Why are people still using dogs rather than some kind of fancy IED detection technology?
I think the answer simply is that for bomb detection, dogs work better, and their track record is stronger. In 2010 Lt. Gen. [Michael] Oates gave a report on how many billions of dollars had been spent on creating new technology to battle IEDs. And after all the money they spent and the new things they'd developed, they found that dog teams were still the most effective method.
This is sort of baffling, because you step back and then ask why more money isn't being spent on dogs. Perhaps the answer is that it's easier to lobby for money when you're talking about something that can be invented and created anew rather than something like a dog—already superior as they are.
If they can find something better than a dog team, it would be worth spending the money, because we're talking about saving peoples' lives.
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Billions Have Been Spent on Technology to Find IEDs, but Dogs Still Do It Better
I think the answer simply is that for bomb detection, dogs work better, and their track record is stronger. In 2010 Lt. Gen. [Michael] Oates gave a report on how many billions of dollars had been spent on creating new technology to battle IEDs. And after all the money they spent and the new things they'd developed, they found that dog teams were still the most effective method.
This is sort of baffling, because you step back and then ask why more money isn't being spent on dogs. Perhaps the answer is that it's easier to lobby for money when you're talking about something that can be invented and created anew rather than something like a dog—already superior as they are.
If they can find something better than a dog team, it would be worth spending the money, because we're talking about saving peoples' lives.
more
Billions Have Been Spent on Technology to Find IEDs, but Dogs Still Do It Better