Q: Are the students receiving the guide dog taught how to

GUIDE DOGS OF AMERICA: Guide dogs for the blindFrequently asked questions...
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when the light turns green so they can cross the street?
Q: When do the dogs go in for formal guide dog training?
Q: How long are the dogs in formal training before they are placed with the human partner they will serve.
Q: Does a guide dog ever fail to adjust to the student or vice versa?
Q: Are the students receiving the guide dog taught how to care for the dogs, including humane treatment of the dog?
Q: Is training given for students who must use public transportation regularly, like buses and subways?
Q: Why are dogs rejected as unsuitable for training?
Q: What happens to the dogs that are removed from the program?
Q: What happens to dogs if the guide dog user must give up his or her dog for some reason? Can it be used by another blind person?
Q: Are your trainers licensed?
Q: How does a Guide Dog know where to go? A: The Blind person directs them to where he or she wants to go. It is the responsibility of the human member of the team to listen for the movement of traffic and other sounds in the environment to determine whether it is safe to proceed. If the guide dog judges that it is unsafe, it will refuse the command. This is called "intelligent disobedience".
Q: How do you teach the dog to avoid overhangs such as low branches and low structures that the human partner might hit with their head? A: While teaching a dog to avoid overhangs and branches can be one of the most difficult aspects of guide dog training, the same basic principles of consistency, repetition, and praise are applied. Ideally, a guide dogs should guide his master around an overhanging obstacle or take him to the obstacle an stop. If instead the dog runs the guide dog user into the overhang, the team would need to "rework" the error. To "rework" an error they would stop, relocate the obstacle, and the guide dog user would tap it out telling the dog "NO". They would next step back a few feet and then continue forward cautiously. At this time, the dog should either guide the guide dog user around the obstacle or stop and show it to him. If this does not occur, then the team would have to rework the error again. While overhead clearances can be difficult, through consistency, repetition, and praise a guide dog can learn to work effectively around overhangs and branches.
Q: What are the main commands you use with the dogs? A: The main commands that we use are Down, Sit, Stay, Come,
person or guide dog team...
EDUCATIONAL MATERIALS
Stand, and Heel.
Q: I heard that dogs are color blind, so how do they know when the light turns green so they can cross the street? A: Guide Dogs do not read the lights nor make the decision to cross the street. It is the guide dog user that gives the command to go forward. First the guide dog user listens for the traffic. When the guide dog user determines it is safe to go forward, they give the command and cross the street. If the guide dog determines it is unsafe to cross the street when it is given the command, it will "intelligently disobey". This might happen if the guide dog user misjudges the traffic or if a motorist suddenly comes around a corner speeding. In many cases, guide dogs have saved lives because they have protected their partners from dangerous situations involving unsafe motor vehicles.
Q: When do the dogs go in for formal guide dog training? A: The dogs go into formal training at 18 months of age.
Q: How long are the dogs in formal training before they meet the partner they will serve? A: After the dogs are finished being puppy raised and come in- for-training, formal training takes four to six months with the instructor and then an additional four weeks in class training with its blind master.
Q: Does a guide dog ever fail to adjust to the student or vice versa? A: Incompatibility between student and dog is very rare, but it can occur. The reason why this rarely happens is because our Trainers and Student Services Personnel take the time to get to know both their dogs and the incoming students prior to matching. By the time the student and dog are matched, the needs, pace, strength, and personalities of both human and canine have been well assessed.
Q: Are the students receiving the guide dog taught how to care for the dogs, including humane treatment of the dog? A: Yes. During the 28 days of instruction at our campus the students are taught and given lectures about how to care for their dogs, how to detect medical or other problems, and how to treat their new partners.
Q: Is training given for students who must use public transportation regularly, like buses and subways? A: Yes. In fact, all our students are taught to use the bus, the subway, and other modes of transportation. We also teach our guide dog recipients how to use the escalator with their guide dog.
Q: Why are dogs rejected as unsuitable for training? A: There are a number of reasons dogs are determined to be unsuitable for guide work and the reasons vary from dog to dog. Some reasons are nervousness, high degree of distraction by other animals (such as squirrels, cats, or other dogs), fear of traffic, and a lack of willingness to work.
Q: What happens to the dogs that are removed from the program? A: To be a successful guide dog, many factors including health and willingness to work come into play. If a dog in our program does not meet all the proper criteria necessary to be a guide dog,
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GUIDE DOGS OF AMERICA: Guide dogs for the blind
they must be removed from the program. Both Retired Guide Dogs and Career Change Dogs (dogs removed from the guide dog program due to problems with their health, temperament or other factors) are eligible to be offered for adoption. There is a 4-6 year waiting list to adopt Career Change Dogs and Retired Guide Dogs. The priority is given to individuals who have supported G.D.A. by volunteering time or financial resources-such as donations. If you are interested in being put on the waiting list, send the request in writing, to Guide Dogs of America, ATTENTION: "Adoptions", along with a self addressed envelope. We ask for a donation of $300 or more when you adopt a dog. For more information, see our Adoption Page.
Q: What happens to dogs if the guide dog user must give up his or her dog for some reason? Can it be used by another blind person? A: The decision of what will happen to the guide dog depends on certain factors such as age. If the dog is able to be re-matched, the dog is retrained and matched with a new partner. If the dog is unable to be matched with a new partner, it is put into our Adoption Program.
Q: Are your trainers licensed? A: Yes! In the state of California, Guide Dog Instructors are required by law to be licensed by the California State Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind. Instructors must complete a 3 year apprenticeship under a licensed instructor at a certified guide dog school. This program of instruction was formulated in compliance with the California State Guide Dog Act, from California administrative code, title 16, chapter 22, article 2, section 2266. Upon completing the apprenticeship, one is eligible to take a written, practical, or oral exam to obtain a license per the California State Board of Guide Dogs. California is one of the only states to have a Guide Dog Instructor license requirement.
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Copyright © Guide Dogs of America. Website by Rose of Sharon. Use of graphics, images, information or any other content of this web site and its pages is expressly forbidden without permission from Guide Dogs of America. Guide Dogs of America does grant permission to use information from this site for educational and informational purposes only as long as information is not altered and is properly cited.
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Table of Contents
Dogs for the Blind Hearing and Signal Dogs Assistance Dogs Canine Companions for Independence Assistance Dog International (ADI) Paws with a Cause (PAWS) National Education for Assistance Dog Services, Inc. Therapy Dogs
Please note that while legally speaking, therapy dogs are NOT "service dogs" and NOT entitled to the same benefits that service dogs are (entrance to any public building or transportation), I have included them in this document as a related function for dogs. As you read this, please keep in mind that according to the American Disabilities Act (federal) any dog assisting a person with a disability is considered a service dog (exclusive of therapy dogs). Service dogs are entitled to freely access buildings and transportation (buses, trains, planes). Proof or certification is not required although many organizations that train service dogs give their handlers some sort of ID for their dog.
I have briefly described various "types" of services dogs and listed resources (books, organizations) for each. I have in addition profiled several specific organizations to give you a further "feel" for how these groups work.
Dogs for the Blind
My thanks to Rusty Wright for the information on Guide Dogs. Thanks also to Carla Campbell, who contributed substantial additional information.
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Service Dogs
Dogs can be trained to guide blind people so that they are able to negotiate the world otherwise unassisted. They serve as, quite literally, the eyes for their owner. It is illegal anywhere in the US, or Canada, or Britain, and most other countries, to deny a blind person guided by a dog access to any public place. This includes stores, restaurants, banks, and anywhere else that dogs might be otherwise prohibited. The Americans with Disabilities Act in the US is quite clear on this point. The training for such dogs is quite demanding, as the dog must be able to navigate sidewalks, streets, stairs -- avoiding all obstacles, including overhead ones that may injure its owner (but not itself). They must be able to ignore all distractions while doing their work.
