U.S. Marshals Service for Students   

Special Operation Support

USMS Explosive Detection Dogs

The United States Marshals Service has five dogs trained by the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF) Anti-Terrorism Assistance Program.  This program trains dogs for law enforcement roles and then pairs the dogs with federal officers.

Their names are: Beacon, Emmy Lou,  Gucci, Nick, and Maxx.

Beacon is a  four-year-old Golden Retriever/Black Labrador.  Beacon was originally trained to be a guide dog, but he loved to chase squirrels.  A guide dog can't chase squirrels!  Beacon was selected for ATF training and was an excellent student.  

Beacon lives in the Washington D.C. area and provides vital assistance on law enforcement assignments around the country.  Along with his critical courthouse security assignments, Beacon has worked at the Super Bowl, the Pentagon, and the Supreme Court.

The ATF trained Beacon and the other dogs to recognize up to 19,000 different types of explosives.  The dogs spend 24 hours a day with their handler and train frequently throughout each day.  The dogs only eat food provided by their handler and the handler only gives them food when they have correctly sniffed out explosives.

Print out a Trading Card of Beacon