Capable of leading a handler quickly to buried explosives, our use of dogs can speed up demining and suspect 'area reduction' projects by up to 300 percent.
Handling live animals does not come without its problems – wet or windy and temperature conditions affect this method and the cost of handlers and kennels is also a consideration.
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A dog sniffing for landmines and unexploded ordnance in Iraq.
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However, their appropriate use, particularly in low-risk ground, is hugely significant. Currently we prefer to use mine and explosive detection dogs in the following areas:
- Clearance areas prepared by remote-controlled flail or vegetation-cutting machines
- Area reduction in low risk areas
- Quality control after clearance
As with other methods employed by MAG, the use of dogs forms just one part of our overall approach in clearing conflict-affected countries.
Jargon buster
CL - Community Liaison. How MAG gathers, analyses and disseminates information in order to identify and implement the most effective solutions to the obstacles and dangers caused by remnants of conflict.
EOD - Explosive ordnance disposal. The safe removal and controlled destruction of unexploded, abandoned and other ordnance.
ERW - Explosive remnants of war. Any type of explosive weapons, including ammunition, but not including landmines.
IDP - Internally displaced person/people. People who've been forced to move to other areas of their own country due to conflict.
MANPADS - Man portable air defence systems. Portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems.
MAT - Mine Action Team. Specially trained multi-skilled teams who detect and remove the remnants of conflict.
Mine action. The field we work in relating to the clearance of the remnants of conflict.
MRE - Mine Risk Education. Life-saving information we provide to those immediately at risk.
NGO - Non-governmental organisation.
Remnants of conflict. All items recovered and destroyed as part of MAG’s activities, including anti-personnel and anti-vehicle mines, ERW, UXO and SALW.
SALW - Small arms and light weapons. Small arms include revolvers, self-loading pistols, rifles and carbines, sub-machine guns, assault rifles, light machine guns. Light weapons include hand-held under-barrel and mounted grenade launchers, heavy machine guns, portable anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns, recoilless rifles, portable launchers of anti-tank missile and rocket systems, portable launchers of anti-aircraft missile systems (MANPADS), mortars of less than 100mm calibre.
UXO - Unexploded ordnance. Unexploded bombs, rockets, missiles, mortars, grenades and more.
