Every once in a while, the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) releases updates that people don’t typically hear about. That’s why when people learned about their “pupdate” about a couple of years ago, people were surprised and at the same time amused. After all, it’s about one of the department’s adorable canine trainees who had to drop from the program.
According to the statement that the CIA released about the “Fall ’17 Puppy Class,” Lulu was simply not meant for the life of a working dog. They said that the K9 trainers must see that the pooches enjoy what they’re doing. Sometimes, the pups test well. They succeed in learning how to detect explosive scents.
#CIAK9 Pupdate:
Sometimes, even after testing, our pups make it clear being an explosive detection K9 isn’t for themhttps://t.co/nPZl6YWNKb pic.twitter.com/07TXRCH7bp— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
However, these dogs make it clear that the life of an explosive detection K9 is not for them. This was the case of Lulu. So, the department sadly announced that she was dropped from the program. Even if the agency said that Lulu was “dropped,” from the ways it sounded, it seemed like the pup actually took matters into her own paws.
The department said that Lulu started showing signs of disinterest in detecting explosive odors a few weeks into her training. Just like humans, dogs have good and bad days when it comes to learning something new. They explained that some pups might act lazy or show disregard during training. However, this usually lasts for a day or two.
Lulu was adopted by her handler & now enjoys her days playing w his kids & a new friend, & sniffing out rabbits & squirrels in the backyard. pic.twitter.com/WOImM75P1D
— CIA (@CIA) October 18, 2017
In some cases, like Lulu’s, trainers, later on, see that it isn’t a temporary issue. Even after using several techniques to motivate her, Lulu clearly showed to her trainers that she was not enjoying it. The trainers are mainly concerned about the dogs’ physical and mental well-being. So, they decided to do what’s best for Lulu and drop her out of the program.
Although it was quite a tough decision for the agency, it seemed that it was nothing but a breeze for Lulu. Despite her lack of motivation, Lulu’s handler couldn’t bear being permanently separated from her. So, now, Lulu is enjoying her days playing with her handler’s children and chasing rabbits and squirrels in their backyard.
Credit: CIA
