Argo, a Transportation Security Administration explosives detection canine, who works with handler Jonathan Lilly, walks through the ticketing area at Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport, Monday, Dec. 9, 2024, in Baltimore.
When Argo walks through the doors of Baltimore-Washington International Airport, he knows it’s time to work.
The 9-year-old black Labrador retriever spends most of his waking hours patrolling the airport, with his sensitive nose finely tuned to detect potential explosives.
He sidles up behind passengers and gives them a good sniff. If he gets a whiff of anything suspicious, he immediately alerts his handler, transportation security specialist Jonathan Lilly. The two are gearing up for a busy holiday travel season.
“It never ceases to amaze me what he can do,” Lilly said during a recent demonstration of Argo’s skills. “He’s just so good at it.”
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Argo is one of 12 dogs featured in a 2025 TSA canine calendar. For his portrait, he is pictured against an American flag backdrop, his expression eager, almost as if someone were holding his beloved ball just outside the frame.
When he is not posing, Argo has the serious job protecting U.S. air travelers. During the demonstration, he was presented with a “decoy” involving a person wearing a backpack containing something that smelled like potential explosives.
As the man joined other passengers and walked casually toward the security line, Argo immediately reacted to the scent by dropping his nose to the ground, wagging his tail faster and pulling his handler toward the target. He was quickly rewarded with his favorite toy, a tennis ball on a string.
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Argo celebrated his accomplishment as usual by flinging the toy around and Lilly rewarded him further with a quick game of tug-of-war. His tail almost never stops wagging. He saunters happily through the throngs of people and luggage, being a good boy.
The pair have been working together for seven years. They are based out of BWI, but have traveled to recent Super Bowls and other locations to provide support. Lilly said he plans to adopt Argo when he retires, but that is likely years away.
“Even at 9 years old, he’s still like a puppy. He still wants to work,” Lilly said.
He said they were a good team from day one, but their bond has only gotten stronger over the years.
TSA dogs are highly trained to detect air currents trailing behind people, like the wake created by a boat, officials said. Their sense of smell is so good they can smell individual components. While humans might register the aroma of pizza, dogs might smell the cheese, sauce and crust separately.
The agency’s explosive detection dogs are trained at the National TSA Canine Training Center in San Antonio, where Argo was assigned to Lilly. The team completed a 16-week program before starting their assignment at BWI. They still undergo frequent training and testing to keep Argo on top of his game.
“That way we can make sure he’s staying proficient in what he’s doing. But also to try to advance because it’s a perishable skill,” Lilly said.
He said having explosives detection dogs patrolling airports serves to both detect and deter potential threats.
When he isn’t working, Argo spends most of his free time napping.
Lilly said the black Lab is incredibly laid-back at home. As a government employee, Argo eats a strict diet for his health. Like many of his human friends, he looks forward to a good meal after a hard day’s work.
