When a kid teaches his dog to play catch, he probably does not realize he is preparing his dog for a career in law enforcement.
Dogs' enthusiasm and energy for retrieving a thrown tennis ball - their "retrieve drive" - is the main early predictor for their ability to be search dogs at U.S. border checkpoints.
Two Canine Enforcement officers from the U.S. Customs Service spoke Thursday evening in Barnum Hall, and they brought their dogs. Canine Enforcement officers are deployed at all points of entry into the U.S. to determine the presence of narcotics, currency, explosives or chemicals.
Carol Szczawinski and Jim Casey, handlers for the dogs Rocks and Cosmo, respectively, work at the international terminal at Logan Airport. Their dogs search incoming passengers and baggage for any one of six narcotics: methamphetamine, hashish, heroin, cocaine, marijuana and ecstasy.
"They see it as if they're going to play everyday," Szczawinski said.
Once Rocks detects the presence of a substance he recognizes, he is trained to sit. He is then rewarded with a rolled-up terrycloth. "He just wants some love, and of course, a towel," Szczawinski said.
Rocks is a Labrador, but other medium size dogs - German Shepherds, Golden Retrievers or Belgian Malinois - can also do the job. Dogs are chosen between the ages of one and three from animal shelters across the country.
They are tested for their "retrieve drive" and hunting instincts and then go through a 13 to 16 week training process with their handler.
At the event, sponsored by the Pre-Veterinary Society, Casey said dogs are ideal animals for customs work because they have such a good sense of smell. "We smell a cheeseburger, but they smell the ketchup, the mustard, the onions and the pickles," he said.
It was a love of dogs that motivated Szczawinski to become a canine enforcement officer. "I always wanted to be a vet because I love animals," she said. "But I liked law enforcement, and my job is the best of both worlds. I get paid to play with my dog all day."
