The USDA National Detector Dog Training Center (NDDTC) designs, develops, and delivers agriculture canine scent detection training for federal, state, local, and foreign entities. The Agriculture Detector Dog Handler Training programs for Airport Passenger Clearance and Border Cargo are basic training programs that prepare students to perform critical agriculture protection missions in either passenger or border/cargo environments. In both programs, students are instructed in the fundamentals of canine health care, canine behavior, and canine training in a traditional classroom environment. Students acquire basic canine handling skills and develop inspectional techniques through increasingly difficult practical exercises. Instructors evaluate and document the students’ progress weekly and provide feedback to the students on their progress.
The Agriculture Detector Dog Handler Training Border Cargo program is structured to accommodate various pathways and agriculture quarantine inspection operations including cargo inspections, parcel inspections, and conveyance inspections.