Wafer is Taiwan’s first electronics detection dog

Описание: Taiwan’s police force has a new member: the country’s first electronics detection dog. Wafer is a 2-year-old black Labrador, full of energy, and with a nose for electrics. Devices hidden in the strangest places are no match for Wafer. He can even sniff out a phone at the bottom of a river. He’s a gift from the U.S., where electronics police dogs are more and more numerous. Currently in quarantine, Wafer is expected to join the police force officially on Sept. 11.

Wafer jumps up on the couch, where an electronic device is hidden in a light fixture. The smart dog sits down and gestures with his nose, a clear signal to say, “There’s something here.”

Wafer sniffs all along a cupboard and gets out each chair from the table. The electrics hidden inside can’t escape his exceptional nose.

Then he comes to the living area, and jumps straight onto a small round table: “There’s something here!” There are more than 100 electronics detection dogs in the U.S., and 2-year-old black lab Wafer has been trained in a Taiwan-U.S. collaboration. He’s about to join Taiwan’s canine police team, the first electronics detection dog in the country.

Wafer’s olfactory talents can sniff out anything – phones, hard disks, cryptocurrency hard wallets – wherever it’s hidden, in wardrobes, outdoor spaces, SUVs, at the bottom of rivers…

Wang Chung-hsiang
Police dog handler
Wafer is a new, very energetic dog. He works very happily if you just give him enough love and rewards. One of the most memorable moments for me is one time we put a phone on a riverbed, and he could smell it. That really made me see things differently.

Wafer was originally taking guide dog and emotional support dog training. But he was too full of beans for that and dropped out. Then, trainers decided that his love of play, big appetite, and obedience made him perfect to train as an electronics detection dog.

Chang Yueh-han
Third Special Police Corps captain
The Third Special Police Corps has received an electronics detection Labrador from a U.S. non-profit organization. What he can smell is mainly triphenylphosphine oxide, a special chemical in paint inside storage devices.

After two weeks’ training in the U.S., Wafer is currently in quarantine at Taiwan’s border. The police force is excited for him to join the team.