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Dog detectives trained locally

New Market couple uses canines to find drugs, bombs

Thursday, Feb. 23, 2006

Click here to enlarge this photo Bill Ryan⁄ The Gazette Cornelia Cheston of New Market shares treats with some of the dogs she and her husband train to detect bombs and drugs. Click here to enlarge this photo Bill Ryan⁄The Gazette Pete Cheston holds a sample of explosive powder for his bomb-sniffing dog, Sam.

When Sam catches a whiff of materials he’s been trained to find, he will lay down, or sit if his wagging tail prevents going all the way to the floor.

It’s the passive response he’s been conditioned to perform by the Chestons, owners of Search Dogs Inc.

The Chestons have raised and trained dogs to detect explosives and controlled substances since 1998.

‘‘It’s a low-tech solution to a high-tech problem,” Pete Cheston said. ‘‘They’re trained to detect over 20 different odors — from TNT, dynamite, plastic explosives and black powder to chemical agents.”

The narcotics dogs are trained in just as wide a variety of controlled substances.

The Chestons have served in the military and security forces, but handling security dogs remained their main passion.

Both are registered peace officers in Virginia with arrest powers and are licensed to use firearms.

Pete Cheston worked as a special forces officer in the U.S. military for more than 20 years, and Cornelia Cheston previously served as a security officer for the U.S. Department of Defense.

They both worked for several search and rescue companies before starting their own ‘‘K-9 Detector Teams” in New Market.

Their dogs come from animal shelters and rescues from the Eastern Shore to Martinsburg, W.Va., but the Chestons only use Labrador retrievers.

Cornelia Cheston said it’s important to use dogs that have a friendly disposition. ‘‘We only use passive dogs, no aggressive dogs or ones with an aggressive, nasty reputation,” she said.

Places such as Fort Detrick in Frederick and high schools in Prince George’s County hire the company on a contract basis. Working at Fort Detrick, the dogs inspect incoming vehicles among other tasks.

The dogs need to be gentle, though, since they also can be in constant contact with children while working at schools. ‘‘If the dogs detect something a student shouldn’t have, [the students] usually pet the dog and not even realize they’re in trouble,” she said.

The dogs are almost always in public when working and need to have a pleasant attitude. ‘‘They have to want to hunt,” Pete Cheston said. ‘‘They’ve got to have that strong hunting drive in them, or a strong play drive, in order to train them.”

Different breeds of dogs are inherently drawn to some service, whether it be hunting, herding or attacking.

Sam and Harm, the company’s top bomb-sniffers, have a strong hunting streak along with a desire to play constantly. Sam has learned to associate sniffing out substances just like he would regular commands such as sit, stay and heel.

The Chestons use treats and signals to associate the action with a particular scent. Sniffing boxes are the perfect learning tools. A substance is placed in one of three boxes, each with a hole in the top. The dog is given a treat each time it lies down after smelling a certain odor, until it learns to perform the action on its own. It becomes a game: Sniff the black powder, lie down, get a treat.

The dogs follow a strict schedule, but don’t train every day.

‘‘You don’t want them to get burned out,” Pete Cheston said.

If they use their nose too much, it can dry out and won’t be able to pick up scents as easily. Weather conditions and the amount of the explosive or drug can affect their ability as well.

‘‘We’ve taken them to the places where we purchase the samples to train with,” Pete Cheston said. ‘‘They can be overwhelmed when they get out of the car and all they smell are the explosives.”

The dogs aren’t the only ones working, however.

Pete and Cornelia Cheston have to apply for licenses to handle the dangerous materials every year, and the dogs are certified by outside companies to ensure impartiality.

Out in the field, the handlers have to know when the dog is confused, overwhelmed or overworked.

‘‘The handler is always watching the dog, the environment and looking for changes in behavior,” he said.

If a handler notices a dog is easily distracted, confused or tired, it may be getting too old. Pete Cheston said he and Cornelia try to find adoptive homes for retired dogs.