). If the dog is not actively searching, the handler should take steps to increase the dog's interest in the job. Sometimes it is enough to recall the smell of the substance you are looking for. Such techniques can also be used, such as taking away the thing to be sniffed towards the object being inspected, imitation of hiding an explosive in the place of the forthcoming search.
When practicing the search of premises and vehicles, special attention is paid to those situations when the dog cannot give a signal directly near the source of the explosive smell. For this, the bookmarks with explosives are placed at a height, behind obstacles, as well as in places inconvenient for landing (for example, under a car). While controlling the dog, the trainer should act in much the same way as when finding an explosive hidden in a pile of luggage: encourage the execution of a signal from either side of the smell source, prohibit attempts to forcefully impact objects near the bookmark with his paws or teeth. If there is not enough space (in height or width) at the scent exit point for a correct landing, it is quite acceptable to adopt an uncharacteristic (bent) posture. The vehicles are checked only after turning off the engine and weathering in the open air with the doors open for 5 - 10 minutes. If an explosive is placed in the machines in hangars, then to reduce the concentration of odors of fuel and lubricants, all available openings are opened for 15-20 minutes before work. The same is done when inspecting the hangars themselves or other rooms in which strong extraneous odors are present. In those cases when for some reason the room cannot be ventilated, the dogs begin to use it directly after 3 - 5 minutes of staying in it (to get used to the established smell). The explosive is placed both outside and inside vehicles and premises. The outer parts of the objects are usually examined first. Complications mainly consist in increasing the duration of the search (up to 10-15 minutes) and, accordingly, increasing the number of objects searched: rooms, premises, units of transport. To do this, the dog is asked to first examine the "empty" objects, and after the scheduled time has elapsed, the animal is brought to the object with a bookmark.
For practical work, a trainer needs to be able to search the area in order to find mines, explosive devices, weapons and ammunition. The most optimal way to search an open area is to alternate shuttle inspection of strips (corridors) with a width of 3.5 - 4.0 m. This width was not chosen by chance. Firstly, it is convenient for the trainer to control the movements of the dog and control the thoroughness of sniffing. Secondly, the completed corridor can be immediately used for the passage of manpower and equipment. Before starting training, a flat area of the surface is selected (preferably with short grass or loose soil). Flags (milestones) indicate the boundaries of the strip. At the first launches, the length of the corridor, as a rule, is made minimal - about 10 - 15 m.As the skill is developed, the length of the strip gradually increases to 80 - 100 m. at the end of the strip, contains an explosive. The rest of the bookmarks are false. False bookmarks are arranged near the edges of the strip, and in such a way that when the shuttle is guided, the dogs can sniff them directly. Start is carried out from the middle of the entrance alignment by the command "Smell" and a hand gesture. The first 10 - 12 passes the trainer, controlling the leash, accompanies the dog from one edge of the strip to the other. For one "step" of movement along the zigzag (back and forth), the forward movement should be approximately 1.0 - 1.5 m. In addition to guiding the dog along the zigzag, the trainer needs to get the dog to constantly sniff at the ground in all parts of the traversable path. False bookmarks that attract the dog's attention contribute to the development of this skill. If the trainer fails to combine the shuttle movement with sniffing in the dog, one of the following exercise options is used: 1. On the zigzag line, no further than 1 m from each other, clearly visible bumps (marks) are made from the loosened earth. A false bookmark is placed at about every 4th to 5th mark. At the end, a bookmark with an explosive is masked. 2. On the zigzag line, in front of the explosive, place as many different odor objects as possible. The skills of moving the shuttle and sniffing the ground are practiced first (within 2 - 4 days) using treats (pieces of meat) laid out along the route at a distance of 1 m from each other. The amount of food received by the dog during feeding during this period is temporarily reduced. The start for the detection of decomposed pieces of meat is carried out by gesture. After passing the strip, the dog is encouraged by stroking. When the dog begins to move confidently along a zigzag, proceed to the search for an explosive according to one of the above options. Since in a few days the dog could lose the habit of its previous work, before starting to search for an explosive, the reaction to the desired smell is preliminarily checked. For this, the assistant openly places a container with an explosive substance 2 - 3 m from the dog next to the trainer. They start searching for