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There are many factors that may affect the longevity of or guide the use of canine training aids. Literature to date has mainly focused on identifying the headspace volatiles associated with training aids or odors and only minimal research exists into how different variables may alter those volatiles. The current study examines several factors affecting canine training aids: humidity, air flow, transportation, and operational deployment, using the triacetone triperoxide polymer odor capture-and-release canine training aid (TATP POCR) as the target. The TATP POCR is an absorption-based canine training aid developed to be used to safely train canines to detect the odor of the explosive TATP in operational settings. Comparisons of the TATP POCR to neat TATP are made throughout the manuscript. First, humidity increased the background components of the POCR matrix, as well as the amount of TATP recovered was above the POCR. Humidity thus affected the amount of TATP detected but did not prevent detection. Second, air flow lessened the lifetime of the TATP POCR. Third, the practice of using primary and secondary containment successfully prevented contamination, cross-contamination, and significant target loss, thereby maintaining kit integrity. Finally, the absorption of background odors from training environments was not observed. TATP headspace concentrations between a Deployed and Control POCR kit were not significantly different at time 0 (i.e., upon opening), which suggests that the operational use does not affect the function of the TATP POCR system. This information provides pivotal evidence for explosives detection canine handlers or trainers who utilize the TATP POCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection dogs are trained to locate a variety of substances to provide security and protection for the public and the environment, but access to substances for training is often limited. Various training aids have been created to deliver target odors as safer or more accessible alternatives to using the actual substance material, many of which are commercially available. However, the methods used to create and validate the effectiveness of these training aids are rarely reported or available to consumers, leading to uncertainty regarding their use. There has been a recent drive in the detection canine community to create standards by which to measure the manufacture and utility of canine training aids, but little progress has been made in determining how a reliable canine training aid should be developed and which analytical measurements should be utilized. While the interest in and need for an independently evaluated training aid is clear, developers typically do not release the necessary information, whether for proprietary or other reasons. Transparent analysis and procedures would allow for direct examination of training aids using objective measures, which in turn would allow canine teams to select the best tool to achieve their mission. To this end, the current manuscript provides a stepwise method for the development and validation of a novel canine training aid, using triacetone triperoxide as an example target. This method can be applied to the creation of training aids of many different target odors, such as explosives, narcotics, chemical warfare agents, or biological diseases and viruses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]