Their need became increasingly apparent after the 9/11 tragedy.

Just months after that fateful day, the Transportation Security Administration began breeding specially trained dogs to pinpoint danger in seconds.

Wednesday, those future pet detectives, made their way to Bryan-College Station to report for their first mission: finding loving homes.

They're small and cute now, but they're puppies with an explosive future ahead of them.

"The dogs provide a capability that no technology can match," David McIntyre with the Integrative Center for Homeland Security.

Since 2002 the TSA, has bred pups like these to sniff out serious dangers.

Their training begins at a very young age, but not with fancy trainers.

"Volunteers do a much better job as far as taking the puppies out, socializing them in the community, then we could do in a kennel for a whole large number of dogs," Scott Thomas with the TSA Puppy Program.

At nine to 12 months the puppies will then head to Lackland Air Force Base in San Antonio to report for basic training.

"They'll spend about 100 days in training with professional staff, the TSA teachers, then they'll be matched with a student," Thomas said.

It's there, dogs learn how to locate different odors simply by searching for their favorite toy. It doesn't take long for them to hone in on planted devices.

"You're just not going to get any better than a dog's nose," McIntyre said. "They smell through things, they smell past things, and they'll go places robots can't go."

You'll find them in airports, public places and even special events.

But all of these bomb sniffing pros started off as puppies just waiting to learn the ropes.

If you're interested in fostering one of these TSA puppies, there's still time.

Food, equipment and medical care are provided for the puppies while in your care.

There's just a few rules:

-puppy foster homes must have a secure fenced yard
-a vehicle in which the pup can be transported
-no more than two other dogs in the home

Puppies are expected to be delivered the first week of June.

For information on how to foster a TSA puppy click on the link below this story.