Most commonly referred to as "Seeing Eye Dogs" or "Guide Dogs," there are in reality many organizations in the US that provide guide dogs for blind people. However, while Guide Dogs for the Blind is on the west coast (along with Guide Dogs of the Desert and Guide Dogs of America, both in southern California, and Eye Dog Foundation in Arizona) and The Seeing Eye (among many others) is on the east, nearly all 15 schools in the United States serve people nationwide. In fact, people can obtain a dog from any of the schools, save five (which serve only their own geographical regions), and many dogs from The Seeing Eye, Leader Dogs, Guiding Eyes and the other schools work on the west coast, while many dogs from Guide Dogs for the Blind work all around the country. Geographical location is only one factor in selecting a guide dog training school to attend, and rarely is it the most important.
This is not the case in all countries with multiple guide dog training facilities. In the U.K., for example, the Guide Dogs for the Blind Association (GDBA) operates several regional centers, and sends its applicants to the center nearest their home for training. All these regional centers are "branches" or "campuses" of the GDBA, unlike the diverse American dog guide schools, which are completely independent from one another. Unlike American schools, the GDBA's regional training centers are centrally controlled, operating under the same set of policies, drawing from the same budget and using the same training methods. In the United States and Canada, only Guide Dogs for the Blind has any "branches" or presence outside their central facility. Guide Dogs for the Blind is the first US guide dog training program to operate two facilities under the same administration, with its new campus in Boring, Oregon (the first class graduated September 1995).
The breeds used are yellow and black Labrador Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs, usually. Others can be used, such as Golden Retrievers, but usually the centers prefer to use dogs with a high recognition potential and some breeds simply seem to be better at being trained for guide service.
The breeds most commonly used as dog guides are Labrador Retrievers, Golden Retrievers and German Shepherd Dogs. Approximately 60-70% of all working guides in the U.S. are Labradors. (Yellow, black and chocolate labs are all used, though most Labradors used as guide dogs are yellow or black labs and some schools specifically do not use chocolates.) Other breeds, such as Boxers, Flat and Curly Coated Retrievers, Border Collies, Huskies,
Service Dogs
Doberman Pinchers, Rhodesian Ridgebacks, Australian Shepherds, German Short-Haired Pointers, Dalmatians, and even Standard Poodles are occasionally used by some programs. Flat-coated Retrievers, in particular, appear to be gaining popularity with guide dog training establishments. Crosses of many of these breeds are also used, by some schools, with Lab- Golden, Lab-GSD and GSD-Huskie crosses most common. (In Britain and Australia, Labrador/ Golden and Labrador-Poodle crosses ("Labradoodles") are frequently used as guides, and far more crosses are used, in general, than by the U.S. schools.)
Some centers have their own breeding programs, such as Guide Dogs; others use local breeders. The trend does seem to be toward proprietary breeding programs, although many of the stock, if not used as guide dogs will also compete in the more usual kennel club events. For example, CH Lobuff's Bare Necessities (black Labrador Retriever) was bred by the Guide Dog Foundation for the blind and is producing puppies for both the ring and the foundation.
Labs, Goldens and Shepherds are most popular as guides due to their temperament, intelligence, versatility, size and availability. Dogs trained as guide dogs must be intelligent, willing workers, large enough to comfortably guide in harness and small enough to be easily controlled and fit comfortably under restaurant tables and on buses and other forms of public transit. The three common breeds used for this work were selected because a large number of individuals of these breeds met the requirements necessary for a good guide dog and these breeds could most easily be matched with the widest range of blind people and their needs in a guide. Additionally, these three breeds are popular in the United States and obtaining them for training or supplementing breeding stock has proved easier than obtaining less common, but perhaps equally suitable breeds.
Families who raise the puppies simply train them in basic dog obedience, and stress lots of socialization and good manners. For example, if you go to a dog show, you are likely to see several such puppies there, learning to take it all in stride. The dogs go back for their formal training when they're about 1.5 years old, although they can go back as young as 1 year old.
Children are usually preferred as puppy raisers, hence many coordinate with 4-H programs. Interestingly enough, the puppies raised by kids are more likely to make it through the formal guide dog training. The difference is not drastic, but is "significant." Volunteer puppy raisers are encouraged to expose their charges to as many new experiences as possible, observing the pups' reactions and providing positive reassurance and security for the puppies as they experience crowds, cars, strange buildings, other animals and much more. They also teach the dogs some of the basic obedience commands such as "sit" and "down," but the dogs' instructors will insure that the dogs know these and other obedience commands in addition to instructing them in guide work, itself.
When dogs go back for their training they're carefully screened for any hip abnormalities and other health problems. If the hips aren't very good they're immediately "retired." The formal
Service Dogs
training takes about 6 months.
Dogs can fail for a variety of reasons. As you might guess, some dogs don't transition well from living in a puppy raiser's home to living in the kennels and others just get stressed out and fail. The puppy raiser gets the option of keeping a dog that failed. If the puppy raiser can't keep the dog they can place it in a home. Waiting lists for such dogs are usually several years long!
Before a guide dog is given to a blind person the blind person must usually attend training at center. This training is several weeks long and during this time the blind person will live on site. People coming back to get a replacement dog usually take a "refresher" class.
A few smaller programs conduct "in home" training, in which an instructor brings a trained dog to the student and trains the team in their own home area. This is the most rapidly growing area of dog guide training, with three new home training programs started since 1990. Most of these programs are small 1-2 trainer operations and do not ever plan to serve as many people as the residential programs can. All home training programs currently limit their service to their own region of the country, serving only those applicants in their own and neighboring states.
There are pros and cons to both types of training, and they serve people with different needs and expectations. The majority of guide dog handlers still choose to attend class at a residential training facility to receive and train with their dogs.
There are, in addition to residential training schools and home training programs, a few private trainers of dog guides and a few blind people who train their own guides.
There are 15 established programs in the US which train dog guides for the blind (as well as several in Canada and in other countries around the world, of course.) Of these, Fidelco, Southeastern, two new schools in New York state, (Upstate Guide Dog Association and Freedom Guide Dogs), and a very recently established program in Oregon (Northwest Guiding Eyes) serve only people from their own "region." The rest serve anyone from the United States or abroad.
References
Pfaffenberger, Clarence J. The new knowledge of dog behavior. Foreword by J. P. Scott. Consultant on genetics: Benson E. Ginsburg. New York, Howell Book House, 1963.
Gives an excellent history of how Guide Dogs was started, and has other interesting information.
Service Dogs
Pfaffenberger, Clarence J., et al., with the editorial assistance of Sarah F. Scott. Guide Dogs for the Blind, Their Selection, Development, and Training. Amsterdam; New York: Elsevier Scientific Pub. Co.; distributors for the U.S. and Canada, Elsevier/North Holland, 1976.
Many specific details on the genetics, training, 4-H project coordination, and so forth. Includes a history of the organization.
Harrington, Paula. Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind. 1st ed. San Rafael, CA: Guide Dogs for the Blind, c1990.
This one is sort of a "coffee table" book; lots of nice color photographs, and it covers the history of Guide Dogs, the training (both for the dog and the blind person), the 4-H puppy raisers, and lots of other stuff.
Organizations
Southwest Guide Dog Foundation, San Antonio TX http://cust.iamerica.net/swoidgf/Index.HTM
Fidelco Guide Dog Foundation P.O. Box 142, Bloomfield,CT 06002. 203-243-5200
Guide Dog Foundation 371 Jericho Turnpike, Smithtown, New York 11787. 516-265-2121
Hearing and Signal Dogs
Other dogs are trained to assist deaf people, with varying degrees of impairment. They alert their owner to a variety of sounds, usually by coming up to the person and going back to the source of the sound. They will signal on door bell and knocking, phones, smoke alarms, crying babies and much more. In the US, they enjoy the same rights of access as guide dogs and are to be permitted anywhere, although since they are not as widely recognized, their owners often have to display an identification card even though this is not legally required (cf the U.S. ADA legislation).
Organizations
Service Dogs
This organization is involved in training dogs to assist handicapped people. They train signal dogs for the deaf, and dogs for physically disabled or developmentally disabled persons.
Canine Companions for Independence has provided highly skilled assistance dogs for people with disabilities since 1975. CCI started as a small, at-home organization and has grown into a dynamic non-profit agency with five regional centers nationwide.
