-" J N ... . '' .4 i , . ... : v : Ik ..... Jlike eith with his favorite toy, a rolled up towel that smells Vernal Z mariiuana or cocaine. The German Shephard was in tn's week with state narcotic agents. To canine drug sniffer its all just a game To Guss it's all just a game. Guss, a 85-pound German Shcpard, has one of the best noses for cocaine, heroin or marijuana in the state. He was brought to Vernal Wednesday by state narcotic agents to help out with one of the largest drug busts ever in the Uintah Basin. Although Guss is only allowed to be on the job 2' 2 hours a day, his services can be invaluable in locating controlled substances. "We tested him with cocaine in a car with several others parked around it and he sniffed it out," said one of the undercover under-cover narcotics agent who worked in the Vernal area. Guss's nose is correct 99 percent of the time. The reason he is used only 2U hours a day is because his nose becomes inflamed by the scent and he doesn't scent it. Another peculiar aspect of Guss's nose is that it doesn't function well if Guss has over eaten or is sick. Also if it is too hot or cold it sometimes loses the scent. In order to keep in shape, Guss is taken out on drug raids about 20 times a month. It is important that he doesn't gain too much weight because other overweight dogs in his profession have developed back problems from climbing over boxes to locate hidden drugs. Guss is trained with a rolled up towel which carries the scent of either marijuana mari-juana or cocaine. He learns that the towel is the source of reward or praise from his master. So when Guss is out on a bust he is only on-ly looking for his favorite toy a rolled up towel. Guss was used very limitedly in the Vernal area because most of the arrests were made on evidence already gathered. He participated in a search of a house, but didn't find anything. But to the playful German Shepard it was all the same just a game.