Impact time again

It’s that time gain, so smash open your piggy banks and book your spaces now.

It all goes down the lead

We’ve long used the phrase “it all goes down the lead” to make handlers aware that their negative emotional states can adversely affect their dogs. Now it appears the science is available to back this up.

Check out this latest study.

Trip to Finland

If you always do what you always did, you always get what you always got.

I love sayings that are passed on from generation to generation because they contain wisdom that you can just acquire and use for your own benefit. The experiences, hard work and trial and error that went into gaining that wisdom is yours for the taking if only you are open to it.

This saying suggests trying new things may bring better results. Or you could be satisfied with the results you are getting in whatever it is you are doing. In that respect the saying should give you some sort of comfort. For me it is the former as I know that things rarely stay the same. What worked in the past may not work now due to changing culture, attitudes and even the climate of our planet. Nothing stays the same and so doing the same thing will eventually leave you outdated and lacking.

Self analysis and, if your ego can take it, external analysis can provide some useful insights into what is currently working and what is not. The latter provides information to which we are often blind and can be difficult to accept. But when the pursuit of excellence is your goal, analysis is vital. Just as important is what you then do about it.

I like to think of myself as a bit of an innovator. I was always creative as a child and I love to imagine different versions of everyday things and am constantly looking for better ways to do things. It is that desire that leads me to look to others for inspiration because I am not too stupid to realise or too proud to accept that in a population of 7.3 billion on our planet, minds far superior to mine have probably already found and implemented a solution to the problem I am looking to solve.

Finally to the point of the article. To that end I have just returned from a trip to the National Police dog training school in Finland. They kindly hosted me for 4 days during which I realised what I already knew. If you are professional, organised and have a plan then attaining a high standard is achievable.  Being a National school it is easier for them to achieve the pinnacle of any training department and that is singing from the same hymn sheet. Yes, everyone has a different voice and some people know the words better than others but that is human nature.  The point is I was left with an impression of a professional school that provided the training necessary for their dog handlers to perform their role in a way that would make most dog schools envious. In addition to that, dog handlers are held in the utmost regard throughout the Police force and are the go to unit when there is a serious situation.

Perhaps aspiring to that level of professionalism may see UK dog sections numbers stabilise rather than fall in these times of austerity where you really do need to earn your keep.

A massive thank you to the Chief of the school for allowing my visit and to Illka, Harri, Antti and Tortsi for their time, effort and friendship. My mind is buzzing so stand by for a flood of articles. If you would like to find out more about Police dogs in Finland then click HERE.

 

Positive Police Dogs now on twitter

At last I’ve joined the modern age. Follow us on twitter @Pospolicedogs

Discount on all books

For the month of June there is a 25% discount on all books to coincide with the impact conference. Just click on THIS link and follow the instructions.

Stop Michael Vick coming to the Uk

Despite being convicted of horrendous cruelty to dogs as part of a dog fighting ring he ran, Michael Vick still Plays professional American football. His bosses may be okay with employing someone like this but do we want to be seen to condone this behaviour by allowing him to play his sport here in the UK? If you feel that you want to be a voice for the voiceless then you can sign this petition to stop him coming here in October 2015.

 

 

 

IMPACT Police and working dog seminar in the UK

If you are interested in training police or working dogs then this seminar is going to be of interest to you. I have the pleasure of being one of the speakers in a line up of very experienced, some very high profile dog trainers from around the world. Keep your eyes on the site or follow on twitter for the full line up when it is announced.This is poised to be the first of a great new dog training event so make sure you don’t miss out.

http://www.impactk9.co.uk/#!about-us/c1se

 

Taliban capture military dog

It was originally thought that the dog was an American dog but the latest news suggest it was a British SAS dog, captured in a raid in December. It is not known what has happened to the dog since the video was made public. To view the video, click here.

For the latest story from Sky news click here.

#Dont ditch the dogs

In this age of budget cuts, Uk Police dog sections are feeling the pressure as many have their numbers cut as Police budgets take effect. Despite all the talk from Government that front line Police numbers wont be reduced that is exactly what is happening.

Dog sections are front line, first response, operational officers. They go to all the crimes in progress in an attempt to track or search for the suspects. They attend warrants to seek out illegal substances and weapons that help to keep society safe. They assist in securing areas of risk to prevent acts of terrorism with their explosive detection dogs.

So why are they being cut?……MONEY.