a camouflaged explosive only if the dog independently gives a signal to an openly lying explosive. It should be noted that all the above exercises do not guarantee the development of an independent zigzag movement, but only make it easier for the trainer to control the dog. After 10 - 12 sessions, the trainer may no longer accompany the dog from one edge of the strip to the other, but walk in the middle of the corridor and change the direction of movement by pulling the leash. Having mastered simple options for search tasks on the ground, they move on to more complex ones: the duration of work gradually increases (up to 10 - 15 minutes) and, accordingly, the area of the surveyed territory, the depth of the explosive is increased, the search is carried out on rough terrain with various coverage and the presence of certain structures and objects. The length of one surveyed strip is usually left within the already indicated limits from 80 - 100 m. If the dog is clearly tired, after viewing the strip, it is given a short (1-2 minutes) rest. It is best to keep the dog close to you at this time, occasionally stroking and patting it on the chest. Then proceed to inspect the second strip adjacent to the first. Thus, the number of strips to be checked is brought to 2 - 3. The number of inserts with explosives in the inspected area is changed from 1 to 5 - 10 each time. the duration of the search. It should be noted that after each discovery of an explosive, the container is not removed by the trainer, but is indicated by one or another landmark (usually a flag). The dog is encouraged and removed from the place with the explosive by 2 - 3 m. The rest time before the next start is determined based on the functional state of the dog. Particular attention should be paid to the procedure for preparing the bookmarks. The explosive is packed into boxes or containers made of a wide variety of materials (cardboard, wood, metal, plastic) with holes for the odor to escape. One container can hold one or several types of explosives. At the initial stages of the formation of the skill of surveying the area, the explosive is only masked. The easiest way to do this is to use the existing irregularities, cracks, foliage, etc. On level ground, depressions are made in the ground, the shape and dimensions of which exactly correspond to the mentioned containers. The upper part of the bookmark, located at the level of the ground surface, is covered with something, while trying not to obstruct the escape of odor particles from the explosive. False bookmarks are arranged in the same way as the desired ones. Their only difference is that the containers are left empty or filled with some odoriferous things or objects that have nothing to do with the explosive. In the future, the bookmarks with explosives are gradually deepened: the soil layer above them is brought up to 10 cm, loose snow up to 50 cm. Inspection of the terrain with difficult terrain is carried out in a combined way: on flat areas of the searched strip, the dog is controlled in the usual way; ditches, heaps of debris, structures and other objects are checked separately, using already mastered techniques. In some cases, in practice, for safety reasons, it is advisable to check objects, objects, small areas of the terrain not on a leash, but with a free search for the dog at a distance of 10 - 20 m from the trainer. This skill is practiced as follows. In advance, in the designated place, a container with an explosive substance and 1 - 2 control items are openly placed. The dog, located 10 -15 m from the container, is allowed to go in the direction of the desired object by the gesture and the command "sniff". The trainer remains in place. Noticing the signal, the trainer pronounces the combination "Good!" In the future, the exercise is modified: the desired object is buried (masked) not far from the control objects, and then on a clean area of the terrain without any reference points (control objects). Accordingly, a false tab should be located near the desired one.
A sample of a person in its classical version (by examining people lined up in a row) is usually not used in practice to search for an explosive. However, quite often it becomes necessary to check for the presence of an explosive in clothing, as well as in things of people in a free environment (for example, in a room or on the platform of a railway station). Dog training should begin with a clothing search. Clothes are hung in any convenient place: on a wall, fence, rope, stakes. An explosive is put into the pocket of one thing. After several launches according to this scheme, the task becomes a little more complicated. The dog is asked to look for an explosive in clothes, which are held in their hands (tightly pressed to themselves) by assistants. Then, the clothes on the assistants themselves act as the objects to be searched. At the next stage of complications, some assistants are given suitcases (briefcases, bags) in their hands. They put similar things on the ground nearby. The explosive is alternately hidden in clothes, then in things. The ultimate goal is to search for an explosive from assistants in a real situation with a significant crowd of people in a variety of ways: in motion, in a group, one by one, etc.
