CIA bomb-sniffing dog flunks out of training in Twitter saga
Follow the riveting story of Lulu, a good dog just not cut out for the CIA's bomb-sniffing K9 Corps training program.
#CIAK9 Pupdate:
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
Sometimes, even after testing, our pups make it clear being an explosive detection K9 isn’t for themhttps://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb pic.twitter.com/07TXRCH7bp
Not every dog has its day when it comes to completing the CIA's rigorous training program for explosives-detecting K9s. The US Central Intelligence Agency posted a fascinating flood of tweets Wednesday tracing the story of Lulu, a black lab participating in the fall 2017 "puppy class" for bomb-sniffing dogs. Spoiler: Lulu flunked out.
When dogs have bad days at school, the CIA looks for a reason why, citing food allergies or boredom as potential issues. For Lulu, it went deeper than that. "Lulu was no longer interested in searching for explosives. Even when they could motivate her with food and play to search, she was clearly not enjoying herself any longer," the CIA notes in a "pupdate."
Lulu wasn’t interested in searching for explosives.
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
Even when motivated w food & play, she was clearly no longer enjoying herself. pic.twitter.com/puvhDk1tRX
Lulu's story gives us some fascinating insight into the CIA's dog-training program. The CIA says its K9 Corps is "the first line of defense against explosive threats to Agency personnel and buildings at Headquarters and abroad." The dogs are also on-call at all times to help other law enforcement groups.
The agency described the decision to drop Lulu from the program as "extremely difficult."
Our trainers’ top concern is physical & mental well-being of K9s.
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
They made difficult decision & did what’s best for Lulu: stop her training pic.twitter.com/Ss9y9LpE9q
Lulu's tale then takes a delightful turn. She may not be cut out to be a bomb-sniffing K9, but she is destined for a life of luxury as a family pet. The CIA gave Lulu's handler the chance to adopt her and he did. The CIA reports Lulu is now playing with her handler's kids and sniffing for bunnies and squirrels in the yard instead of ferreting out explosives.
The journey of Lulu, the bomb-sniffing dog who didn't want to sniff for bombs, is reminiscent of the children's book "The Story of Ferdinand," about a bull who would rather smell flowers than fight.
The CIA's Twitter stream on Wednesday included a dozen photos of Lulu, including one of Lulu relaxing on the carpet in her new home:
Lulu was adopted by her handler & now enjoys her days playing w his kids & a new friend, & sniffing out rabbits & squirrels in the backyard. pic.twitter.com/WOImM75P1D
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
Lulu's handler will get a new dog to train. You can follow all the furry drama through the CIA's Puppy Class page, where you can meet the other recruits and get a peek at their work regimen.
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