A day at the service dog training center
(Baonghean.vn) - The largest dogs can weigh up to 70 pounds. Normally, a service dog has a working time of about 8 years, before dying of old age, they are eliminated.
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| The team for managing, training and using service animals (Protection and Mobile Police Department, PK 20, Nghe An Provincial Police) is one of the first teams using service dogs in the country. The team was established in the early 60s of the last century. Photo: Tien Hung |
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According to Lieutenant Colonel Thai Duy Dung, Head of the Dog Management, Training and Use Team, the more than 20 dogs in the unit are currently divided into 4 groups. The first group is German Shepherd dogs, this breed has very strong nerves, large stature, and is extremely aggressive. This group often performs tasks such as attacking and chasing criminals. The second group has calmer nerves, specializing in criminal examination, tracking human scent in murder cases. The third group is gentle and small, but is used for tasks such as searching for drugs and explosives, and the last group is used for rescue. In the photo, the dogs are regularly trained by the police. Photo: Tien Hung |
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The largest dogs can weigh up to 70 kilos. Each month, a dog's food rations are 9 kilos of meat and 15 kilos of rice, not to mention side dishes like candy. Normally, a service dog works for about 8 years, before dying of old age and being eliminated. Some are then trained and raised, others are sold to people. Photo: Tien Hung |
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| A dog is only put into training when it is one year old. The training lasts one year, after which there will be a graduation exam at the Ministry of Public Security with two steps: theory and practice. Theory is a test focusing on basic movements, requiring the dog to follow the trainer's commands such as sitting, standing, pouncing, attacking... Practice is about highly specialized techniques such as scent identification, tracking... Photo. Tien Hung |
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The dogs are muzzled to ensure the safety of the trainer. According to Lieutenant Colonel Thai Duy Dung, training service dogs is an extremely dangerous profession. During his decades of training, Lieutenant Colonel Dung has been attacked by dogs many times, requiring him to be hospitalized for months. The most serious incident happened more than 10 years ago. That day, the trainer was bitten dozens of times and needed 13 stitches. Photo: Tien Hung |
