The nose knows

Orion is a rambunctious Labrador Retriever, squirming with delight when she gets attention. The 18-month-old black Lab is also a trained detection dog, capable of sniffing the air and determining which person in a crowd is carrying explosives.

Eventually, Orion will work for Amtrak. Right now, she's in the initial stages of training in something called "Vapor Wake" detection. That means she doesn't even have to get close. She just "samples" the air as someone walks past.

"We were planning canine Orion before she was even born. We breed for specific traits we like," says John Pearce, associate director of the Canine Detection Research Institute, part of the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine.

Orion showed off her capabilities last Friday during a demonstration for U.S. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Mobile. Sessions clearly was impressed, saying, "State law enforcement loves these animals."

Vapor Wake detection is a trademarked name for a detection method developed at AU, and a patent is being sought. Orion and dogs like her are able to detect telltale odors in parts-per-billion, says Dr. Craig Angle, associate director of AU's veterinary sports medicine program.

"When we work with them every day, they have hit odors at 100 meters away," he says. "That's something we want to know more about."

In fact, dogs trained in Vapor Wake detection can sample the air four times a second, notes Dr. Robert Gillette, director of AU's animal health performance program.

"Any kind of technology has to be recalibrated," he says.

Detection dogs are not new--for years, various breeds have used their noses to sniff out drugs, explosives and even bodies. AU's Canine Detection Research Institute was established more than 20 years ago and is the largest such research program in the U.S. And the associated Canine Detection Training Center in Anniston is one of the largest canine detection training programs outside of the federal government.

What is new is the Vapor Wake method, and not every detection dog can be trained in the method.

"It takes special training," Pearce says. "The canine trainer plants the explosives, so he has particles on his body. The dog has to ignore that, and not all dogs can do it."

Vapor Wake dogs are trained to detect 10 different odors. If someone walks by with an explosive strapped to his waist, the trained dogs don't follow. That could alert the target. Instead, they let the handler know.

"We've been able to go into an area 15 minutes later and detect something suspicious," Gillette says. "That's something else we want to investigate further."

When they reach the age of 13 weeks, AU's detector dogs actually go to prison for training.

"The inmates are better for being with the dogs, and the dogs benefit because the prisoners have the time to train them," Pearce says.

After standard detection training, dogs like Orion get an additional three to four weeks of Vapor Wake training at the training center in Anniston. Dogs are even trained to be comfortable under specific conditions, Gillette says.

"We've been asked if we could train dogs that could work in 120 degrees, 10 hours a day for a nine-month deployment," he says. "Yes, we can condition dogs to work in different climates."

That doesn't mean the dogs are stressed, however, he says.

"These dogs are very driven," Gillette says. "If we put out a job application, they'd be the first to apply."