Argo the dog, a TSA calendar star, protects air travelers by sniffing out explosives
LINTHICUM, Md. — 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 stands behind the passengers and gives them a good sniff. If he notices anything suspicious, he immediately alerts his supervisor, transportation security specialist Jonathan Lilly. The two are gearing up for a busy holiday 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.”
Argo is one of twelve dogs featured on the 2025 TSA Dog Calendar. For his portrait, he is depicted against the backdrop of an American flag, with an eager expression, almost as if someone is holding their beloved ball just out of frame.
When he’s not posing, Argo has the serious job of protecting American air travelers. During the demonstration, he was shown a “decoy” involving a person wearing a backpack containing something that smelled like potential explosives.
As the man joined the other passengers and casually walked toward the security line, Argo immediately responded 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.
Argo celebrated his achievement as usual by throwing the toys around and Lilly further rewarded him with a quick game of tug-of-war. His tail almost never stops wagging. He strolls happily through the crowds and luggage and is a good boy.
The pair have been working together for seven years. They are based outside 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 will likely be years away.
“Even at 9 years old, he’s still a puppy. He still wants to work,” Lilly said.
He said they were a good team from day one, but their bond has only grown stronger over the years.
TSA dogs are well trained to detect air currents trailing behind people, such as the wake created by a boat, officials said. Their sense of smell is so good that they can smell individual components. While humans can register the smell of pizza, dogs can 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 beginning their assignment at BWI. They are still trained and tested regularly to keep Argo up to date.
“That way we can ensure that he remains competent at what he does. But also to progress, because it is a fleeting skill,” Lilly said.
He said having explosive detection dogs patrolling airports both detects and deters potential threats.
When not at work, Argo spends most of his free time napping.
Lilly said the black Lab is incredibly relaxed at home. As a government employee, Argo follows 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.