It’s the bottom line. Dogs cost money to buy, train and feed. Vets bills can be expensive so for a manager (or more worryingly an accountant), cutting dog numbers can look like a quick financial fix. Those in the nose, know better.

The very reason dogs are used is because they provide an efficiency to policing which the accountants have missed. At burglary incidents the building needs to be searched for suspects. Studies have shown the dog can search quicker and more efficiently than officers. Therefore there is a saving because the dog team will do what it would have taken several officers longer to do to a lesser degree of success. You can read more about one of the many studies here.

At public disorder dogs can quell, disperse and otherwise deal with situations that would have taken considerably more officers. Not only an efficiency in staff hours but a safety issue by exposing fewer officers to the disorder. In Bristol (Uk) in the 2011 riots, just 4 dogs were able to halt a mob of 100+ who were intent on destroying Cabot Circus, a new shopping centre which may have suffered the same fate as those in other cities had it not been for the dogs. This has not saved them from a 33% cut to handler numbers.

Finding vulnerable missing persons is a task that you cannot attempt to put a price tag on and this task is a mainstay for dog teams. I could not begin to count the number of such people who have been located by dog teams in my career. If finding just one of them saved a life then that makes the dog teams too valuable to lose in my book.

The Police are often accused of being out of touch with the community and the dogs are a fascination to many that allow them to become a good ‘in’ at talks, shows, demonstrations, school visits and whilst out on patrol. There are so many benefits it is hard to mention them all but to any police managers or accountants reading this, please note that the primary use of a dog team is the saving in officer numbers that they provide in many situations. Cutting them to save money is a contradiction in terms.

You can lend your support on facebook or twitter.

 

Retired Police dogs put to sleep

There are always myths and fables about Police dogs and what they can or can’t do. It never fails to amaze me when I’m asked if its’s true that drugs detection dogs are addicts. Clearly the substances they are looking for are toxic to them and their health would be severely compromised should they ingest them. Or is the suggestion that we help them to jack up? After all, having no opposable thumbs would mean they need help.

There is always a Police officer somewhere who can’t help but do something to bring everyone else into disrepute and life is no different with dog handlers. There have been numerous incidents over the years that serve to make life harder for those decent handlers. There is also no shortage of people who are unable to see any Police officer as an individual and tar everyone with the same brush.

The fate of retired Police and military dogs has recently come into the media spotlight and so I thought I would add my two penneth to the mix. Check out these two links for starters. Police dogs. Military dogs.

In the UK and certainly in my force area, Police dogs live at home with their handlers. After working so closely with the dogs for 8 years or so you invariably form a close bond. Most handlers tend to keep their retired dogs but there are always reasons why this doesn’t happen.

Search dogs are usually no problem but patrol dogs are a different kettle of fish. It isn’t just about the ‘tricks’ they have been taught. The job requires a certain type of dog and they are are generally high drive, very confident dogs for whom the use of aggression to solve their problems is part of everyday life. These dogs need experienced handling  but there is a lot of differentiation between dogs.

Dogs bred and prepared for life as a working dog are often easier to rehome as they tend to be much more stable. Many of the dogs that become Police or military dogs are gifted from pet homes. They have become too much for their owners or are showing unwarranted aggression. For some, euthanasia is on the cards when they come to the working environment and that is their salvation. The trouble with many of these dogs is that due to their genetic make up they can be switched on but switching them off is not so easy. These dogs are very difficult to rehome because they are often less stable. if the handler can’t keep the dog for some reason then there are few options for such a dog.

Life is often cruel and in some cases there is no happy ending. The best way to rationalize the fate of dogs like these is that they were potentially facing euthanasia  anyway and that they have had a good few years reprieve.

Life for most working dogs is good. They spend their lives doing the things they were bred to do. Using their genetic drives to hunt and chase and spending far more time exercising and being with their handlers than most pet dogs could dream of. You could argue that a premature death after a fantastic life is better than a long drawn out life as a couch potato, where the highlight of your day is a 20 minute trot around the local park.

The figures in the articles in the links fail to give an accurate picture. Without knowing the exact circumstances, then none of us is in a position to make a moral judgement or intelligent statement. From my experience I would say that the majority of dogs are kept by their handlers. Those that need to be are rehomed to game keepers or anyone looking for a dog that is slightly more useful than your average Shepherd. There seems to be no shortage of willing volunteers. There are also occasionally dogs for whom in order to protect everybody involved, euthanasia is the safest option.

If you have a working dog that is due to retire then perhaps this link will be of interest. It is for the Bravo working dog rescue.