Bomb-Sniffing Dogs
From the Series Dog Heroes
In March 2010, British soldiers were patrolling a street in Afghanistan with a Belgian shepherd named Chocolat. Suddenly, the dog walked ahead of the men and entered an empty shop. His handler knew this meant the dog smelled something dangerous. The soldiers carefully entered the building and discovered a supply of explosives--enough to make more than 10 bombs. Thanks to Chocolat, the weapons had been found before they could do any harm. Chocolat is one of thousands of dogs that have been trained to use their super sense of smell to detect explosives. Some, like Chocolat, serve in the military, while others work with police in crowded public places like airports, bus stations, or sports stadiums. They all serve faithfully to help make the world a safer place. With real-life stories and full-color photos of bomb-sniffing dogs on the job, this book is sure to appeal to dog-lovers everywhere.
| Interest Level | Grade 2 - Grade 7 |
|---|---|
| Reading Level | Grade 3 |
| Category | Hi-Lo, Nonfiction |
| Subject | Animals, Military |
| Copyright | 2012 |
| Publisher | Bearport Publishing |
| Imprint | Bearport Books |
| Language | English |
| Publication Date | 2012-01-01 |
| BISACS | JNF003060 |
|---|---|
| Dewey | 363.325'163 |
| Graphics | Full-color photographs, Historical photographs |
| Lexile | 890 |
| Guided Reading Level | N |
| ATOS Reading Level | 5.4 |
| Accelerated Reader® Quiz | 149934 |
| Accelerated Reader® Points | 0.5 |
Reviews
Bomb-Sniffing
It isn’t all fun and games when you’re a dog. Some, like the canines featured in the Dog Heroes series, are trained professionals, using their keen sense of smell to aid military personnel, police officers, and search-and-rescue teams. In Bomb-Sniffing Dogs, readers learn that there are certain breeds best-suited to the task: German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, vizslas, and Belgian Malinois. German shepherds’ noses have 220 million sniffing cells, as opposed to the 5 million of human noses. Of course dogs aren’t born with bomb-seeking abilities, and this book details the training process, noting the tight bond that forms between dog and human partner. Pest-Sniffing Dogs turns its attention to the ever-pesky, and increasingly prevalent, bed bug. In order to detect pests like bed bugs and termites, dogs attend a training academy for two to three months and sniff pest-filled vials until they’re conditioned to the odor. Both volumes in the series offer true on-the-beat tales and put names with faces: for instance, Chocolat, a Belgian shepherd, detected explosives in a store in Afghanistan. With photos that run the gamut from cute (lots of snout close-ups) to downright impressive, this series should have wide appeal, not only for dog fans, but also for those interested in the military and action-adventure stories. A “Just the Facts” section concludes.
Bomb-Sniffing
It isn’t all fun and games when you’re a dog. Some, like the canines featured in the Dog Heroes series, are trained professionals, using their keen sense of smell to aid military personnel, police officers, and search-and-rescue teams. In Bomb-Sniffing Dogs, readers learn that there are certain breeds best-suited to the task: German shepherds, Labrador retrievers, vizslas, and Belgian Malinois. German shepherds’ noses have 220 million sniffing cells, as opposed to the 5 million of human noses. Of course dogs aren’t born with bomb-seeking abilities, and this book details the training process, noting the tight bond that forms between dog and human partner. Pest-Sniffing Dogs turns its attention to the ever-pesky, and increasingly prevalent, bed bug. In order to detect pests like bed bugs and termites, dogs attend a training academy for two to three months and sniff pest-filled vials until they’re conditioned to the odor. Both volumes in the series offer true on-the-beat tales and put names with faces: for instance, Chocolat, a Belgian shepherd, detected explosives in a store in Afghanistan. With photos that run the gamut from cute (lots of snout close-ups) to downright impressive, this series should have wide appeal, not only for dog fans, but also for those interested in the military and action-adventure stories. A “Just the Facts” section concludes.
