In a recent ceremony at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms’ National Canine Academy, Maggie, an explosive-sniffing dog, was celebrated for her success in quickly identifying a suitcase with traces of gunpowder. The academy, located in Virginia’s Blue Ridge Mountains, trains these dogs over a rigorous five-month boot camp to detect a myriad of explosives.
After the graduation ceremony, which honored seven labrador retrievers and their human handlers, the graduates are set to patrol high-profile events like the Super Bowl and the presidential inauguration. Among the graduates are siblings Calvin, Oakley, and Murphy, moving to Dallas, Atlanta, and Phoenix, respectively. Maggie and her brother Zeus will be headed to Richmond, Virginia, and New Orleans, while Tara will move to Oklahoma City and Derby to Huntsville, working at University of Alabama football games. Approximately 45 ATF explosives-sniffing dogs are currently deployed across the country.
One yellow lab, Nellie, did not quite make it to the graduation ceremony due to training issues. She will be moving to Wisconsin and continue working towards earning her law enforcement badge.
Lead instructor Shawn Crawford explained that each canine is hand-selected from programs like Puppies Behind Bars for the ATF program. The dogs undergo various tests, including their reaction to sudden noises, to ensure they are fit for duty.
The dogs undergo thorough training to sniff out explosives and ignitable liquids, both on and off-leash. Handlers must undergo intensive training themselves before being paired with a dog.
The graduation ceremony was bittersweet for handler David Wiley, as his previous canine partner, Ranger, is retiring into civilian life. Ranger is adjusting well to his new lifestyle and has learned some new behaviors, such as eating from a bowl instead of his handler’s hands.
Shawn Crawford, who has been running the ATF training program for nearly three decades, also has a dog waiting for him at home – a Pomeranian who, according to him, “knows nothing.”
