Working Dogs and Dog HandlersPolice officers work with special units that utilize the skills of their dogs. Thornton says, “They work fire scenes; places of public transport, such as metro stations, train stations or airports; and large public events likely to be the subject of bomb threats. They may also check vehicles or buildings for drugs or other contraband” (Chapter 28). The Central Intelligence Agency; the United States Postal Service; the secret services; the Drug Enforcement Administration and many others use dogs on their teams. Some of the most well-known areas that dogs are found in are tracking, substance detection, law enforcement, and corpses. Other types of areas for dogs are arson or they are also known as accelerator detection K9s. These dogs are trained to detect traces of accelerants or other substances used to start fires. Their job is to investigate fire scenes and determine the cause of a fire. More than 200 teams of arsonist dogs are at work in the United States and even in Canada. Owners must trust their dogs like any team with a human partner. Once the dog signals the presence of something, the owner must investigate further. Trainers must establish a bond with the dog who will also become their family. In schools, handlers and dogs learn to detect arson, they simulate fire scenes, they learn to locate and identify tiny drops of accelerants and the fuels used to start a fire. These schools also face challenges that owners and their dogs face, such as wet grass, wet buildings, mud, ashes and burned debris. Dogs aren't the only ones who need to learn things. "Their owners also need to learn to identify hazards, such as dangerous debris or weakened areas that could endanger their dogs or themselves," explains ...... middle of paper ......ent scenarios that require different skills, so if you were searching for someone in an avalanche, that would clearly be different than searching for someone in the rubble of an explosion. Search and rescue officers must also have already learned survival skills before becoming a search and rescue officer. Works Cited “Homeland Security”. Explosive detection dog teams. Np, and Web. January 21, 2014. “K9 Global Training Academy.” Global K9 Training Academy RSS. Np, and Web. January 21, 2014. “(SARDUS) Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States.” (SARDUS) Search and Rescue Dogs of the United States. Np, and Web. January 21, 2014. Thornton, Kim Campbell. Careers with Dogs: The Complete Guide to Finding Your Dream Job. Irvine, CA: BowTie, 2010. Print “What is a Criminal Dog?” Arson dog training program sponsored by State Farm. Np, and Web. January 20. 2014.