KEEP HIM SHARP

Congratulations! You've come a lot of hours and a lot of steps since that day when you first looked at what you hoped would have the makings of a police dog. Hard, intelligent work has brought him to the point of proven proficiency in detecting and apprehending suspects. You can

greatly increase your chances of full satisfaction from the dog, and maintain his effectiveness, if you are as careful in your on-the job handling as you were in your training, because whether it is done intentionally or carelessly, improper handling will adversely affect your dog.

The following example indicates just how unfair some of this poor handling can be. The victim was a very capable German Shepherd that served a wartime ordnance base. The dog's post included a road that divided a security area from several barracks occupied by the Women's Auxiliary Corps. After dark, there was no right, no reason, for anyone to cross the road. However, one major, a dedicated male, found reason to use the road as a secluded means of crossing from the ordnance area to the women9s quarters. A civilian guard was regularly informed by the dog of these clandestine moves and, instead of challenging the officer's presence, responded to the dog's alert with an embarrassed "Shut up!"

and nervous restraint with the leash. This example of stupidity may remind you to sympathize with your dog's viewpoint if he should alert on a councilman or your police chief.

Challenge the presence of everyone who appears to warrant questioning and, if they are cleared of suspicion, resolve the challenge by praising your dog for his alertness, and move on with him at heel.

You were advised not to run problems on your actual beat because the dog might become trigger-happy when he encountered someone in the place where he had fought a varmint. omitting such practice makes it

imperative that you prevent eager children, bubbling dowagers, and

he-men who "know dogs" from forcing themselves onto him. Such sedation could lull him into feeling that his beat is part of a happy world where all evil is suspended. Regardless of how careful a handipoint of proven proficiency in detecting and apprehending suspects. You can greatly increase your chances of full satisfaction from the dog, and maintain his effectiveness, if you are as careful in your on-the job handling as you were in your training, because whether it is done intentionally or carelessly, improper handling will adversely affect your dog.

The following example indicates just how unfair some of this poor handling can be. The victim was a very capable German Shepherd that served a wartime ordnance base. The dog's post included a road that divided a security area from several barracks occupied by the Women's Auxiliary Corps. After dark, there was no right, no reason, for anyone to cross the road. However, one major, a dedicated male, found reason to use the road as a secluded means of crossing from the ordnance area to the women9s quarters. A civilian guard was regularly informed by the dog of these clandestine moves and, instead of challenging the officer's presence, responded to the dog's alert with an embarrassed "Shut up!"

and nervous restraint with the leash. This example of stupidity may remind you to sympathize with your dog's viewpoint if he should alert on a councilman or your police chief.

Challenge the presence of everyone who appears to warrant questioning and, if they are cleared of suspicion, resolve the challenge by praising your dog for his alertness, and move on with him at heel.

You were advised not to run problems on your actual beat because the dog might become trigger-happy when he encountered someone in the place where he had fought a varmint. omitting such practice makes it

imperative that you prevent eager children, bubbling dowagers, and

he-men who "know dogs" from forcing themselves onto him. Such sedation could lull him into feeling that his beat is part of a happy world where all evil is suspended. Regardless of how careful a handler is, it seems that the objective of holding a level will not prevent a dog's decline.

The goal of improvement will best protect the quality of the dog's work and the status of the police dog in the community. Try to make your dog better.

Comparatively few of the individuals your dog encounters will be suspects who will give him exercise in fighting and breaking out on

command, so about once a month you should run a few problems, more if needed, to keep him in good form.

Those responsible for the administration of the law force which you represent have a duty to see your dog work. In these demonstrations, do not be one of those patsies who let some antagonistic character set up a situation where the dog is made to match his senses against one or more men to whom the solution to an unrealistic problem is already known.

Hold out for a difficult problem where there are many possible hiding places, and ask that the varmint be placed in a hideout which would be unpredictable to any of the participants; then, while your competition is guessing where the culprit might be, use your dog's senses to win

out. A varmint's breaking and running should be part of the problem.

Any official must admit to the logic of comparing a dog's speed with that of a man for the significance it might have to capturing a man in a crowded area where guns cannot be used. A short case of only a block is enough to leave the spectators feeling that a dog has certain

advantages. If you can persuade the officials to use night problems, which are certainly the most realistic, for their observations, you will be doing a public service. Invitational demonstrations for the

entertainment and education of non-official groups may not be a matter of necessity but, if carefully done, they will help to establish the

police dog's prestige. Do not defeat your purpose by asking too much of the dog for the conditions that prevail. You can accomplish much by having your dog look good to a large group of spectators, so set up your problems in a way that will give them a look at all of the

156 abilities he has, from detecting through capturing and transporting a suspect.

In the area of obedience, which makes the dog a safe and pleasant asset, there is often confusion brought about by meaningless commands, and disrespect caused by failure to make authoritative corrections results in an uncomfortable relationship between the handler and his dog.

Remember, the objective of merely maintaining a dog's level of obedience will not prevent decline. Instead, hold to the goal of constantly

improving your dog's promptness and reliability as your best assurance that they will not diminish. This task can be made very enjoyable and

profitable by polishing him up for competition in licensed obedience trials or, if he is not registered, in the very similar practice matches which are held in nearly all parts of the country. The experience will have great value to you and your dog, and you will find that the more your dog learns the more he is capable of learning.

When your dog is truly impressive in his response to your commands, and not before, obedience demonstrations before service clubs, school bodies, and other groups can help in another area of maintenance-the maintenance of his image.

it is my hope that your success in training your dog and maintaining his effectiveness will cause you to become so impressed with his potential that you will be challenged to make him into a worker that will truly demonstrate the worth of a police dog. A single dog trained to such a level can do much to promote high standards of police dog work that will help discourage lawbreaking. Your single dog can make me feel that this book was a very good thing for all concerned with it.

Ill. The Plant Security Dog