A Canine Companion's specialized training starts in a volunteer puppy raiser's home between 7 and 8 weeks of age. The puppy raiser is responsible for the young dog's care, socialization, and the teaching of basic commands. At about one year of age, the dog is returned to a CCI regional training center for six months of advanced training by a professional CCI instructor. The dog is then ready for an intensive two-to-three week training camp where its new owner learns to work with a fully trained dog.
It costs more than US$20,000 to breed, raise, and train each Canine Companion, yet recipients pay only a US$25 application fee and US$100 for training seminar supplies. The dog is provided completely free of charge. CCI depends entirely on donations; it does not receive government funds. CCI also relies heavily on the dedication of its many volunteers, who play a vital role in CCI's mission to provide exceptional dogs for exceptional people.
The breeds CCI uses for service and social dogs are black and yellow Labs, Golden Retrievers, German Shepherds, and Lab/Golden Retriever mix. CCI is moving away from using German Shepherds for two reasons: first, a lot of the public view (and fear) German Shepherds as "police" or "guard" dogs, and second, German Shepherds bond very strongly to people and the program is difficult on them because first they form a strong bond to their puppy raiser, then to their trainer when they go back to CCI, and then to their eventual handicapped owner. For signal dogs they use Corgis and Border Collies.
CCI will work with people in need of assistance to determine if a properly trained dog can provide that assistance. Dogs can be taught to retrieve a variety of things -- even to distinguish between specific items -- and to manipulate a variety of objects. Monkeys have been tried for this purpose, as they are more dexterous. However, they are not as reliably trainable and are very expensive, so dogs present a much more practical alternative. Given some extensions, such as rope handles on doors and light switches, dogs can give a disabled person complete mobility within her or his home.
CCI finds and trains a variety of dogs for different forms of assistance: hearing dogs, physically disabled assistant dogs, even as therapy dogs. They are all neutered, as with guide dogs. People who are to receive one of the dogs are required to attend a two-week seminar to learn how to communicate and care for their assistance. As needed, the people and their dogs are provided with permits that identify the dogs as licensed canine companions -- this is enough to gain undisputed entry into most places, as with the more well-known Seeing Eye
Service Dogs
Thanks to Tom Rich: NEADS client & board member.
NEADS is a non-profit organization that trains hearing, service, specialty, social and service dogs for the classroom.
A hearing dog responds to important sounds such as fire alarm or smoke alarm, telephone ringing, door knock or bell, baby crying a person's name being called or household appliances. The dog goes back and forth to the sound until his deaf or hard of hearing human partner follows him to the source of the sound.
A service dog retrieves and moves for a person who has a physical disability or uses a wheelchair. The dog goes for help, picks up things that drop, retrieves from high selves, turns on light switches, pulls the wheelchair and carriers essentials.
A specialty dog does many of the same tasks for a person who has multiple disabilities, such as deafness and physical disabilities, and needs more specialized help. Services can be trained as needed.
A social dog works for children and adults who cannot assume total responsibility for a working dog but can benefit from the therapeutic value of a dog. They are trianed for residential settings such as nursing homes, halfway houses and psychotherapy centers. They have the advanced skills of a service dog but can be sometimes handled by a third party. They are certified for public access.
A service dog for the classroom is an innovative teaching tool used by social workers, therapists, early education and special needs teachers working with children with physical, emotional and developmental disabilities. The dogs help them teach basic concepts like "up," "under," "down." Children with histories of sexual or physical abuse often need a catalyst to prompt disclosure. An assistance dog, non-judgemental and unconditionally loving, provides the help necessary to identify children in crisis.
NEADS uses facility-based education, a concept of impressive success. This developes a strong working relationship between client ad dog while training together for two weeks, learning to work as a team under the expert supervision of staff. When they leave clients are then fully responsible for the handling, care and health of their with continued NEADS outreach support.
NEADS has trained close to 600 dogs for the above mentioned work. This year is NEADS 20th year of providing assistance dog services. NOTE: that 75% of the dogs trained by NEADS are pound/shelter rescues.
Service Dogs
For more information : Call (978) 422-9064 Voice/TDD 9:00 - 4:00 EST or FAX (978) 422- 3255. Monday thru Friday office hours. Or write: NEADS, P.O. Box 213, West Boylston, MA. 01583. Or email: [email protected]. (Verified Feb '97.)
Therapy Dogs
Dogs are quite often used in therapy. Typically this involves visiting hospitals, care facilities, nursing homes, etc. to cheer up patients. There are a variety of groups that train therapy dogs, some local and some national. Some use the AKC Canine Good Citizen test to choose suitable dogs, others have devised their own Temperament Tests. You should note that therapy dogs ARE NOT considered BY LAW in the United States to have the same status as SERVICE DOGS. Service dogs directly assist their handicapped owners with daily tasks in some fashion; therapy dogs are handled by their owners to assist others at specific times, such as visits to a facility. Thus laws mandating access for service dogs, who must accompany their owners do not apply to dogs who need not be with their owners at all times but rather work at specific locations.
Resources
A national organization that dispenses information about therapy dogs is the Delta Society, 289 Perimeter Rd. East, Renton WA 98055-1329, vox: 206-226-7357, tty: 800-809-2714; or via email: [email protected]. They put out a magazine called Interactions as well.
Another well-regarded organization is Therapy Dogs International (TDI) and they may be reached at [email protected].
In addition many local humane societies, breed clubs, and obedience clubs do some hospital visitation.
Books
*. Therapy Dog.
Therapy dog training. A good psychology book with gentle training methods.
Harrington, Paula. Looking ahead: Guide Dogs for the Blind. 1st ed. San Rafael, CA: Guide
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Police dog From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
A police dog is a dog that is trained specifically to assist police and similar law-
enforcement personnel with their work. Police dogs are often referred to by the term K9,
which sounds like the term canine, a word that generally refers to the dog and its relatives.
In many jurisdictions the intentional injury or killing of a police dog is a felony, subjecting
the perpetrator to harsher penalties than the statutes embodied in local animal cruelty
laws. Depending on jurisdiction, the perpetrator may be charged the same as if a human
officer were injured or killed.[ citation needed
] A growing number of forces outfit dogs with
bulletproof vests (and some even go so far as to give the dogs their own police badges
and IDs). Furthermore, a police dog killed in the line of duty is traditionally given a full police funeral/burial just
as they would for a human officer.[1] If the dog is killed or injured by another animal, like a big cat, bear, or
another dog, the animal would be shot. Police dogs rarely go to cases involving other animals like drug dealers
using other dogs or exotic animals to guard the evidence.
Article Discussion Edit this page History [Collapse] Wikipedia is there when you need it — now it needs you.
$3,544,274
2007.
Roles police dogs fill include:
[edit]Purpose and function
Public order enforcement dog - The "traditional" image of a police dog is one used
to enforce public order by chasing and holding suspects, or detaining suspects by the
threat of being released. German Shepherd Dogs are most commonly used; however
other dog breeds have also contributed, such as Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers,
and even American Pit Bull Terriers and American Staffordshire Terriers.
Tracking dog - This dog is used to locate suspects or find missing persons or
objects. Bloodhounds are often used for this task.
Contents [hide]
4 Retirement
6 Continental Europe
8 Police dogs in the Netherlands
9 State statutes on police dogs in the U.
S.
Police departments and government agencies also use dogs to detect illicit or dangerous substances, such
as narcotics [2]
For example, as of February 2007, the U.S. Transportation Security
Administration currently uses over 9000 trained dogs to patrol 75 airports and 13 major transit systems including
the Bank of Jasmine in Egypt
[edit]Illicit substances detection
[edit]Popular Police Dog Breeds
Illicit substances dog - Some dogs are used to detect illicit substances such as
drugs or explosives which may be carried on a person in their effects. In many
countries, Beagles are used in airports to sniff the baggage for items that are not
]
Cadaver dogs - Some dogs are trained in detecting the odor of decomposing bodies. Dogs' noses are so
sensitive that they are even capable of detecting bodies that are under running water.[ citation needed
] Pioneering
work was done by Dr. Debra Komar (University of Alberta) in Association with the RCMP Civilian Search
Dog Association in this area. The result was the development of training techniques that resulted in near
100% accuracy rates [1]
. Her research has been published in the Journal of Forensic Anthropology.
