It’s a veritable roller coaster being a dog handler. Non dog handler colleagues have often and historically taken the mick saying things like “You lot are always training”! The truth of the matter is that we do actively train with our dogs when time allows. We train to succeed. We train to create a bond between handler and dog. This bond and the training we do is what makes our police dogs track round a neighbourhood to someone hiding under a car who is concealing themselves, having just burgled a shed. It’s what makes these wonderful free thinking animals hunt out a missing elderly lady in the woods. It’s what enables you, as a dog team, to qualify for the next stages in regional and national police dog trials. My pal PC James Brotherhood will relate to that. He and PD Baxter head off to the Regional Trials next month to which I wish them best wishes. Go on my son!
When your training succeeds and you see the results, it is quite simply phenomenal. I’ve been a dog handler for over 8 years and it still makes me mighty happy when something you’ve taught your dog sinks in, works, and works well. Your dog finding somebody hiding from police having fled a crime scene. It’s a feeling that is hard to put across to you but as soon as I get back into my dog van, it’s fair to say I still punch the air and jump about in euphoria :) Love it!!
I was fortunate enough to compete in Police Dog Trials at Regional level with my first dog, Ellie. It was when Sussex Police hosted the competition and was open to the public at the Withdean Stadium in Brighton. It was a great time and a chance to show off my dog, the dog which I trained with the guidance of instructors. Proud Dog Man only slightly sums it up. My current dog Abbi won our Sussex Force trials with her former handler and I intend to emulate this with her in the future. This can be achieved through…. You guessed it, hard work and training!
Sometimes though, as you’d expect, things don’t go to plan. Lets not forget that these dogs are not robots and there are occasions when Lady Luck doesn’t assist you. Tracking after the car thief who has fled police and all the badgers and foxes in the whole of the UK decide to converge on that exact road to mess your night up!! It can be frustrating, so frustrating but why? It’s frustrating because of all the hard work, time, sweat and tears we spend training with our best friends, our dogs, we want success. We want them to shine. It may sound vain in some ways but lets remember that this is our job, we are passionate to succeed with our dogs and put a criminal or two behind bars. Fear not though, most of the time they do succeed!
This training relates to our specialist search dogs also, naturally. It’s the same concept of course. PD Neo and I regularly attend training days. He is an experienced search dog and I trust him completely to find what we’re there to find. He’s a great dog and has been a credit to the force.
This short blog sprung to mind on the back of a conversation I had recently and wanted to share my thoughts with you.
Until the next time ….. Graham :)
