Lulu the dog flunks out of CIA bomb-sniffing school because she preferred to play

(WSVN) - A bomb-sniffing dog is now a puppy school dropout.

The Central Intelligence Agency said that Lulu, one of their recruits in their fall 2017 “puppy class” for their explosive detection canine program, had started to show her disinterest in detection a few weeks into training.

In a blog post, the CIA noted that puppies are much like humans in the classroom: they can have good and bad days when learning something new.

“A pup might begin acting lazy, guessing where the odors are, or just showing a general disregard for whatever is being taught at the moment,” according to the blog post. Usually that can last a day or two.

When that happens, the CIA says their trainers try to figure out how to get the dog back on track.

“Sometimes the pup is bored and just needs extra playtime or more challenges, sometimes the dog need a little break, and sometimes it’s a minor medical condition like a food allergy requiring switching to a different kibble,” the CIA wrote.

But in Lulu’s case, trainers realized she just wasn’t interested anymore in searching for explosives.

“Our trainers’ top concern is the physical and mental well-being of our dogs, so they made the extremely difficult decision to do what’s best for Lulu and drop her from the program,” the blog post read.

While Lulu may be out of a job, she isn’t out of a home. The CIA said she was adopted by her handler, who formed a strong bond with her during training.

“She now enjoys her days playing with his kids, sniffing out rabbits and squirrels in the backyard, and eating meals and snacks out of a dog dish,” they wrote. “We’ll miss Lulu, but this was the right decision for her. We wish her all the best in her new life.”

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