RICHMOND, Va. (WWBT) – Drug-sniffing dogs can be some of the most important contributors to combating crime, but sometimes the narcotics canines are trained to sniff out are a purer form and smell different than the variety actually found on the street.

That’s why chemists with the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory put 19 dogs of different breeds to the test Saturday to help them sniff out a greater range of drugs.

“The goal today is to develop a new method of training that will approve the level of proficiency of narcotics detection,” said forensic chemist Lauryn DeGreeff.

The Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) first ran into this issue when dogs they trained were having trouble finding specific scents.

Kimberly Peranich, project manager and chemical engineer for the NSWC Indian Head EOD Technology Division, was put in contact with Degreeff to create a solution that could help dogs find specific odors. Read More