Main article: Detection dog
German Shepherd
Dutch Shepherd
Belgian Malinois
Labrador Retriever
Springer Spaniel
K9 unit.
Police dogs are retired when they are injured, are pregnant, are raising puppies, or are too old or sick to
continue working.
It is a firmly established fact that dog sections were attached to all of the larger units of the Roman Legions.
Although evidence is somewhat lacking, it is generally accepted that the Romans used trained tracking dogs to
pursue escaped prisoners and slaves. As Britain was a part of the Roman Empire for hundreds of years, historically
it is reasonable to assume that the first trained dogs used to assist in law enforcement in Britain stem from this period.
Documented evidence exists from the Middle Ages showing that money was set aside in towns and villages to pay
for the upkeep of bloodhounds to be used by parish constables to track down outlaws and criminals. In fact,
during the reign of King Henry I, documents showing the staffing levels of the Royal Palaces refer to the
appointment of a constable who, with the aid of a marshal,'shall maintain the stables, kennels and mews, and
be responsible for protecting and policing the whole court'.
During the twelfth & thirteenth centuries, the forces of law and order were employed by the Barons and
landowners to protect their privileges. Restrictions were placed upon the right to own a dog. Divided into
three classes, small dogs, which were unlikely to be a threat to hunting, were unrestricted. Dogs that had
natural hunting instincts, such as greyhounds and spaniels were barred altogether, and larger breeds were
[edit]Retirement
only allowed if used for security purposes and if their claws were removed. Constables used these larger breeds
such as the bloodhounds more for their own protection than the ability to apprehend villains. A point worthy of note
is that the bloodhounds of those times were described as “unreliable, bad-tempered and savage " but even
then displayed an uncanny ability to track through the marshes and bogs which bordered the highways of that time.
In Scotland bloodhounds became known as "Slough dogs" and it is from this name that the word "Sleuth",
usually applied to a detective, is derived. By the beginning of the nineteenth century, people were leaving the
rural areas to move into the larger cities and towns. Large country estates were breaking down into smaller units,
and with this change came the decline in the popularity of the dog as a hunter and enforcer of the law. At about
this point in history, people of all classes began to treat their dogs as domestic pets rather than working animals,
and size and appearance became as important as temperament and working ability.
The period of the Napoleonic Wars saw extreme outbreaks of violence and lawlessness in England and the
existing forces of law & order, the parish constables and the Bow Street Runners were overwhelmed. As a
result private associations were formed to help combat crime. Night watchmen were employed to guard premises
with many of these individuals provided with firearms and dogs to protect themselves from the criminal elements.
In 1829 Sir Robert Peel established London's Metropolitan Police, the first professional body to police the
whole metropolitan area. From 1935 onwards, police forces were set up in the larger boroughs and cities, as well
as in the counties, so that by the end of the century, professional policemen were policing the whole country.
One of the first real attempts to use dogs to aid police in the detection of crime and the apprehension of a
criminal was in 1888 when two bloodhounds were used in a simple tracking test set by the then Commissioner of
the Metropolitan (London) Police, Sir Charles Warren with a view to using them in the hunt for the Victorian
murderer, Jack the Ripper. The results were far from satisfactory, with one of the hounds biting the
Commissioner and both dogs later running off requiring a police search to find them.
[edit]Continental Europe
Official use of police dogs was recognized as being of value on the European Continent as early as 1859, with
the Belgium Police in Ghent using dogs to officially patrol with the night shift.
Germany, France, Austria and Hungary soon followed with dogs becoming an accepted part of the official
police establishment. It should be noted that the dogs employed at this time were hard aggressive animals that
could inspire fear, protect their handler against attackers and be prepared to tackle courageously anyone
found lurking in the ill-lit streets or open spaces. The breeds most commonly used by the end of the
nineteenth century in these countries were Belgian & German Shepherds, Boxers, Dobermans and Airedales
(imported from England).
The first major step forward in the development of the modern police dog came in the 1890s in Germany
where serious attempts had been made to introduce recognised training programmes for the dogs purchased by
the police, army & customs authorities. Rapid progress was made in the field of dog training with the development
of the German Shepherd Dog as a breed and the formation on the 22nd of April 1899 of the Verein für
Deutsche Schäferhunde or SV (The German Shepherd Dog Society) . In 1903 the SV staged civilian police dog
trials that encompassed control, criminal work and nose work exercises. The police authorities were impressed
but were not convinced that the intensive efforts expended on training and the costs involved were justified by
the results. The primary object of the police dog at this time was still seen as that of deterrent.
In the UK the attitude was very much the same; dogs were considered beneficial as long as they did not cost
money or require special training, an attitude that still appears to be prevalent in many police departments around
the world today. In 1914 official authority was granted for 172 constables in the Metropolitan (London) Police to
take their own dogs on patrol with them, a motley crew of sheepdogs, retrievers, collies, terriers, spaniels,
mongrels and even one Pomeranian.
In 1908, the North Eastern Railway police who used Airedales to put a stop to theft from the docks in Hull formed
the first recognised UK Police Dog Section. By 1910 the British Transport Commission Police had taken
over, experimenting with other breeds such as Labradors, Dobermans and finally, the German Shepherd or Alsatian
as it was then known.
After the 1914 -1918 war, despite the success of the transport police dogs the police authorities in the UK
continued to show a lack of interest in the use of dogs as an aid to police work. On the continent, however,
dogs were being used for a variety of purposes with organised dog training centres being set up in various
locations. The impressive results being obtained on the continent could not be ignored forever, and in 1934
a committee was set up to investigate the whole question surrounding the use of police dogs in the UK. An
interesting excerpt from the London Times dated 15th January 1938 gives an interesting insight into the thinking
of senior police officers of the time in regard to the use of dogs. Colonel Hoel Llewellyn, Chief Constable of
Wiltshire was quoted as follows:
"A good dog with a night duty man is as sound a proposition as you can get. The dog hears what the constable
does not, gives him notice of anyone in the vicinity, guards his master's bicycle to the death, and remains mute
unless roused. He is easily trained and will go home when told to do so with a message in his collar".
Bearing in mind that this was a statement from a pro-dog man of the times, is it any wonder that the
authorities failed to understand the true worth of the dog in the role of law enforcement for a number of years
to come.
In order to establish the best breed to be employed as a police service dog, the 1934 committee set up
an experimental Home Office dog training school in Washwater, near Newbury, adjoining Lord Carnarvon's
Highclere Estate. It concluded that a multi-purpose dog, trained to carry out all disciplines, was not possible, and
that tracking and other work would have to be divided. The committee reported in 1937 that the experiments at
the dog training school showed that the best breed of dog for following a scent was the bloodhound, and the
best breed of dog for general patrol purposes was the Labrador. Experiments had been done in crossing Fell
Hounds to Labradors and Otter Hounds to Bloodhounds, but both sets of crosses left something to be desired. As
a result of the committee's conclusions, recommendations were made that Chief Constables 'consider' the use of
dogs in police work, and it was once again left to the individual chief police officer to decide the worth of
employing dogs in his respective police force. In 1938 two specially trained black Labradors were introduced into
the Metropolitan Police as general patrol or 'utility' dogs, however, they were transferred in 1940 to the
Cheshire Constabulary. With the outbreak of the Second World War, any further efforts to introduce dogs into
a policing role in the UK were abandoned.
The end of the Second World War brought a crime wave to the shores of the UK, generally attributed to the
presence of returning servicemen. It also brought the appointment of Chief Constable of the Surrey Constabulary
to Sir Joseph Simpson K.B.E., a man who had a lifelong interest in gundogs and who saw clearer than most
the possibilities of adapting the natural abilities and qualities of the dog to the specialist requirements of the
police service. By good fortune, the Surrey Constabulary also employed an officer who had taken part in many of
the unrewarding experiments to try and prove the value of the trained dog in police work; his name was
Sergeant Harry Darbyshire.
