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Patrol Dog Training
Here’s a second article on training of the security
patrol dog Ice from the National Training Inspectorate for
Professional Dog Users
We have completed tracking, searching vehicles,
searching to find an injured or hidden person and off lead control.
The most important word of the last sentence is control; this
together with obedience is the basis of all successful training.
We have utilised various venues which include
residential, construction sites, large car parks, offices and a
working farm with surrounding land. We trained Ice and all other
security patrol dogs to search a large area of rough or visually
obstructed terrain to locate injured or hidden persons, he is now
also trained to search for property and indicate to the handler by
barking that something has been found.
The lone security officer who has possible intruders on site is more
confident in his assignment knowing he has a dog and handler team
for back up. A correctly trained patrol dog is considerably better
protection for a dog handler than a second security officer who he
has never worked with. Why? because the handler knows the
capabilities and limitations of his own dog and how to use him to
his advantage.
Natural Drive
Ice has worked at pubs and clubs when they have been
closing and has dealt with people threatening him and trying to
attack both dog and handler, he has coped very well under the
pressure and has not shown any weaknesses, he’s taken to the
training with ease, which has been achieved using the dogs’ natural
prey drive and not by the use of electric or pinch collars. Another
discipline carried out by the team consisted of the handler
splitting up two suspects with the intention of questioning one away
from the other, preventing them overhearing what was being said,
whilst the handler carried out this procedure the dog monitored the
second person. All the disciplines we have trained for have been
demonstrated by police dog handlers whilst visiting NTIPDU Head
Office at various times, all to a high standard. When asked why the
security industry didn’t train the same way, it was explained that
we were not allowed to carry out these types of exercises as we were
in the private sector and unable to use the dogs in the same way,
they advised us to give it a try and see how we got on, as one day
we may need to achieve the same level of training. The NTIPDU would
like to thank these Officers for their encouragement ; It goes to
show what can be achieved with the right knowledge, tuition and dog.
Remember
‘You
only get out what you put in’
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