What are the Gas Detection Dogs up to?

How they are saving leaks and losses…

Canines are so adept at sniffing out hazards they have become an important ally for detecting leaks in pipeline gas.  Other methods using equipment can be applied but dogs are a very cost-effective way and have proven their reliability.  This is because generally dogs can detect a leak faster.

Dogs are currently being used in pipeline inspections to detect gases, hydrocarbons and oil substances.  The pipelines are generally underground and run for thousands of kilometres cross-country. Imagine the capacity to smell parts per million.  That’s what sophisticated equipment can measure.  A sniffer dog can detect parts per ‘billion’. Gas or oil leaks need to be detected quickly to avoid harm to the environment and a dog and his/her handler can go to ‘hard to reach’ areas easily.  Illegal tappings have also proven a problem over the years and these can be detected by these nosey canines too.  On a sidenote, dogs have also been trained to detect underground electrical short circuits.

Do you live in a home using gas for heating or cooking?  If you ever notice your dog acting strange e.g. hiding, tail-tucked, spinning or pawing at you, and can’t find an explanation be sure to check your gas units for a leak.

Dogs have been used to detect underground water pipeline leaks in Western Australia uncovering nearly 800 leaks in one year. They have proven more effective than sonic detection.  Sometimes there is nothing on the surface to indicate a leak. The dogs are trained to alert to the smell of the chlorine in the water and the odour of the pipe but ignore all other water.  This can save 10’s of 1000’s of litres of water being lost.  Fixing leaks early can save a catastrophic loss where some rural customers would otherwise go without water due to it being cut off.

Hoke is a gorgeous lab donated by kennels for foundation training as an accelerant detection dog.  To watch him going through some of his training paces click the link below…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LBbxD5Tf1Kc

 Leah & Angela OMeara

Hound Dog Day Care (Specialists in Dog Minding & Dog Boarding, Pet Sitting Brisbane & Doggy Day Care Brisbane)