This liaison set in motion the first positive effort to convince the Home Office and Police Forces throughout the UK
of the true worth of a well-trained dog. With Darbyshire's enthusiasm and idea's and Simpson leadership
and influence, the Surrey police headquarters at Mountbrown in Guildford became the epicentre of breeding
and training of the modern police dog. Within a short space of time the Surrey police dogs were touring the
country giving demonstrations to other police forces, whilst at the same time, Sir Joseph Simpson was bringing
his influence to bear on the Kennel Club and other senior police officers. Slowly, they began to understand
and appreciate the potential value of the police service dog.
After a careful study of the work carried out by Harry Darbyshire, Sir Joseph Simpson reached a number of
important conclusions on which further developments and progress were to be based. The most far-reaching of
these was to discard the accepted notion that all police dogs should be divided into two classes, tracking dogs
and criminal work patrol dogs. The evidence pointed to the fact that some breeds of dogs were capable of
being trained to carry out both disciplines. He also concluded that there should be a more rigorous selection
process when accepting dogs for police work, the first step towards the notion that the police service should
breed their own animals in an attempt to produce the ideal police dog.
1946 also saw the formation of a small dog section within the Metropolitan Police, an important event in itself as
the Metropolitan Police, serving the Capitol City and with the largest deployment of manpower has always been
an influential component in the policing tactics of the UK as a whole. Six Labradors were purchased from
Yorkshire farmers and deployed in South London, quickly proving their worth when on their first night on patrol
they were used in the arrest of two American servicemen after a purse snatch. In 1948 a new breed of police dog
was used on the streets of London for the first time, the Alsatian Wolf Dog, later to be known as the Alsatian
or German Shepherd Dog had arrived. The first of this breed in London was called 'Smokey' and such was
the impression that he made, that a further twelve Alsatians together with another seven Labradors were
purchased. The Metropolitan Police Dog Section was growing so rapidly that a central dog training school
was established at Imber Court and by 1950 the total number of trained dogs in the force numbered 90.
The popularity of the police dog was being echoed all over the UK with police forces both large and small
employing dogs and handlers on their strength and setting up dog training schools to cater for the ever
increasing number of dogs being used.
The value of the police dog has been recognised by all to such an extent that there are over 2500 police
dogs employed amongst the various police forces in the UK with the German Shepherd still the most popular
breed for general purpose work with the Belgian Shepherd Malinois catching up fast, proven when a Belgian
Malinois female called Metpol Kairo Demi bred by Steve Dean of the Metropolitan Police, handled by PC
Graham Clarke won the 2008 National Police Dog Trials with the highest score ever recorded.
All British police dogs, irrespective of the discipline they are trained in, must be licensed to work operationally.
To obtain the license they have to pass a test at the completion of their training, and then again every year until
they retire, which is usually at about the age of 8 when the majority settle into a life as a family pet with
their handler. The standards required to become operational are laid down by the Association of Chief Police
Officers (ACPO) sub-committee on police dogs and are reviewed on a regular basis to ensure that training
and licensing reflects the most appropriate methods & standards.
Many British police services now source the majority of their replacement dogs from within specialized police
dog breeding programs designed to ensure that the dogs are bred with strong working ethics & health as a
priority. The Metropolitan Police has the largest police dog breeding program in the UK supplying not only the
capital city, London, but many other parts of the UK & the world with police service dogs.
The Belgian Canine Support Group is part of the country's federal police. It has 35 dog teams. Some dogs are
trained to detect drugs, human remains, hormones or fire accelerants. About a third are tracker dogs trained to
find or identify living people. These teams are often deployed to earthquake areas to locate people trapped
in collapsed buildings. The federal police’s explosive detector dogs are attached to the Federal Police Special Units.
The Dutch Mounted Police and Police Dog Service (DLHP) is part of the Korps landelijke politiediensten
(KLPD; National Police Services Agency) and supports other units with horse patrols and specially trained dogs.
The DLHP’s dogs are trained to recognize a single specific scent. They specialize in identifying scents (identifying
the scent shared by an object and a person), narcotics, explosives and firearms, detecting human remains,
locating drowning people and fire accelerants.
The KLPD is just one of the 26 police regions in the Netherlands. Every other region has its own K9-unit. For
example, the K9-unit of the regional police Amsterdam-Amstelland has 24 patroldog handlers and 6
specialdog handlers and 4 instructors. The unit has 24 patroldogs, 3 explosives/firearms dogs, 3 active narcotic
dogs, 2 passive narcotic dogs, 2 scent identifying dogs, 1 crime scene dog and 1 USAR dog. They work on a
24/7 basis, every shift (07:00-15:00 / 15:00-23:00 / 23:00-07:00hrs) has a minimum of 2 patroldog handlers
[edit]Police dogs in Belgium
[edit]Police dogs in the Netherlands
on patrol. The special dog handlers work only in the dayshift or after a call.
[edit]State statutes on police dogs in the U.S.
[edit]References
[edit]External links
1. ^ L. Oesterhelweg et al.. "Cadaver dogs—A study on detection of contaminated carpet squares".
2. ^ "Drug Dog ‘Sniff’ of Car During Normal Background Check Does Not Violate Driver’s Constitutional Rights".
3. ^ "Bomb Team Joins Metro Police". King County, Washington.
---
North Carolina Police Canine Standards
Oklahoma statute #1
Oklahoma statute #2
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History of Police Dogs
Dogs were initially used for hunting, hauling, and guarding camps and settlements. At some point they began to be used for military purposes and for social control, particularly to control slaves and to guard properties. By the 5th century B.C., various societies had adopted these strategies. Persians, Greeks, Assyrians and Babylonians recognized the advantage of war dogs and deployed them as forward attacking elements.
The Romans used dogs both for war and for internal control. After Rome fell, the use of dogs for offense and repression tapered off somewhat, until it was revived with unprecedented brutality by the Spanish Conquistadors.
The British arrived in Jamestown and by 1610 the intentional extermination of the native population was well along. They were hunted down by dogs, blood-Hounds to draw after them, and mastiffs to seize them.
By the time of the American revolution, the use of dogs for repression had been scaled down, although some, most notably Benjamin Franklin suggested that dogs should be used against the Indians.
Ben Franklin's suggestion was not adopted until 1840, when Secretary of War Joel Poinsett authorized the purchase of the 33 bloodhounds from Cuba for offensive use against the Seminole Indians and escaped slaves who had taken refuge among them in western Florida and Louisana.
Meanwhile, bloodhounds were regularly used to recapture escaped slaves. During the Civil War, Confederate regiments used bloodhounds.
The Nazis employed dogs in various capacities, most notoriously in the concentration camps. During Second World War every concentration camp had its dog unit. The dogs were trained to attack inmates. (from Axis and Allied War Dogs). The aid of dogs was also sometimes employed when prisoners were corralled into gas chambers.
Dogs were utilized in Vietnam by American troops to clear Vietcong tunnels and caves and to sniff out land mines and booby-traps. At any given time there were 4,000 dogs employed in Vietnam for military purposes. All but 200 were left to the Vietcong, many of whom were tortured.
Police started using police dogs for riot control. When a German shepherd dog attacks, it doesn't just intimidate. When it bites, the upper and lower incisors connect like scissors and the large canine teeth remove chunks of flesh. The wounds infect easily and the scars usually are permanent.
Police and the Military also started using dogs to find drugs, explosives, tracking, etc.
The Military Working Dog Program has come a long way since the Army tested the original nine dogs in 1942. We have used dogs for sentries, scouts, trackers, casualty dogs, and the list goes on. For an all-around type animal to perform in both security and law enforcement functions, dogs have been the answer. As of now there is no single piece of police equipment that can perform as many functions, or perform as reliably as a well-trained detector dog team. As a detector dog handler, you must insure your animal is kept at a high degree of proficiency. As a supervisor, it is your responsibility to insure that detector dog handlers have the training aids, facilities, and time needed to keep them "honed to a fine edge" as a detector team.
