Lulu is a black Lab who in the process of being trained as a CIA bomb sniffing dog. That is, until she decided that scouting out explosives just wasn’t her thing!
“A few weeks into training, Lulu began to show signs that she wasn’t interested in detecting explosive odors,” reported the CIA blog.
#CIAK9 Pupdate:
Sometimes, even after testing, our pups make it clear being an explosive detection K9 isn’t for themhttps://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb http://pic.twitter.com/07TXRCH7bp— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
At first, they thought it may be a fluke and she was having an “off” day. “A pup might begin acting lazy, guessing where the odors are, or just showing a general disregard for whatever is being taught at the moment,” they said, adding that this disinterest usually only lasts for a day or two.
Sometimes a pup is bored & needs extra playtime, sometimes they need a little break, or it’s a minor medical condition like a food allergy. http://pic.twitter.com/pPaBPohhqB
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
But not for Lulu. Despite promises of treats and playtime, the strong-willed pup couldn’t be convinced to perform in her training. After awhile, it became clear that she wasn’t having fun doing this type of work.
Our trainers’ top concern is physical & mental well-being of K9s.
They made difficult decision & did what’s best for Lulu: stop her training http://pic.twitter.com/Ss9y9LpE9q— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
“Our trainers’ top concern is the physical and mental well-being of our dogs, so they made the extremely difficult decision to do what’s best for Lulu and drop her from the program,” the blog explained.
When a pup is removed or retires from our K9 program, the handler & their family is given the chance to adopt them & many do. http://pic.twitter.com/EMfua7zhbT
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
But don’t worry, there’s still a happy ending for Lulu! She was adopted by her handler, and she’s now living the life of her dreams.
Lulu was adopted by her handler & now enjoys her days playing w his kids & a new friend, & sniffing out rabbits & squirrels in the backyard. http://pic.twitter.com/WOImM75P1D
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
“She now enjoys her days playing with his kids, sniffing out rabbits and squirrels in the backyard, and eating meals and snacks out of a dog dish,” they said. “We’ll miss Lulu, but this was the right decision for her. We wish her all the best in her new life.”
We’ll miss Lulu, but it was right decision for her & we wish her all the best in her new life!https://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb http://pic.twitter.com/Mbcr9C7wUY
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
via Whisker Therapy