APRIL 16, 2025 — A dog’s sense of smell could be considered one of nature’s superpowers. This superpower, known to scientists as “canine olfaction,” has long been relied upon by the military and law enforcement for detection of hazardous materials, such as explosives and narcotics. However, canine olfaction is an under-explored area of research – one that scientists at the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center (DEVCOM CBC) hope to gain a better understanding through a project called IronDog.
Initiated in 2023, IronDog provides new methods for researching and understanding the science behind this superpower – specifically how physical activity may impact a dog’s ability to detect odors. For example, vehicle searches at entry-control points are physically demanding for military working dogs, requiring them to simultaneously run, search, sniff and pant. Eventually, the dog will get tired and its ability to detect a threat will decrease, leaving its handler with a sensor (the dog) that appears to be fully functioning when, in reality, it’s not.
To better understand the impact of physical activity on a dog’s sense of smell, IronDog leverages a computer-controlled odor delivery device called an olfactometer attached to a treadmill to test a dog’s olfactory performance while walking or trotting. Developed by project partner Texas Tech University, the olfactometer delivers precise amounts of odor at specific times to measure the dog’s detection accuracy while it exercises on the treadmill. This allows DEVCOM CBC researchers to control the level of exertion while simultaneously testing a dog’s ability to detect a specific odor.
Other project partners include the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps, University at Albany, Southern Illinois University, Texas A&M University and Tier Wohl Team, an independent international partner with expertise in artificial intelligence. All offer technology, expertise or insight to perform the research or apply lessons learned from related projects.
According to Dr. Aleksandr Miklos, chief of DEVCOM CBC’s Applied Synthetic Biology and Olfaction Branch, the IronDog project is an extensive effort that brings together the best teams, minds and technologies in canine olfaction research.
“We have an array of technologies from multiple partners that we believe are the best for the job,” says Miklos. “This project demonstrates our collaborative capabilities and expertise in solving a unique problem. Our collaborators have been instrumental in enabling this research to be performed now. Ten years ago, these capabilities didn’t exist. It’s come a long way.”
Thanks to IronDog, the Army now has a testing method for assessing a military working dog’s effectiveness under exertion. Having this information could be critical for handlers to recognize when their dogs should rest or how to best use them in operational environments.
“We can now use this as a platform for testing a myriad of other things,” says scientist Dr. Michele Maughan. “We can test effects of canine equipment like harnesses and helmets on the dog’s body temperature and detection performance. Using computer-assisted vision, we can classify a dog’s gait and identify imperceptible abnormalities before they become an injury.”
IronDog is funded through the U.S. Army Chemical Biological Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Science (CBAMMS) program, established by the Department of the Army to promote basic research related to the priorities and challenges of the service’s modernization strategy.
With one more year of funding, members of the IronDog team hope to continue advancing the research and awareness of the project. One way they plan to do this is through participating in technology demonstrations, providing industry, academia and government the opportunity to observe the work being done as well as potentially spur further collaboration.
More data combined with technology demonstrations will continue to improve the project’s foundation, all while exploring possibilities for more use cases and expanding the capability.
“The more dogs that participate, the better our predictive analytics become,” says Maughan. “This data and information will help our military working dogs and their handlers maintain mission readiness to increase Soldier survivability.”
The U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, known as DEVCOM, is Army Futures Command’s leader and integrator within a global ecosystem of scientific exploration and technological innovation. DEVCOM expertise spans eight major competency areas to provide integrated research, development, analysis and engineering support to the Army and DOD. From rockets to robots, drones to dozers, and aviation to artillery, DEVCOM innovation is at the core of the combat capabilities American Warfighters need to win on the battlefield of the future. For more information, visit devcom.army.mil.
The DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center is the primary DOD technical organization for non-medical chemical and biological defense. The DEVCOM Chemical Biological Center fosters research, development, testing and application of technologies for protecting our military from chemical and biological warfare agents. The Center possesses an unrivaled chemical biological defense research and development infrastructure staffed by a highly-trained, multidisciplinary team of scientists, engineers, technicians and specialists located at four different sites in the United States: Edgewood Area of Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland; Pine Bluff Arsenal, Arkansas; Rock Island Arsenal, Illinois; and Dugway Proving Ground, Utah.
Story by Parker Martin
U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center