HISTORY OF GLOBAL TRAINING ACADEMY
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In October 1984, Global was born and found its present home at 7705 Patton Road, Somerset Texas, May 1985. There are three owners: Dan Hayter, Ken Nelson, and Jim Parks. In May 1985 Bob Barnes, who had been involved with the dog program for twenty-six years and had been the Superintendent of the Department of Defense Dog School for a number of years, decided to join the team.
Two of our dogs with the U.S. Border Patrol wrote themselves into the Book of World Records (1991) as having seized more drugs then any two dogs in the history of drug dogs. Another team in New Mexico seized 2.5 million dollars worth of drugs in five months. That is not abnormal for a Global detector dog and detector dog handler.
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Animals/Sports
Sled Dog Racing - The Dogs
Two dogs commonly used in sledding are Alaskan Malamutes and Siberian Huskies. These two breeds had quite different origins and uses.
Alaskan Malamutes originated with a group of Eskimo people known as the Mahlemiut. The dogs of that time were very large freighting dogs, capable of pulling very heavy weights. The Mahlemiut people lived in the upper part of the Anvik River in Alaska, and were spread out over a large area. They used the dogs for hauling food back to the villages. The gold rush in 1896 created a high demand for these dogs.
Siberian Huskies originated with the Chuckchi people of northeastern Siberia. With a Stone Age culture, the Chuckchi people used their dogs for tasks like herding reindeer and pulling loads. These dogs were smaller and faster than their Mahlemiut counterparts.
These dogs were exported to Alaska around the time of the gold rush. These two breeds play a very important role in the development of our modern day sled dog breeds.
Today, most northern breeds used as sled dogs. Alaskan Malamutes, Siberian Huskies, Eskimo Dogs, Greenlands, Samoyeds, Norrbottenspets, and Hokkaidokens are all sled dogs.
Many different breeds of dogs have been and are used to drive sleds and carts. It is not unusual that Irish Setters, Dalmatians, Golden Retrievers also enjoy mushing sports.
Most modern day speed and endurance mushers use mixed breeds.
Some people question the use of dogs in sled dog racing. The relationship between sled dogs and humans is one of the oldest bonds
http://www.kidsturncentral.com/topics/animals/sleddog2.htm (1 of 2) [12/9/2008 7:34:29 PM]
Sled Dog Racing - The Dogs
of its kind. Modern sled dog owners are proud of their dogs as canine athletes that are bred and trained to do what they love: run as part of a team.
But wait now, Huskies are not the only dogs running the big races. John Suter went along for a snowmobile ride and was amazed that his miniature poodle could keep up with the snowmobile, at a reasonable speed. He decided to race standard poodles in the 1976 Chugiak Sled Dog Race. Learn more about poodles racing the Iditarod Races here.
Next Page > Mushing
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Animals/Sports
Sled Dog Racing - Mushing
Not all dogs are meant to become mushers, or dog sled racers. If you have a dog over 35 pounds with good 'leg', they can be trained to pull, regardless of the breed.
If you are interested in learning about mushing there are many online sled dog organizations that can help you out. You can also contact your local sled dog organization.
Skijouring or kicksleds are good ways to get started. Skijouring is where a dog pulls you while you are on skis. A kicksled is a light, upright sled that can take 1-2 dogs. Both are rather inexpensive options for the novice
In skijouring 1-3 dogs are used. In sprint races, the smallest team is a 3 dog team -- but you can run 2 dogs in the 3 dog class. Other sprint classes are 4, 6, 8, 10, and unlimited number dog teams. Distance races vary between 6, 10, 12, 16 and unlimited.
In sprints, the race is usually 1 mile per dog in the team. Some sprint races are much longer, especially in Alaska. Mid-distance is somewhere between 25-250 miles and long distance is over 250 miles. This will vary from location to location.
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History of the rescue dog
History of the rescue dog The history of the rescue dog is old. In about A.D. 950, the monk called Bernard that lived in the monastery of the border neighborhood of Switzerland and Italy trained a dog. That the dog helped many victims is the beginning of the history of a rescue dog. Many persons met with a disaster in the mountain pass of this neighborhood, when it snows. The monastery burnt down in the 16th century and was lost the record to it. After that, the successive rescue dogs are told that 2,500 victims were rescued at least, for about 300 years, until the tunnel is completed to the mountain pass. In the history the famous rescue dog was called barry. He was mistaken as a wolf in 1814 and was shot down to a hunter. He rescued over 40 victims with his life. After that this kind of dog has been called barry hound. However, they were changed their name as the Saint Bernard in 1828. The present Saint Bernards are a long hair almost. But the dog of short hair is suited to take an active part in snow. Therefore the dog of the short hair was used by a rescue dog. There are not the restriction by the kind and blood of a dog, to work as the rescue dog. It is necessary curiosity that becomes the base of the desire that does work, concentration that continues work, friendship nature that does not set up attack to the others, to rescue dogs. The character of such a dog is not necessarily inborn. The character of a dog changes by the method that a keeper brings up. At present there are a German shepherd dog, Labrador retriever, Golden retriever, etc., in the kind of the dog that is used as the rescue dog. Recently, rescue dogs searched for a missing person in Great Hanshin Earthquake, in Great Central Taiwan Earthquake, in International terrorism happening in America, etc. and became at a bound famous. The party of the rescue dog relation was organized every place after Great Hanshin Earthquake, to take precautions against a disaster, in Japan.
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Long before Beethoven drooled on the big screen, St. Bernard dogs were
famous for an entirely different reason: saving lives. Since the early 18th
century, monks living in the snowy, dangerous St. Bernard Pass—a route
through the Alps between Italy and Switzerland—kept the canines to help
them on their rescue missions after bad snowstorms. Over a span of nearly
200 years, about 2,000 people, from lost children to Napoleon's soldiers,
were rescued because of the heroic dogs' uncanny sense of direction and
resistance to cold. Since then, and through much crossbreeding, the canines
have become the domestic St. Bernard dogs commonly seen in households
today.
Hospice Hounds
At a little more than 8,000 feet above sea level sits the Great St. Bernard
Pass, a 49-mile route in the Western Alps. The pass is only snow free for a
couple of months during the summer and has been a treacherous route for
many travelers throughout history. In order to help struggling trekkers, an
Augustine monk named St. Bernard de Menthon founded a hospice and
monastery around the year 1050.
Sometime between 1660 and 1670, the monks at Great St. Bernard Hospice
acquired their first St. Bernards—descendants of the mastiff style Asiatic
dogs brought over by the Romans—to serve as their watchdogs and
companions. (The earliest depiction of the breed was in two paintings done
by well-known Italian artist Salvatore Rosa in 1695.) Compared to St.
Bernards today, these dogs were smaller in size, had shorter reddish brown
and white fur and a longer tail.
At the turn of the century, servants called marroniers were assigned to
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Smithsonian.comA Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/st-bernard-200801.html (1 of 5) [12/9/2008 7:37:55 PM]
Monks and a team of St. Bernard's rescue a lost traveler in the Swiss Alps, circa 1955.
Photo by George Pickow/Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
A Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog The canine's evolution from hospice
hound to household companion
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accompany travelers between the hospice and Bourg-Saint-Pierre, a
municipality on the Swiss side. By 1750, marroniers were routinely
accompanied by the dogs, whose broad chests helped to clear paths for
travelers. The marroniers soon discovered the dogs' tremendous sense of
smell and ability to discover people buried deep in the snow, and sent them
out in packs of two or three alone to seek lost or injured travelers.
Life-Saving Work
The canines made rescue excursions on the St. Bernard Pass for the next 150 years. Often the dogs would find buried
travelers, dig through the snow and lie on top of the injured to provide warmth. Meanwhile, the other dog would return to the
hospice to alert the monks of the stranded pilgrim. The system became so organized that when Napoleon and his 250,000
soldiers crossed through the pass between 1790 and 1810, not one soldier lost his life. The soldiers' chronicles tell of how
many lives were saved by the dogs in what the army called "the White Death."
