Trained dogs are used for detection of drugs and explosives by law enforcement forces in many countries. There are, however, some gaps in our knowledge of behavior of certified detection dogs that may have impact on the results of their work. For example explosives detection dogs are expected to be less excitable and more cautious at work, not to cause the target material to explode. The aim of the study was to assess the most important behavioral characteristics during experimental searching (time to detect the target material, false alerts, style of searching, speed of movement, effective exploration time) in dogs of two breeds most commonly used for drugs and explosives detection. To assess the level of dogs’ arousal during work the concentration of cortisol in saliva before and after searching was estimated. One hundred twentythree drug detection dogs and 82 explosives detection dogs were investigated, out of which there were 106 German Shepherds (GS) and 99 Labrador Retrievers (LR). To analyze fluctuations in concentration of cortisol, saliva samples were collected before and 20 minutes after searching. The mean time elapsing to detect drugs during experimental searching was shorter (59 and 71 s for GS and LR dogs respectively) compared to the detection of explosives (101 and 91 s for GS and LR dogs respectively). Preliminary results show that mean cortisol concentration in saliva was slightly higher in explosives detection dogs compared to drug detection dogs. For both specialties the mean cortisol concentration increased during searching. In the GS dogs the increase in concentration of cortisol during searching compared to the level before work was particularly evident, whereas an opposite tendency was observed in the LR dogs. These breed differences should be confirmed using more saliva samples.
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