If you are obsessed with dogs like most Americans are and think of your dog as part of the family, perhaps this question has surfaced in your mind in the middle of the night as you pondered the deep questions of life - "can drug dogs smell pills?"
Great question! And one which we have an answer to in this very article - so keep reading to find out is it yay or nay.
Why Are Dogs Used as Drug Dogs?
Dogs can smell 10,000 to 100,000 times better than humans can! And that's because they have around 300 million scent receptors in their cute little noses.
That's what humans are taking advantage of when they train a police dog to sniff out drugs and other contraband material. It's possible to train a dog to sniff out almost anything. The training is fun for the dogs as the game works like they are trying to locate their favorite toy and get a treat in return.
Dogs are heavily rewarded throughout the training process to make it interesting and enticing for them.
Can Drug Dogs Smell Pills?
But drug-sniffing dogs aren't used to sniff out opiates because it can be deadly for our furry friends. Sniffing out or touching even a small amount of opioids can result in an overdose and can seriously harm a dog, especially since they use their snouts to sniff out things. This is only applicable to powdered form, though.
In the pill format, there's less chance of an overdose, so drug dogs can be used for this purpose and they are very successful at this. So yes, a drug dog can sniff out opioid pills.
The great thing about using a police dog to sniff out narcotics is that a drug dog can sniff out and check dozens or even hundreds of people and bags in a matter of minutes, whereas a human using a drug-detecting machine would take ten times as long to do the same. You've probably seen drug dogs being used to great efficacy at the airport, where they sit down next to a person when they smell opioids or anything suspicious.
Remember, never pet a drug dog as they are on official duty and they aren't allowed to socialize like that.
Drug Dogs Are Beneficial to the Justice System
Drug-sniffing dogs are a great boon to the justice system. Can drug dogs smell pills? Yes, they can, and this means that they can help humans find illegal and offensive substances and protect society from the ravages of drug usage.
Remember that they are trained for months to become drug dogs and they are treated very well for it.
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