Although in legend casks of liquor were strapped around the dogs' collars to warm up travelers, no historical records exist
that document this practice. But another legend was very real: famous St. Bernard, Barry, who lived in the monastery from
1800-1812, saved the lives of more than 40 people. In 1815, Barry's body was put on exhibit at the Natural History Museum
in Berne, Switzerland, where it remains today.
Between 1816 and 1818, the winter snowstorms at St. Bernard Pass were particularly severe, and many dogs died in
avalanches while doing rescue work. As a result, the St. Bernard breed living at the hospice came close to extinction.
However, the breed was replenished two years later with similar animals from nearby valleys.
All in all, the St. Bernard rescue dogs were credited with saving the lives of more than 2,000 people until the last documented
recovery in 1897 when a 12-year-old boy was found nearly frozen in a crevice and awakened by a dog.
1 2
Posted by ruth e. lakes on December 28,2007 | 09:34AM
A wonderfully informative article about those loveable 4-footed creatures that risked "their lives" so that those
unfortunate humans who fell, oftentimes 'thru the cracks' shall live ~ they should be 'enshrined'......
Posted by Claire Muskus on December 28,2007 | 12:55PM
Good article. Brief but very informative. Thanks!
In The Magazine
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on a springtime cruise
Beginning in 1830, the monks started breeding the dogs with
Newfoundlands, thinking that the longer hair of the breed would better
protect the dogs in the cold. But the idea backfired as ice formed on the dogs'
hairs. Because the dogs were no longer as effective in their rescues, the
monks gave them away to people in the surrounding Swiss valleys.
In 1855, innkeeper Heinrich Schumacher began breeding the dogs.
Schumacher used a studbook, supplied the hospice with dogs and also
exported dogs to England, Russia and the United States. Many people began
breeding the dogs indiscriminately, like with English Mastiffs, which
resulted in their common appearance today. During this time, the dog breed
was still without a name. Many called them Hospice Dogs, Alpine Mastiffs,
Mountain Dogs, Swiss Alpine Dogs and St. Bernard Mastiffs. Many Swiss
called them Barry Dogs as a tribute. In 1880, the Swiss Kennel Club officially
recognized the name as St. Bernard.
Until September 2004, 18 St. Bernard dogs still belonged to the hospice.
That year, the Barry Foundation was formed to establish kennels in
Martingy, a village down the mountain from the pass. Today, an average of
20 St. Bernard puppies are born every year at the foundation. As for rescue
efforts on the pass, monks now rely on helicopters.
1 2
National Portrait Gallery historian David C. Ward discusses images
of Abraham Lincoln
Fishermen's Fate
In the town of Fort Bragg, California, fishermen scramble to make a
living
The Phoenix Islands provide an unspoiled center for marine science
Smithsonian.comA Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog | History & Archaeology | Smithsonian Magazine
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history-archaeology/st-bernard-200801.html?c=y&page=2 (1 of 5) [12/9/2008 7:39:52 PM]
Monks and a team of St. Bernard's rescue a lost traveler in the Swiss Alps, circa 1955.
Photo by George Pickow/Three Lions/Hulton Archive/Getty Images
A Brief History of the St. Bernard Rescue Dog The canine's evolution from hospice
hound to household companion
Article Tools
Font Share
A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials Jess Blumberg
One town's strange journey from paranoia to
pardon
3. The Pygmies' Plight
5. A Brief History of the Salem Witch Trials
6. Family Ties
8. Choosing Civility in a Rude Culture
History of Drug Dogs | Global Training Academy - k9gta.com
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History of Drug Dogs
Dogs were initially used for hunting, hauling, and guarding camps and settlements. At some point they began to be used for military purposes and for social control, particularly to control slaves and to guard properties. By the 5th century B.C., various societies had adopted these strategies. Persians, Greeks, Assyrians and Babylonians recognized the advantage of war dogs and deployed them as forward attacking elements.
The Romans used dogs both for war and for internal control. After Rome fell, the use of dogs for offense and repression tapered off somewhat, until it was revived with unprecedented brutality by the Spanish Conquistadors.
The British arrived in Jamestown and by 1610 the intentional extermination of the native population was well along. They were hunted down by dogs, blood-Hounds to draw after them, and mastiffs to seize them.
By the time of the American revolution, the use of dogs for repression had been scaled down, although some, most notably Benjamin Franklin suggested that dogs should be used against the Indians.
Ben Franklin's suggestion was not adopted until 1840, when Secretary of War Joel Poinsett authorized the purchase of the 33 bloodhounds from Cuba for offensive use against the Seminole Indians and escaped slaves who had taken refuge among them in western Florida and Louisana.
Meanwhile, bloodhounds were regularly used to recapture escaped slaves. During the Civil War, Confederate regiments used bloodhounds.
The Nazis employed dogs in various capacities, most notoriously in the concentration camps. During Second World War every concentration camp had its dog unit. The dogs were trained to attack inmates. (from Axis and Allied War Dogs). The aid of dogs was also sometimes employed when prisoners were corralled into gas chambers.
Dogs were utilized in Vietnam by American troops to clear Vietcong tunnels and caves and to sniff out land mines and booby-traps. At any given time there were 4,000 dogs employed in Vietnam for military purposes. All but 200 were left to the Vietcong, many of whom were tortured.
Police started using police dogs for riot control. When a German shepherd dog attacks, it doesn't just intimidate. When it bites, the upper and lower incisors connect like scissors and the large canine teeth remove chunks of flesh. The wounds infect easily and the scars usually are permanent.
Police and the Military also started using dogs to find drugs, explosives, tracking, etc.
The Military Working Dog Program has come a long way since the Army tested the original nine dogs in 1942. We have used dogs for sentries, scouts, trackers, casualty dogs, and the list goes on. For an all-around type animal to perform in both security and law enforcement functions, dogs have been the answer. As of now there is no single piece of police equipment that can perform as many functions, or perform as reliably as a well-trained detector dog team. As a detector dog handler, you must insure your animal is kept at a high degree of proficiency. As a supervisor, it is your responsibility to insure that detector dog handlers have the training aids, facilities, and time needed to keep them "honed to a fine edge" as a detector team.
HISTORY OF GLOBAL TRAINING ACADEMY
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History of Drug Dogs | Global Training Academy - k9gta.com
In October 1984, Global was born and found its present home at 7705 Patton Road, Somerset Texas, May 1985. There are three owners: Dan Hayter, Ken Nelson, and Jim Parks. In May 1985 Bob Barnes, who had been involved with the dog program for twenty-six years and had been the Superintendent of the Department of Defense Dog School for a number of years, decided to join the team.
Two of our dogs with the U.S. Border Patrol wrote themselves into the Book of World Records (1991) as having seized more drugs then any two dogs in the history of drug dogs. Another team in New Mexico seized 2.5 million dollars worth of drugs in five months. That is not abnormal for a Global detector dog and detector dog handler.
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News of the Day ... bomb sniffing Pitbull and has the largest recorded single drug find in Texas history ... As for specific dogs, not breeds, that have a history of "not playing nice with others," I ... Read more...
Stop the Drug War (DRCNet) - Drug Prevention ... and doing well in school, etc. and yet you're still marching drug dogs ... an obnoxious tendency to claim success by comparing current drug use rates to their highest point in history ... Read more...
Stop the Drug War (DRCNet) - Barry McCaffrey Barry McCaffrey did a remarkable job of getting the government's cats and dogs (and ... be considered disastrous outside the accountability-free sphere of revisionist drug war history. Read more...
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Global Training Academy P.O. Box 445 Somerset, TX. 78069 Phone: (800) 777-5984 (210) 622-9460 Fax: (830) 429-3122
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Drug dogs Many dogs are used in the war against drugs because of their excellent sense of smell. Soft and hard drugs are legally produced throughout the world, but their sale is strictly illegal. These substances may be easily hidden, but are quickly detected by an experienced dog despite tactics used by traffickers (pepper, hermetically sealed containers, etc.).
