Mine Drill for Drevers

With its Mine Dog Centre in Pretoria, MineTech International has begun a two-year program to assess the potential of the Drever for development as an alternative breed for mine detection work. The programme has been initiated by the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), which has provided six dogs for the project. The study involves keeping detailed records of all areas of the Drevers’ development process to identify both the positive and negative aspects in training these dogs as mine detection dogs (MDDs). The project began in October 2002, and although it is still in early stages, some interesting observations are emerging. Hugh Morris, Operations Director at MineTech looks at some of the processes and progress of the study to date.