Not All Detection is the Same: Respecting the Differences Between Disciplines

𝐍𝐨𝐭 𝐀𝐥𝐥 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐚𝐦𝐞: 𝐑𝐞𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐁𝐞𝐭𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬

𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐝𝐮𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

In recent years, with the growing popularity of scent work and detection as a hobby or sport, I’ve noticed a rising trend: an increasing number of self-proclaimed detection dog experts. Many of these individuals appear to possess extensive knowledge across multiple disciplines. Yet, upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that most have genuine experience in just one or two areas—hardly the breadth of expertise they claim.

Being a police dog instructor for drug detection dogs, for example, does not automatically qualify someone to train or instruct explosive detection dogs. Similarly, expertise in explosives detection does not mean you’re ready to train tobacco or cash detection teams. Then there are the “master Kong trainers”—those who’ve taught dogs to locate the tiniest sliver of Kong in a focus wall and believe that qualifies them to train explosives detection dogs to search for peroxide-based explosives, or even conservation dogs to locate endangered species in the wild.

This overconfidence, often paired with little real-world experience outside a narrow discipline, is troubling. More worrying still is the common assumption that all detection dogs are essentially the same.

A detection dog is a detection dog, right? Or is it?

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𝐒𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐅𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬 𝐯𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

There are undoubtedly shared foundations across detection disciplines. Core principles such as odour imprinting, reinforcement, and search behaviour apply broadly. And dog selection is undeniably important—some dogs will be better suited to tobacco work, while others may thrive in explosives detection.

Here are five fundamental principles shared across all detection work:

𝟏. 𝐎𝐝𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

All detection begins with teaching the dog to associate a particular odour—or group of odours—with a reward.

𝟐. 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠

Dogs learn through reinforcement. Trainers use operant and classical conditioning to build strong, reliable responses.

𝟑. 𝐒𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐨𝐫𝐲

Every detection dog must learn how scent moves and how to work effectively and independently with the handler.

𝟒. 𝐌𝐨𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐞

Understanding what motivates the dog—be it toy, food, or praise—is key to building consistent performance.

𝟓. 𝐇𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐥𝐞𝐫 𝐒𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠

Timing, consistency, and the ability to read canine behaviour are critical across all detection disciplines.

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𝐄𝐱𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐬 𝐃𝐫𝐮𝐠 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Explosives detection demands zero margin for error. The risk is life and death. Drug detection, while serious, usually involves lower-stakes environments and more stable target odours.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐬 𝐓𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐜𝐨 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Conservation dogs may work off-lead across rugged terrain. Tobacco dogs often work in industrial or retail settings with complex concealments and constant distractions.

𝐂𝐮𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐲 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐯𝐬 𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐃𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 𝐃𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Cash dogs locate bundles of notes. EDDs search for hidden USB sticks or microSD cards—tiny, trace odours in domestic or criminal scenes.

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𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐥-𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐬𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐬

A skilled drug dog trainer used the same methods for explosives detection—short hides, poor odour control, no clean areas. The result? Dogs alerted to contamination, not target. In real deployment, this could have led to disaster.

In another case, I was asked to re-search a shop already cleared by a Border Force tobacco dog. My dog, Bran, quickly located a hidden wall concealment with hydraulic rams. The other dog missed it—not because it was poorly trained, but because it had no experience in retail environments.

Same odour. Different context. Different result.

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𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞-𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜 𝐊𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐥𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐂𝐫𝐮𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥

Each discipline requires:

• Odour understanding (volatility, strength, contamination)

• Adaptation to environment (vehicle, forest, retail)

• Legal knowledge and operational context

• Familiarity with likely concealment techniques

Without this, even talented dogs will struggle.

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𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐒𝐭𝐚𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐞

Staying in your lane is about humility, not limitation. If you’re a skilled drug dog trainer, that’s valuable—but it doesn’t automatically make you ready to teach explosives, tobacco, or conservation.

If you want to move between disciplines, do it the right way:

Learn. Collaborate. Earn credibility.

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𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧: 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐃𝐨𝐠𝐬, 𝐃𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐉𝐨𝐛𝐬

This isn’t a criticism—it’s a reminder.

Detection isn’t just detection.

Each field is unique. Each has its own risks, strategies, and expectations. I’ve learned to respect those differences. I stay in my lane, and when I step outside of it, I do so humbly and with proper guidance.

Because the dogs deserve that.

And so do the people who depend on them.