At the third stage of training, the training of the dog must be brought to a level that allows it to be fully applied in practical conditions. The main task is to increase the duration and volume of search work. The dog needs to master such a search mode, in which the duration of continuous inspection (from launch to detection) of any objects offered to it is approximately 30 minutes. The total duration of work during the day (excluding time for rest) is 2 - 3 hours. On average, during a single search, a dog should inspect objects in approximately the following volumes: open area - 0.3 - 0.5 hectares, residential or industrial premises - 100 - 150 m2, cars - 15 - 20 units, trucks - 8 - 12 units, buses - 5 - 10 units, luggage (hand luggage) - 200 - 300 units. You can achieve the above results no earlier than 1 - 1.5 months of systematic training. The scheme for introducing complications should be selected for each animal separately, taking into account their individual characteristics. It should be borne in mind that even a gradual and careful increase in the duration and volume of the search will sooner or later inevitably lead to an overstrain of the animal's nervous system, that is, to a breakdown (loss of interest, refusal to work). The best way to prevent such negative phenomena is to alternate difficult and easy tasks. Depending on the typological characteristics and functional state of the dog, a variety of options for such alternations can be used, for example: several exercises with increasing difficulty, then one or several easier tasks; tasks with increasing complexity constantly alternate one or two with a simple task, etc. The most important thing is that the trainer notices the onset of mental fatigue in time and offers an easy task as an encouraging means. It is possible that even with a seemingly correctly calculated load mode during the search, for one reason or another, the dog may become tired and the search activity will decrease. However, it is impossible to download the exercise by taking the dog away from the place of the lesson. The trainer needs to remember that finding the target and rewarding the dog are very important stimuli in the dog training process. Maintaining the optimal mental attitude of the dog is possible only on condition that each launch, under any circumstances, ends with the finding of an explosive. Therefore, in situations where the dog cannot continue the planned work, the trainer should "help" the dog - that is, bring it to the location of the bookmark. Sometimes it is more convenient to discreetly enclose a specially prepared case with an explosive substance for this purpose. At this stage of preparation, much attention is paid to the search "blind" (when the places of the tabs are unknown to the trainer). Such searches are important not so much for the dog as for the trainer himself. Lack of information about the location of the explosive forces the handler to switch to the correct mode of control of the dog. So, if on ordinary (control) exercises control is often reduced to "pulling" the dog to the right place, then when searching "blindly" the trainer is forced to analyze the situation, determine the most rational program of action, and carefully observe the dog's behavior. Blind searches can only be used when solving simple tasks. You should not completely switch to this form of exercise, since this will complicate the development of the entire planned scheme of increasing the loads. Of no small importance for maintaining a constant search interest of the dog is the variety of exercises offered to it. When using the same objects, it is necessary to change the setting and the places of the bookmarks. For training, one should not select only favorable working conditions. Provide for classes in hot weather, cold weather, at night, in areas with outside odors (garbage dumps, industrial waste, workshops of various enterprises, etc.). It should be noted that dogs that have not completed the third stage of training may well be used to find an explosive in practice. However, the mode of operation of the animal should remain approximately the same as during training searches. Before launching, the trainer determines the priority objects and directions where the explosive is most likely to be found. After working off the scheduled time, the trainer puts a pencil case with the desired smell for the dog, encourages it and allows it to rest. The development of the skill can be considered complete when the dog will successfully and quickly work out a one-time search: terrain - 0.3 hectares, residential or industrial premises - 100 m2, cars - 15 units, trucks - 8 units, buses - 5 units, luggage ( hand luggage) - 200 items. The method of training dogs to search for explosives from narcotic substances has no global differences. An obvious difference is the designation (signaling) when a substance is detected. For the sake of safety of its own and the environment, when searching for an explosive, a dog is taught not to grab a bookmark with his teeth, not to scratch with his paws, etc. That is, they achieve a clear designation (landing, laying) when an explosive is found near an object. When a narcotic substance is found, the opposite is true, the dog is taught to scratch with its paws and give a "voice". When searching for a narcotic substance, the risk is minimal, therefore, the dog is allowed to be found in hard-to-reach places alone, where it disappears from the field of view of the cynologist. In this case, the only designation for the detection of the desired smell of "narcotic substance". is "barking". Scratching a bag lying in a pile of luggage with her paws, she clearly shows the object with the desired smell.
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