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Mar 1, 2007 8:40 am US/Central- (CBS) SAN ANTONIO: A new dog out on patrol out at Denver International Airport was matched up with the Denver Police Department through a special dog breeding and training program run by the Transportation Security Administration.

"Seek … Up … Good Boy, Xzylo!"

At Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio, a thin golden dog named Xzylo makes quick work of the cargo area. With only a few commands from his handler, he finds a bomb buried in a bin of mail bags.

Even though this area looks like it could be part of any airport cargo area, it is, in fact, a training area for dogs like Xzylo, reports Jim Benemann of CBS station KCNC-TV in Denver.

Since Sept. 11, 2001, the Department of Homeland Security has looked for every possible way to make air travel and mass transit safer in this country. As a part of that effort, they have come up with four legged solutions like Xzylo.

Like a lot of efficient machines, Xzylo is a hybrid. His father was a Vizsla imported from Europe. His mother was a Labrador Retriever. Put them together and you have a Vizslador.

"These dogs are magnificent," observes Dave Kontny, director of the Transportation Security Administration National Explosives Detection Canine Team Program. "They remind us of a forensic laboratory. They come in, they sniff the air, and they give you an indication that they smell explosives in a matter of seconds."

Soon after 9/11, the TSA started breeding some of the best bomb sniffing Labradors. They also imported some Vizslas, a breed well known in Hungary for its hunting abilities. Then, TSA breeders had a eureka moment. Why not take the incredible nose of a Vizsla and combine it with qualities that come naturally for Labradors?

"The labradors have much higher powers for wanting that toy they get when they actually find explosives," said Scott Thomas, program manager of the National Explosive Detection Canine Team Puppy Program. "They like to retrieve the toy, pick it up and carry it around."

The Vizsladors tend to have the leaner body and longer ears of the Vizsla. They could be yellow or black, depending on the color of the Labrador side. But, most important, when you combine the two breeds, you get a dog who will work tirelessly sniffing for explosives — just for a chance to chase a rubber toy.

"I wish I could pay our employees in rubber!" laughs Kontny.

* * *

At Lackland, the Vizslador puppies start their lives living with foster families in the San Antonio area for one year. Then they return to Lackland for preschool, where a TSA trainer puts them through their paces. They learn to find the explosive device, sit to indicate a positive finding and then they get the rubber toy.

Next the Vizsladors get matched with a handler who comes from law enforcement agencies all over the country. At this point, the dog might know what to do. But the handler will spend eight weeks at Lackland learning how to handle the dog.

The bulk of the bomb sniffers will continue to be German Shepherds and Labrador Retrievers.

* * *

Urban, A young yellow lab, is the new dog on patrol out at Denver International Airport. Late last year, she was matched with her handler Dan Castro, from the Denver Police Department, at the Lackland training program.

"I love her and I respect her," says Castro. "She is just a great worker."

But no matter their bloodline, all TSA-bred dogs have one thing in common. They are named after victims of 9/11.

"We wanted to remind ourselves of that tragedy every day," says Thomas. "It's real easy to be in there having fun with puppies. But we never want to forget the very serious nature of the work we do."

So the names like Xzylo and Urban echo a tragic day in our past. But in the future, travelers will be safer because of man's best friend - whether purebred or hybrid.

(© MMVII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)

 

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