The silver Labrador retriever looks up at his owner, passionately waiting for his tennis ball to be thrown. Thor is rewarded with play time once he has completed his explosive detection training for the day. His nose is a crucial aspect of the University of Oregon’s explosive detective team, as he can sniff up to 10 times a second, allowing him to find where the odor is coming from.  

Thor signals to Officer Button that he has detected the explosive that was placed under the car during his practice time. He signals by sitting next to the explosive and looking up at the officer, alerting him that he has found the explosive odor. Inside the metal, the capsule is a pinch–sized amount of TNT powder, which allows Thor to sniff out the can at an efficient paste.  

Thor runs to his tennis ball after his bomb detection training with Officer Button at the University of Oregon Police Department. At the University’s police station, there are about thirty yards of grass that Thor can run around on during his shift.  

Thor, an explosive-detection silver Labrador retriever walks across the University of Oregon Police Department lawn after practicing bomb detection drills at the beginning of February. Thor is accompanied by his partner, Officer Anthony Button, who both work on the explosive detective team at the University of Oregon Police Station. 

The two-year-old K9 Labrador has been working with the University of Oregon’s police department since he was a puppy. Thor practices his bomb-sniffing detection with his partner and handler, Officer Button, for several hours every week to keep up with his training.