Fifty-six dog and handler teams. Three locations. Two days of searches and testing. All to explore opportunities for improving resources for K9 standards and training of bomb-sniffing dogs. The research, recently published in Frontiers.
The dogs scored an average 80 percent success rate, though many teams lacked access to explosives and proper facilities. The goal, however, is 90 percent, according to Lauryn DeGreeff, associate professor of Chemistry and Biochemistry and researcher in FIU's Global Forensic and Justice Center.
The Organization of Scientific Area Committees for Forensic Science (OSAC) was created in 2009 to set consistent rules and standards. A subgroup established guidelines for how explosives-detection dogs should be trained, tested and certified. This was the first time researchers tested how training translates to actual performance.
To put the standards to the test, researchers conducted a "black box" study, evaluating whether dogs could detect explosives correctly. Teams faced two kinds of testing —standardized tests based on OSAC guidelines and realistic scenario-based trials.
Results varied not only by location and explosive type but also by whether teams had access to training materials.
The findings show strict certification standards are harder to meet when an agency has fewer resources to training and access. The study showed that when dogs had regular exposure to both high- and low-odor explosives, they performed equally well.
Federal handlers generally performed better because they had access to large facilities for training — resources that contractors and smaller agencies often lack.
The study stressed the need for more realistic training. In parcel searches, for instance, dogs were often tested with boxes that had loosely closed flaps, even though real packages are fully sealed with tape. Double-blind training, where neither the dog nor the handler knows the placement, would provide a more accurate test of the dogs' abilities, DeGreeff said.
Another complication: odor contamination. Just as baking soda in a fridge picks up the smells, training aids repeatedly stored in the same location take on a distinct "storage scent." When dogs are later tested on fresh materials, they may miss them because they're searching for the familiar odor. DeGreeff recommends training with a variety of materials and rotating out contaminated materials when possible.
Looking ahead, researchers recommend expanding studies across more regions and applying this research to other detection fields, such as drug-sniffing or human-remains dogs, to refine certification standards.
"I hope the people who are making the policies, hold the money, and have the ability to purchase explosives, become more engaged with the handlers and help them get access to what they need," DeGreeff said. "We want to be sure they'll find the real explosives. I'm excited, and I hope this will start a conversation."
For DeGreeff, the takeaway all about opportunity. Continued research, improved access to training materials, and more standardized practices can help make communities safer.
