Some years ago, many mine detection dog (MDD) organisations claimed to be a
ble to train their dogs to detect tripwires. Today, most of the same organisations have abandoned this practice, claiming that dogs have problems in reliably finding tripwires. They also claim that tripwire detection can have a negative impact on cost-effectiveness, due to prolonged training and increased false alarm rates, and the failure of the dog to discriminate between scrap metal and metallic tripwires.
The presence of tripwires is a major delaying factor to demining in general. If dogs could detect them, their potential use would be greatly increased, as would their safety and that of the handlers.
Therefore, the GICHD facilitated the implementation of a small study, where the focus was on tripwire detection.
The objective of the sub-study was to determine whether, and how, dogs are able to detect different types of tripwires (such as metallic and non-metallic) and where limitations exist. The study also addressed possible negative aspects of dog tripwire detection, including:
- An increased number of false indications
- Prolonged training periods
- A possible reduced ability (interest) to detect explosive vapours
The US State Department provided direct funds to the Global Training Academy, in order to implement the study in accordance with the Terms of Reference prepared by GICHD. The Global Training Academy has since completed the study and prepared a report for the GICHD, which has been incorporated into the MDD book (see MDD book index, chapter 2, part 3).