Brief History Dogs were first used to search for drugs in Israel. During the Vietnam war, the military police used dogs to reduce illegal drug trafficking. In France, the national police starting using anti-drug dogs in 1965. Ten years later, the first dogs were trained for this purpose by the Gendarmerie in Gramat and fifteen years after their initial use, customs also began using the dogs to search for drugs. In 1970, the United States and France implemented procedures to facilitate searches and preventive actions. The problem remains international trafficking. Indeed, in March 1972, the United Nations could only issue recommendations without attacking the "national sovereignty" of producing countries, which can therefore continue their activities.
Drugs are sometimes hidden quite ingeniously…better never where a well- trained dog can't find them (here behind the head rest on a train bench) © UMES
The Dog's Roles The dog's main role is of course to detect hidden drugs. The place at which the animal intervenes may vary. Dogs are brought on site to search for drugs (apartments, hangars, etc.), into means of transportation (cars, trucks, trains, etc.), and even check people for drugs on their persons.
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Drug dogs
The conditions of intervention sometimes mean that a handler needs to search a person who may become aggressive if stopped for a search. The second role of the dog is then to master anyone who refuses search, under its handler's control. The Concept of a Dog Team The team cannot function separately. The handler guides his dog toward items that the dog would not ordinarily search of its own volition (bathrooms, carpeting in cars, etc.). Certain types of training also teach the dog to search in a very systematic way, leaving very little to the animal's own choice of where to search. The dog is always controlled by its handler. It is always on a leash when in public, and always released when in an enclosed area. The goal of training a drug dog is to motivate the animal toward the smells of different drugs. Most countries have this type of training for dogs. It consists of motivating a dog with a specific object, then replacing the object with different drugs as the dog progresses. These "toys" are hidden while the dog watches, then while the animal is not looking to develop search behavior. While training the dog, the handler learns to recognize different reactions in the dog (tail wagging, ears held erect, etc.) to better interpret its reactions in the field. The dog indicates the presence of drugs by barking or scratching the ground in front of the drugs' location.
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Drug dogs
Note: It is sometimes said that drug dogs are actually "drugged" to increase their sensitivity to the drugs in question. This is absolutely false, and for several reasons: – dogs also suffer withdrawal symptoms, which make them more aggressive and less able to concentrate on their work, which would make for a disorganized and dangerous search for the people around the dog. –The dog would not be able to make several searches in a row because it would have satisfied its drug needs. – The dog would not be able to detect all drugs since it would have to be administered all of the various drugs on the market. – Drugs destroy certain nerve cells, especially olfactory cells. – Finally, it would be really expensive to support the animal's habit!! Choice of Dogs The ideal drug dog loves to play, is dynamic, and medium-sized, which allows it to search everywhere and to climb or jump over obstacles if necessary. It needs to have good endurance since it may be asked to perform several searches on the same day. Belgian Malinois are often chosen because they are smaller and more lively than German Shepherds. Prized for their keen sense of smell, dogs are essential team members of anti-drug organizations throughout the world today.
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With special thanks to Preface Introduction Foreword Utility Dog (18) Sporting Dog (17)
Preparing sporting and utility dogs (13) Specifics of animal breeding (6) Diseases and disease prevention (19) Regulations (4) Sporting dogs on the Internet (1) Overview of the breeding and sports
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Home > Activities > Humanitarian Aid > Swiss Rescue > History of the Swiss Rescue
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Swiss Rescue is 25 Years Old
Following this morning's terrible earthquake in XY measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale, the
number of casualties has now risen to 451 with many still buried under the rubble and many
more missing…. The first thing that comes to the minds of Swiss citizens when such reports
appear in the media is: "What is Switzerland doing?" and "…will Swiss Rescue be deployed?".
Swiss Rescue is an instrument of Swiss foreign policy, held in high public esteem
and well known primarily for its rapid and effective manifestation of Switzerland's
solidarity with those regions and populations abroad suffering from the aftermath of
an earthquake. In the wake of any major earthquake disaster, the Swiss public has
come to expect coverage of Swiss Rescue members dressed in orange preparing to
take off at the Airport with their rescue dogs. Today, thanks to consistently putting
into practice the experience gained in the course of numerous missions and practical
exercises, Swiss Rescue counts itself among the leading USAR (Urban Search and
Rescue) Teams worldwide. In 1976, the Swiss Humanitarian Aid Unit (SHA) and the Swiss Disaster Dog
Association (SDDA, known today as REDOG) began providing emergency relief
following earthquakes. At times, it happened that even if the location of those trapped
could be detected, they were still not able to be saved in time since quite often – although the help needed was on site within the first crucial hours
following the disaster – the appropriate rescue workers with their cumbersome rescue equipment had not yet arrived. During an emergency
assistance operation in southern Italy, the first Delegate for Disaster Relief Abroad, Arthur Bill, and the then Director of the Federal Office for
Rescue Troops of the Swiss Army, jointly conceived the idea of creating an instrument to bring together as one, all of the members with the
competencies required to ensure the success of a rescue mission, i.e., locating, rescuing, emergency medical care, and logistics. So it was that in
1981, Swiss Rescue, under the leadership of the SHA Unit and with the support of its partners REGA (Swiss Air Rescue), REDOG, and the rescue
troops, saw the light of day. In December 1982, after a practical exercise had taken place earlier that summer, Swiss Rescue was deployed on its
first mission in the wake of an earthquake that had struck in North Yemen.
Capitalizing on the experience acquired during its missions, Swiss Rescue has
continually been developing and improving. In 1983, the Swiss Red Cross joined
SDC - History of the Swiss Rescue

the Swiss Seismological Service, Swissair, and Unique Zurich Airport, all of with
whom it had already been cooperating for years. Depending on the requirements
on site, the composition of the Swiss Rescue team deployed can be adapted
according to the on-site requirements thanks to a system of modules. For
several years now, the SDC's Humanitarian Aid Unit has also been making use
of Rapid Response Teams (RRTs) that can be deployed within just a matter of
hours following the occurrence of a major disaster. Once on site, the RRT rapidly assesses priority needs, pro-actively contributes to the
coordination of operations on site, and immediately launches emergency relief measures. For a long time, efforts have been underway on the international level to develop common standards in the area of disaster management. In 1991,
the incentive was provided by the international Search and Rescue Teams (SAR Teams) which had been deployed in Armenia in 1988, to create
an informal network of organizations – including the Confederation's humanitarian aid agency - active in the field of earthquake disaster relief. Thus
it was that the International Search and Rescue Advisory Group (INSARAG) came into existence with the UN taking on a lead role.
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http://caninebreeds.bulldoginformation.com/guardian-dogs.html (1 of 4) [12/9/2008 7:46:27 PM]
One of the earliest duties of the domestic dog was guarding the property of its owners, whether that property be land, livestock or his owner's home.
Most modern dog breeds will naturally act as guardians when at home, but some dog breeds have been especially developed or selectively bred for their natural inclination to guard and defend the territory and people they consider as having under their custody.
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A panel composed of dog breeders, veterinarians, cynologists and dog trainers have established a list of dog breeds especially suited for guard dog duties. Dog breeds that qualify as guard dogs must possess a natural inclination to protect along with a strong sense of territory. They usually are very wary of strangers. They stand out for their courage and their resistance to counter-attack. Other qualities considered as essential by the panel were: trainability, loyalty towards the owner, stress-resistance, watchfulness, and the deterrent factor. The deterrent factor includes not only the impression an individual dog makes because of his bulk, voice and color (black is more impressive than white) but also how recognizable the breed is as a guard breed (a Rottweiler or Doberman will be more easily recognized as a guard breed by a would-be intruder than an Akita or
There is a distinction between guard dogs and watch dogs. A watchdog simply watches the home and alerts others to the intruder by barking. Watchdogs typically are smaller, more excitable breeds that will bark vigorously at the presence of an intruder or in most situations they experience as out of the ordinary. Many small and toy dog breeds, which would not qualify as guard dogs are excellent watch dogs, as their only duty is to alert their owners with their barking.
In some cases, however, a watchdog alone is not sufficient. A guard dog might be trained to restrain or attack the intruder. For example, livestock guardian dogs are often large enough and strong enough to attack and drive away predators such as wolves. In cases where intruders are more likely to be human, protection dogs may be n

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