Can sniffer dogs get addicted to drugs?
Not in the physiological need state that humans experience. The dogs do go nuts for the smell of drugs, but not because they get “highs” from sniffing them. Drug detection dogs do not “snort” drugs but instead detect tiny traces of drugs on clothing, containers, and people. The dogs are selected for their insane play drive and are trained that their ball (tug toy, rope toy, stuffed animal) comes out when they find and indicate the presence of drugs. They are addicted like a pointer is addicted to quail or a foxhound to foxes… an instictive or trained LOVE of that smell/item, but no change in their basic neurophysiology processes due to it’s proximity. Dogs have a completely different neurochemistry and biochemistry than human beings, making their absorption and processing of illegal human drugs very unpredictable. Just like chocolate is toxic to dogs while not to people, dogs are not affected by drugs like humans are.
