The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) should move toward permitting private contractors to train explosive-sniffing dogs and make them available for use at government certified cargo screening facilities, the Airforwarders Association (AfA) urged a congressional panel in testimony today.

Appearing before the U.S. House of Representatives Homeland Security Subcommittee on Transportation Security, AfA board member Chris Connell urged TSA to finalize its efforts to develop a program for private companies to use their own canines, certified to TSA standards, to meet federal air cargo screening mandates. Currently, TSA permits only the use of the agencys own dogs in cargo screening, and only at on-airport facilities.

Click here to download the AfA’s written testimony.

Connell, who is President of Commodity Forwarders, Inc., a Los Angeles-based freight forwarding company specializing in perishable products, said enabling the use of private sector dogs will help broaden the security options for freight forwarders who operate off-airport Certified Cargo Screening Facilities (CCSF), which are supervised by TSA.

We are not saying that privatized canines are a magic bullet when it comes to screening cargo, but they are a potentially valuable part of this multilayer approach another important tool in the toolbox, if you will that includes a range of other technology solutions that our members can use to meet their screening requirements, he said.

Connell told the subcommittee that the AfA had just recently surveyed its members and found that fully three-quarters of the respondents about half of whom operate CCSFs said they would strongly consider using dogs provided by private companies if they were given the option to do that.

While emphasizing that the threat to the aviation industry remains high and association members are determined to do their part to ensure safety, Connell noted that time is money in our business. And right now our company believes that we could save over a million dollars a year at our LAX facility if we had access to a third party solution deploying canines. And of course our customers would highly appreciate the time savings that this solution would help us achieve.

Accordingly, we are highly interested in any solution that can help us expedite the screening process, move our perishables more quickly through the supply chain, and still provide the utmost in safety and security of what we ship. We think dogs can really help us do that, he said.

Connell also noted that use of specially trained dogs is one of several methods for screening air freight that are identified in the 9/11 Commission Recommendations Act that was passed by Congress in 2007. And he said that, given the track record of using canines in cargo screening, proceeding with a private sector option with solutions fully regulated, certified and monitored by government agencies would square with other screening approaches such as in-house x-ray and ETD, where the government relies on private sector solutions that are tested and certified.

About the Airforwarders Association

The Airforwarders Association (AfA) represents more than 360 member companies dedicated to moving cargo throughout the supply chain. The association’s members range from small businesses with fewer than 20 employees to large companies employing more than 1,000 people and business models varying from domestic to worldwide freight forwarding operations. In short, they are the travel agents for freight shipments, moving cargo in the timeliest and most cost efficient manner whether it is carried on aircraft, truck, rail or ship. For more information, visit the association’s website at http://www.airforwarders.org.

Schutzhund is a form of dog training or dog sport foundered in Germany over a century ago. The word Schutzhund actually means protection dog in German and was used to assess German Shepherds to determine if they were suitable for police work.

Although it was initially just German Shepherds, testing now occurs on dogs of many different breeds. The test is both rigorous and demanding, so the numbers of other breeds that pass are limited.

Schutzhund Basics

Enrolling your dog into Schutzhund training may still prove difficult, however if you are keen to learn the techniques and principles behind this training method, there are many DVDs that can be purchased or acquired. It is important to understand though, that the training is highly specialized, very strict and very structured, which means you will need to maintain this consistently for your dog to learn. For this reason, it may not be the best form of training if you have a young family.

The training will over time teach your dog the skills of obedience, tracking, protection, sniffing and retrieving, and will commence when your pup is just a few weeks of age. Of course, you may not be able to commence your training until your pup is 8+ weeks of age when you bring them home from the breeder.

Schutzhund Training Principles

Although it is possible to get specialized training DVDs that focus on a specific principle, you can expect your Schutzhund training DVDs to cover the following areas:

Clicker Training – This is a form of positive reinforcement that is gaining popularity with trainers around the world, even if it isnt associated with Schutzhund. It involves using a little clicker button whenever the dog is good. First you will need to train your puppy to know that the clicking noise equals a good job.

Obedience – This is the core of any training method and is the first test in Schutzhund, covering a set of 11 basic commands. The commands however may use multiple instructions in one, such as sit, down and stand. In addition they cover instructions like focus and attention, targeting, retrieving, motion exercises, pointing out an object and heeling. To pass this test, your dog must be able to execute all 11 commands perfectly.

