When the work day begins, Max is ready to play. Bartnik takes Max for a walk through Detroit Metro Airport's international terminal. Max, dressed in an Agriculture Department vest, sniffs at bags while people wait at the baggage carousel. Many suitcases are nearly airtight, so Bartnik taps the bags just a little bit to release the smells. And many times, there are a lot of smells for Max to sort through with his sensitive nose.
People carry perfumes, deodorant and even smelly clothes when they come back from other countries.
But with his keen sense of smell, Max can pick up the banned items over all the other smells. If Max finds the smell of prohibited agricultural items, he sits down right next to the bag. As soon as he does, Bartnik reaches into a pouch to give the dog a treat. They smell for food and get rewarded with little treats as a reward. Beagles love to eat.