this post was submitted on 02 May 2025
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Dogs

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[–] The_Caretaker@lemm.ee 157 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I trained my mom's boxer, Ricky, to sniff weed. It wasn't hard. Let him smell the bag and say "weed" the dog already understood what find meant. Then I put the weed on the floor where he could see it and told him to "find the weed" When he went to it, I gave him hotdog pieces. Finally I hid the bag in the couch cushions while the dog was in another room and brought him in and said "find the weed" He did it and got his hotdog. After that I always knew which friends had weed when they came over. Ricky would be very excited to sniff them and run to me and want a treat.

[–] Uli@sopuli.xyz 59 points 4 days ago (2 children)

That's a lot more fun than when I trained my dog to find Parkinsons. I only have one friend named Parkinson, so it wasn't very impressive.

[–] billwashere@lemmy.world 3 points 3 days ago

Why did I laugh at this… yes I’m weird.

[–] musubibreakfast@lemm.ee 5 points 4 days ago

I was there, he ripped him to shreds.

[–] PineRune@lemmy.world 61 points 4 days ago (2 children)

That's cute, but it's sad to think that cops just abandon these dogs to the animal shelter once they're no longer useful to them.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 47 points 4 days ago (2 children)

They generally don’t.

Usually, what they do is go home to live with their handler’s family. Which- generally- they’re okay with.

But they’re still trained to attack on command and require someone who knows how to handle them to be around.

If they don’t live with their handlers, then they find another qualified person to take them in. (A trainer or similar, for example.

Used to be? They’d just euthanize them because dumping them in rescues was a great way to get some bad press.

[–] mobotsar@sh.itjust.works 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They don't train drug sniffing dogs as attack dogs, so no, they don't attack on command.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 1 points 19 hours ago

It very much depends on what agency the dog is/was working for. TSA or border customs agents would be conducting their inspections inside secured locations; they're very unlikely to need an attack dog, but they do need a very highly trained dog to detect all manner of illicit shit.

the k-9 unit in your local home town police? they're trained as generalists, with much lower training in any specific task. As such, they won't have as broad of a detection capability as say a dedicated drug sniffing dog, or as skilled at tracking as, say, a cadaver dog, or be as useful in pursuits as, say, a patrol dog. But they'll be capable in all of the roles and come with a significant advantage in that they're fast to deploy because most will have dogs on duty around the clock, and virtually every agency has one in house.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 23 points 4 days ago (1 children)

because dumping them in rescues was a great way to get some bad press.

Also a great way to cause someone to have their their arm amputated, because they dont know how to handle a dog that was basically trained for war.

[–] FuglyDuck@lemmy.world 10 points 4 days ago (1 children)

lol, well. Yes.

But you think they care about the arm?

No. They only care about the arm when it’s flopping around in Fido’s mouth and going viral in the news.

[–] unexposedhazard@discuss.tchncs.de 6 points 4 days ago

Yeah they would for sure only care about themselves as usual.

[–] cynar@lemmy.world 29 points 4 days ago (1 children)

I knew someone who had a semi trained sniffer dog. It failed training, due to being too excitable. While it was rehomed via a rescue, I believe that was mostly to them already have the procedures to vet people etc. There is also a good chance they acquired the dog via the same shelters.

And yes, he did use it's training to identify who he could buy/bum a joint off of. The dog would get VERY excited to help, while down the pub.

[–] prole@lemmy.blahaj.zone 11 points 4 days ago

And yes, he did use it's training to identify who he could buy/bum a joint off of. The dog would get VERY excited to help, while down the pub.

Lol that's awesome. What a useful superpower.

[–] fratermus 19 points 4 days ago (2 children)

I hope he doesn't nibble any of it. Weed is quite toxic to doggos. Mine found a gummy or somesuch in a friend's car and spent the night convulsing and peeing on herself. Scary night.

[–] neukenindekeuken@sh.itjust.works 17 points 4 days ago

For anyone curious, yes, it is toxic to dogs, yes a little bit will make them very sick, but it actually takes quite a lot to hit the LD50 amount for doggos. Somwhere around 1 gram per lb the dog weighs, which is a LOT of weed.

Still, keep it away from them, but hopefully it helps others to know that while it will make them very sick, it would take a great deal of weed to actually risk their life. So if they eat a bud or two, strap in for a bad night of them throwing up, but know that they're not at risk of death. Unless they weigh like 5lbs.

[–] ayyy@sh.itjust.works 4 points 4 days ago

In its raw plant form? Or only after it’s been decarboxylated?

[–] Ilovethebomb@lemm.ee 5 points 4 days ago

It's not just the police that have drug dogs, it's a service private security companies offer as well.