Tracking – Leveraging from the obedience commands to target and find an object, which has been pointed out, the dog will learn to track all sorts of items and people. The training will teach the dog to remember a scent when provided to them and then to pursue that until they are called off.

Protection – Using more commands the dog is taught how to identify potential threats and how to attack them. Police, guard and attack dogs are taught using this method. Another form of protection is where the dog is taught that it must protect a person or object; this is then done without commands.

Schutzhund training is designed to give a dog an education to enable it to be a specialized working dog. Although this may not be the aim with your dog, the training DVDs can provide useful instruction on training and assist in developing your dog understands of commands. As stated earlier, there are a number of different courses, so it is best to research the types of training courses first before purchasing them. Understand the success rates and the philosophies they employ and whether they are likely to be useful for your breed of dog.

Pets are always special to us. Dogs are the most wonderful pets that a person can have. There are certain qualities in this animal which attracts our attention and makes us love them more.

When you decide to keep a pet in your house you need to make sure that you train him. Without proper training the dog would not be able to perform his tasks and might even make your home dirty.

There are certain commands for the dogs which helps them to understand what they ought to do at that point of time. Your dog might be a good and obedient pet who listens to all your commands. But one day suddenly he might pretend to turn deaf to your commands and start ignoring you.

It can be quite frustrating to deal with a dog that is unruly. People who love their dogs more than anything might also find it quite irritating when the dogs start ignoring all his words and only stares at him.

At this point of time you need to find a plan which will help you turn your dog to the obedient pet once again. First of all it is important to find out the reason why your pet is ignoring your commands.

Some of these reasons are intentional while others are unintentional. People who want their dogs to be obedient cannot tolerate the ignorance of the dogs and hence they get angry and scold them.

This can have an adverse effect on the dog and he might turn out to be more disobedient. Your dog might refuse to hear your command just because he does not understand them.

If you want to teach a command you need to repeat it in short training sessions. Always make sure that he has grasped a particular command before you move to a new one. Once he gets one command right give him some rewards.

You need to make sure that your voice is firm while giving the command and it must not vary every time. Some of the common commands for dogs are sit, come, and play and so on.

One of the most important training which must be given is to go out for toilets. You can start the training with the command sit and then move over to lie down and finally over to the tough ones. Try not to begin with the tough commands.

Training your dog means that you are teaching your dog the basic rules and things that should be expected by you. These can include the common rules such as not peeing in the house, walking closely on the lead, and listening to commands when they are spoken. This is something that virtually all owned dogs deal with, and you will be hard pressed today to find an owned dog that has not had some form of training. These common guidelines are what make the dog special in the field of family pets, in that they rely on us for so much yet are intelligent enough to understand what we want from them.

Works Both Ways

When it comes to training your dog, this is something that basically works both ways. You will relay to the dog what it is you expect of them, and this will give you the chance to understand what your dog understands. This is a bond, and with dedication and work, you could find that this relationship will be one of your fondest. Dogs are amazing animals and they show just how smart they are each and every day. Using the power of their intelligence, you should be able to show them that they can follow your rules and be productive as a family pet. You will enjoy your dog far more, if you take the time to ensure that it is trained. There will be far less conflicts between dog and owner, and you will be enjoying them more than reprimanding them.

For The Family

Training your dog is as much for the dog, as it is for the whole family. Dogs are an animal that mingles within a family setting quite well today, and if your dog is not behaving due to a lack of training it will bring the whole family to a standstill. No one wants to get rid of the family dog, but if the dog is simply not behaving there is often no other alternative. This is why training is so important, as it teaches the family dog exactly what is expected of them and how they should behave. Without training, the family dog could actually cause quite a few problems in the home and this would not be enjoyable for either the dog or the family. Take the time to train your dog, so you do not have to face such a decision in the future.

Gives Them Opportunities

Training your dog will give them opportunities that they would not otherwise have. They could actually go with you to places that without the training they simply could not. Some restaurants and cafes allow the presence of dogs, and if your dog is poorly behaved they will not be one of the lucky ones. Take the time to train your dog right, and you will be glad that you did. Training will help the dog in your home, as well as socially.