Dog school steps up breeding programme for Explosive Detection Dogs

Twelve new arrivals at the MineTech Dog School in Pretoria, South Africa, mark the successful start of a new programme at the school, as MineTech begins breeding its own Springer Spaniels.

Three breeding animals, one dog, Glen and two Bitches, Geisha and Twigs, were imported from the UK. Springer Spaniels are traditional field dogs and are known for their sensitive nose. They are proving to be excellent working dogs with an important role to play as part of the company's Explosive Dog Detection (EDD) teams supporting security operations around the world. MineTech has already employed Springers for explosives detection at Baghdad Airport. The dogs are trained to recognise either particular explosives or combinations available from both commercial and military sectors.

Explains one of the dog school Directors Johan Van Wyk "As well as a good sense of smell, Springer Spaniels have many attributes which make them ideal for working in detection situations - alertness, perseverance in the field and an ability to absorb training."

MineTech has been operating its own breeding programme for Mine Detection Dogs for several years producing some of the industry's best field animals, mainly German Shepherds, and the most effective dog teams for use in suspected minefields for detecting the presence of land mines.

Geisha's arrival at in Pretoria was quickly followed by that of nine others when she delivered the school her first litter of pups, four dogs and five bitches. As pedigree animals, all will be registered with the UK Kennel Club.

The puppies are now being exposed to a variety of positive influences as part of a socialisation period, to help equip them for the outside environment. They are exposed to a range of experiences - such as people, traffic, gunshots, obstacles and shopping malls.

Explains Johan, "Socialisation minimises the chances of a dog getting distracted by unusual and unknown noises and sounds, which means they will adapt more easily and be more focused on their duties when they are in a working environment. Our aim is to rear and socialise the puppies into well-balanced adult dogs, confident, responsive and able to concentrate on their work."