Floppy Ears versus Erect Ears in Security Detection Work

This may sound ridiculous. After all, what do dogs’ ears have to do with detection? But we have been hearing a lot lately that customers prefer floppy ear dogs for their security detection work. We have looked at whether this perception is correct and at the pros and cons of using the two types of dogs.

When referring to floppy ear dogs, people generally imply Labrador retrievers, and when referring to erect ear dogs, people generally expect Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherd or a German Shepherd type dog. Their perception is that floppy ear dogs tend not to bite people and erect ear dogs may bite people.

In a recent meeting with another company that offers canine detection services, Simon was told by one of the partners that they are offering only floppy ear dogs in their detection services. This was one reason that K9 Technology chose not to partner with that company as this statement was a good indication of their poor understanding of dog behavior and training.

First, there are many aggressive breeds with floppy ears. For example, Giant Schnauzers unless ears were cropped have floppy ears. This breed excels in scent work, but these dogs can also be excellent protection dogs and can be aggressive to humans unless properly trained.

Then look at the following dog below. Do you know what breed this is?

Looks like a Golden Retriever, right? These dogs are considered “friendly” and not biting dogs. This dog, however, is the German Hovawart. Hovawarts are one of the most aggressive breeds. They can be much more aggressive than the Belgian Malinois, and they can be very stubborn making them harder to control.

Here is another dog.

Looks like a Bernese Mountain dog, right? Sweet dogs that are generally not aggressive. Nope! This is also a German Hovawart only in black and brow color. This dog has a very high defensive drive and will not hesitate to bite if feels threatened. We are not familiar with their scent work ability, and probably would not use them for detection, but you get the picture.

So, dog ears have nothing to do with their aggressiveness and risk of biting during detection work.

Now lets consider Retriever type breeds versus Shepherd breeds. Is one type safer for the public and is there an advantage of one versus the other in quality of detection work.

Generally, we when selecting dogs for detection work, we are looking for dogs with a high prey drive and fairly high intelligence. All dogs have the ability to detect scents, but to excel in detection, they need to be motivated to search and focus, they need a very high prey drive (also referred to as a hunting drive). To be able to learn and differentiate scents effectively, they must have a fairly high intelligence level.

Please note that many professionals refer to “imprinting” scents when training the various scents. This is technically incorrect, as imprinting is only possible in puppies up to about 4 months of age. Dogs older than 4 months need to be taught the various scents.

Therefore, our priority in selecting dogs is to make sure they have high prey drives. Generally, Belgian Malinois, Dutch Shepherds, or German Shepherds (or a mix of these breeds) have the highest prey drives. These dogs are also very intelligent and learn quickly and effectively. This is why they excel in detection work.

Another misconception that we heard from that K9 security firm was that dogs that were trained for protection should not be used in security detection work in public places. This type of statement told me that this person may have worked as a police dog handler, but he did not understand very well working dogs and working dog training. When we train dogs in protection, we not only train the dogs how to bite effectively, but above all, we train them control during bite work.

Any dog may bite — especially dogs that are fearful. It is a well-known fact that most human bite incidents in the US were recorded by Labrador Retrievers. When confident dogs are properly trained in bite work, the chances that they would bite unintentionally are lower.

When Simon Raban, President of K9 Technology, works his two dogs in explosives and firearms detection security, he feels safer using his two Dutch bred working dogs. Both were trained in protection. After all, what if we find a person that tries to get into a public venue armed or carrying explosives. Such a person is dangerous. Just by having a dog that may be perceived as an attack dog doing the detection work has a high potential of deterring such a person from even attempting to attack the event. In the event that one of our dogs detects a firearm or an explosive and the perpetrator is violent, having a dog that can quickly subdue a terrorist is an added benefit.

Do Labrador Retrievers have any benefit for detection? Why do some military units use Labrador Retrievers in addition to Malinois type of dog in their canine units? Simon discussed this subject with one of the most experienced military dog trainers in the US. It turns out that in certain situations single purpose Labs can be effective as they tend to be less suspicious of the people surrounding the search area. They are happy-go-lucky dogs that may focus on the task instead of the people around them. Malinois may be more suspicious and may divert their attention to the people and the environment from the detection task.

K9 Technology believes that dog selection for a specific security task must be done based on intimate knowledge of behavior and capabilities of each dog and not on its breed or ear type. For example, the two working dogs that Simon Raban owns — Luna and Rocky — are both Mal/Dutch Shepherd mixes originating from top working dog breeders in Netherlands. Luna excels in detecting firearms and explosives on humans entering and inside the venues. Luna has a very high threat level but can react quickly to a potential threat on command only. Rocky excels in clearing large areas. Rocky is capable to conduct detection tasks for a long time without losing focus and motivation. Rocky, on the other hand, has a low threat level and should not be deployed around crowds. Rocky is an excellent backup in cases when a strong dog is required to counter a terror threat.

We demonstrated in this article that the type of ears a dog has no impact on how effective the dog in performing the detection tasks as well as on public safety. The trend requiring “floppy ear” dogs for venue security work is based on misconception and poor understanding of dog behavior and training. It is more important for the canine vendor to understand dog behavior and be familiar with every dog they deploy. Vendors that play into customers’ fears of detecting dogs biting people are just compensating for their lack of expertise in this space.