Airport K9 Dogs Catching a Break Delight Internet: 'They Deserved It'

A video of airport security dogs enjoying some downtime while off duty has gone viral on TikTok.

The clip was posted by @mybudgettravel and has had 4.2 million views since it was shared on October 18.

A message overlaid on the clip, which was titled "Travel Chile," says: "POV [point of view] you're spending the night at the airport and see the police dogs having a break from the service."

The footage shows three dogs appearing to chase a ball across the airport floor before running back towards their handlers.

According to a later comment by the poster, the dogs appeared to be Labradors.

When user salmonDonburiiiiii asked "how are they still full of energy after working long hours," the original poster replied "two possibilities: they are using the 'material' seized or they are simply Labradors."

According to the National Police Dog Foundation, an American nonprofit, the most popular breeds used as police dogs (also known as K9s or K-9s), are German shepherds, Belgian Malinois, Dutch shepherds and occasionally mixes of these breeds.

"Other breeds are used for detection work, if this is their sole purpose," the nonprofit notes.

"Labrador retrievers are often used for narcotics and explosives detection, and evidence discovery, as well as for search and rescue functions," the nonprofit explains.

The latest post comes as the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) announced the launch of a new explosive detection canine team at Virginia's Richmond International Airport. The team includes Hary, a 5-year-old German shepherd trained to detect explosives and explosive materials.

Dogs like Hary can sniff "the air currents surrounding travelers and their belongings as they pass through the airport terminal in an effort to detect anyone who may be carrying explosives," the TSA explains.

Dogs have 60 times as many smell receptors as humans and 40 times as much brain power devoted to smell, according to Dr. Ann Hohenhaus, a staff veterinarian at New York City's Animal Medical Center. This allows them to differentiate 30,000 to 100,000 scents, she noted in a June 2021 article for the American Kennel Club (AKC).

Research has shown that dogs' heightened sense of smell allows them to sniff out even various health conditions, from cancer and seizures to stress.

The TSA says: "Canines are an important layer in airport security because they increase TSA's explosive detection capability. The procedures involve the increased use of the canines and the reconfiguration of checkpoint lines to allow for the passengers to walk past the dogs. This added screening measure enhances security and allows TSA to stay ahead of threats."

These dogs are regularly tested to maintain "a high standard of operational effectiveness" because "explosives are known to be the greatest threat to the aviation system," the TSA warns.

'Freedom'

The camera in the latest viral post pans towards a man lying down in what appears to be a seating area.

In a later comment, the original poster said the police dogs "woke me up" while he was sleeping at the airport.

The K9 dogs were "more probably [at the] end of the shift" rather than taking a lunch break, according to another later comment by the original poster.

Several TikTok users were delighted by the police dogs in the latest viral clip.

Rileylucky said: "Love to see them playing. They deserved it."

Reg Adriatico said: "This made my heart melt."

User ē (Taylor's Version) wrote: "they were like: FREEDOM."

NYANYINYANYA said "doggo needs a break too" and NJdegway wrote "they work hard all day."

User taylorjohnson7797 wrote: "well they work harder than most people nowadays so they can run all they want."

Newsweek has contacted the original poster for comment via TikTok. This video has not been independently verified.

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