Dog Handler’s Bond
For thousands of years the Canine has been man’s best friend, companion, therapy dog, search and rescue assistant and his right hand man when it comes to the working dog. The detection dog is just that; a dependable and hard working animal. He will do whatever you ask of him, and all for pleasing you and his love of work. The dogs’ nose is 100,000 times more sensitive to odours than a human’s nose, and that’s what makes him a good working tool.
The bond between a dog handler and dog does not happen over night. It takes months of work and dedication. Speaking as a trainer, keep in mind your dog will only be as good as your consistency in training. Remember, dogs are only a reflection of their handlers. Most people train for what ifs, instead of the reality – Strong Basics and Foundation. When you have that combination you have a world of possibilities in hand, whether it be with thousands of dogs or one special dog. My experience comes from 40 years as an owner, trainer and handler of dogs in the areas of Drug, Explosive, Arson Detection and Mine Detection Dogs in Kosovo, Bosnia and Croatia. My detection dogs have taken me all over the world to places like South America, North America, Europe, and Africa.
The Detection dog works for the love of his toy, and association of the toy with the odour and reward are the basics for training. In training, it is very important for private companies that do searches that the dog not only indicate on odour, but also indicate on where the substance was located. A lot of companies use in-house testing which is good, but independent testing is required along with dog and handler when you service the public. Independent testing should be required every six months to a year, accompanied by complete daily work records. Anything less than this in a private company should not be accepted.
Detection dogs are used in society as a tool to help the Private Search Company or Police Department in trying to protect the public, whether it is a Drug Detection Dog or Explosive Detection Dog. Many school boards use drug dogs to help curtail the use and selling drugs in our schools. They are also used for health and safety issues when companies suspect an employee of using drugs while working. Whether it is a Drug, Explosive or Arson Detection Dog, you can be sure that a properly trained dog will never let you down. You have to trust and believe your canine partner.
