He is playful, even cute, but a 10-month-old German Shepherd’s role here at Montreal’s Trudeau airport is no game.
“It’s an explosives detection dog,” Marie-Noël Côté told Global News at the airport.
Sonic — that’s his name — has been with her for just two weeks.
Côté explained that his role, once he’s trained, will be to help ensure the security of airport facilities as well as aircraft by checking abandoned or suspicious luggage.
According to airport authorities the airport’s canine unit gets several calls daily about abandoned or suspicious baggage.
Sonic won’t start working just yet, though. Côté pointed out that for the next 12 months she will focus on getting him used to the airport environment.
“After he will start the training for around two to three months,” she said.
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She noted that only then will he be certified — all dogs are recertified annually, like all the other dogs.
With Sonic there will now be five at Trudeau airport.
According to Côté , the airport began using dogs in 1999 and have a different role than the canines used by the Canada Border Services Agency (CBSA) who check arriving passengers.
“Check for drugs, they will check also for the food and the cash,” she said.
There’s a reason he’s starting with her at such a young age.
“When they are puppies,” the handler mentioned, “it easier for the connection with the dogs and it’s easier for the training after.”
So far she has full confidence in Sonic.
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