I
5
LON
SUNDAY, MARCH 18, 1979
SNIFFER DOGS FOR CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE
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THE NAME OF THE GAME IS SCENT.
AND BOTH OLIVER AND DEWARS EXCEL AT IT.
MOST IMPORTANT, THEY ENJOY IT.
WHICH IS WHY OLIVER A LABRADOR, AND DEWARS, A WEIMARANER ARE NOW THE +PRIDE AND JOY+ OF THE CUSTOMS AND EXCISE SERVICE.
+THIS IS QUITE UNDERSTANDABLE,+ SAYS INSPECTOR POON YEUNG-KWONG, +BECAUSE OF THE IR INCREDIBLE KNACK IN SNIFFING OUT DRUGS CONCEALED IN THE MOST INCONCEIVABLE AND INGENIUS PLACES.+
RAW OR PREPARED OPTUM, HEROIN, MORPHINE, MARIJUANA OR HASHISH RARELY, IF EVER, ESCAPE THE IR ULTRA-SENSITIVE NOSES.
CITING ONE OF THE MORE EXTREME EXAMPLES, INSPECTOR POON WHO IS IN CHARGE OF THE DOG UNIT SAID, ONE TEST WE CONDUCTED WAS TO HIDE A SMALL PACKET OF OPIUM INSIDE A HOLLOWED-OUT TABLE TOP TO SEE IF THEY COULD DETECT IT.+
THEY DID - IN RECORD TIME.
AND SPEAKING OF TIME, INSPECTOR POON SAID IT TOOK HIM 12 WEEKS TO TRAIN DEWARS IN AMERICA WHERE HE WAS SENT ON A SPECIAL COURSE BY THE GOVERNMENT. HE RETURNED WITH DEWARS.
+OLIVER WAS ALREADY A VETERAN 'SNIFFER' WHEN HE WAS GIVEN
TO US BY THE POLICE,+ INSPECTOR POON SAID.
RECOUNTING HIS EXPERIENCE IN AMERICA, INSPECTOR POON SAID THAT FROM THE VERY BEGINNING, DEWARS AND THE OTHER DOGS TOOK TO THE TRAINING EAGERLY.
THIS WAS BECAUSE THE DOGS TREATED IT LIKE A GAME.
+WHICH WAS EXACTLY THE WAY THE AMERICAN TRAINERS WANTED IT,+ INSPECTOR POON SAID.
+THE IR METHOD WAS TO ENSURE THAT THE DOGS ENJOYED THEIR WORK, + INSPECTOR POON EMPHASISED.
SO GAMES WERE DEVISED THROUGHOUT THE TRAINING PERIOD WITH TOWELS.
INSPECTOR POON EXPLAINED, DURING THE FIRST WEEK, WE TAUGHT THEM THE TECHNIQUE OF RETRIEVING WITH THIS DIFFERENCE: ONCE THEY BROUGHT BACK THE TOWEL, THE HANDLERS ENGAGED IN A TUG-OF-WAR' WITH THEM.
/+THIS