Page 6 - Chiron Autumn 2017
P. 6

I jumped at the chance when I heard Cpl Ben Charles was creating a team from the Defence Animal Training Regiment to take part in the Midlands Tough Mudder at Belvoir Castle. The Tough Mudder events are obstacle courses stretched over a variety of distances, with a wide variety of obstacles, each challenging in a different way.
On the day of the event six of us; SSgt Shaw,Cpl Robson- Rodrigez, Cpl Charles, Cpl Hatley, LCpl Binns and myself crammed into Cpl Dan Hatley’s minivan and made our way to the event with butter ies in our stomachs. Once at the event we were  ltered into a warm up group before we set off. There was a DJ attempting different warm up techniques with an air of humour.
On the start line the same DJ built us all up with a motivational team speech to ensure we ‘left no man behind’. With twelve
miles ahead we set off at a steady pace and kept as a group the whole way round.
The obstacles were very challenging; with ice troughs you could not breathe in yet you had to duck under a beam to escape, the good old crawl in mud under barbed wire, a birthing canal you had to squeeze under a tarp of water, slippy walls you had to race up and lunge for a team mates hand before you fell to your doom again and lastly the mile of mud mounds to clamber over with mud up to your chest at times.
To top things off, after being covered in mud head to toe and seizing up due to the cold, we had to crawl under hanging electric wires. I have never screamed as loud or as girly when one of the wires touched me!’
All in all it was a fantastic experience I would encourage anybody to take part in.
Tough Mudder
By LCpl Fiona Flannigan DATR
4 CHIRON CALLING
In early June 2017, SSgt Luke Jones of 101 Military Working Dog (MWD) Squadron (Sqn) had the opportunity to be tasked on attachment to Wagtail UK Ltd at their Headquarters in Prestatyn, North Wales. The attachment lasted for a week with the aim being “To impart knowledge in order that Army Reserves can develop and integrate with their civil counterparts and at the same time seeking any suitable opportunities for experimentation”. SSgt Jones is a Protection Handler within 101 MWD Sqn and keen to work with search dogs in the future.
Wagtail UK Ltd, established in 2003 is a company that provide specialist detection (search) dogs for Government Agencies such as UK Border Force, Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC), Police, Armed Forces and Trading Standards. They also provide training of handlers and dogs under contract within the UK and internationally.
Wagtail have the following main categories of detection dog services:
• Explosives Detection
• Live Body Detection
• Drug Detection
• Illicit, Counterfeit Tobacco and Cash • Conservation
SSgt L Jones attended with high expectations and an open mind to shadow the specialist search dogs and handlers. Upon arrival he was met by Adam Vissard (Ex RAVC), Manager of UK & International Operations, Wagtail UK Ltd. He then met the rest of the team including Trainers, Handlers, Of ce Staff and Kennel Staff. Some of the staff being ex Forces (RAVC and RAFP).
The attachment from start to  nish was hands on with practical support to Wagtail lead handlers and trainers in the form of Physical Training Assistant (PTA) and handler for a mix of specialist search dogs.
SSgt Jones started with theory and practical lessons on how Wagtail train their
By SSgt Luke Jones
new dogs to scent work and how they conduct Continuation Training (CT) for all search types. He was lucky to act as PTA laying target odours for Conservation dogs searching for Ivory, Bats, Great Crested Newts and Pine Martin Scat/Faeces in the local woodland. He was also able to act as PTA laying Tobacco and Cash for Tobacco and Cash search dogs in local premises.
During the week a main focus was supporting a lead trainer with a new Drug Detection (DD) Dog who needed work on her indication technique. This was improved with multiple daily CT sessions using different drug types and back to basics CT each day to assess the new dog’s ability. A CT session was conducted for Explo Dogs in a theatre/cinema type environment which was interesting viewing the dogs work along rows of seating similar to a sport arena venue/ concert venue.
The attachment provided the author with much knowledge and ideas, it was particularly notable how many training methods employed by Wagtail are in some cases quite similar to those employed with in the squadron. Overall
a highly bene cial experience working as handler and PTA for search work across many search classi cations at an excellent company with an exceptional reputation with excellent training facilities, dogs and handlers. ‘ I will be able to use the knowledge and skills I have gained for future Protection CT and if I am fortunate enough to attend a RAVC search dog course, the knowledge gained at Wagtail will no doubt be most useful.
Another great opportunity for handlers from 101 Sqn to gain a broad range of skills building on the Reserve experience.
A week with Wagtail UK Ltd
(Above) SSgt Jones handling and directing Sasha, a conservation dog searching for Bats. SSgt Jones learned the search pattern requirements and ensured Sasha searched both sides of the road in the woods ef ciently and thoroughly. (Inset) SSgt Jones with Rocky, a Conservation dog having just conducted CT successfully  nding Great Crested Newts in the local woodland.


































































































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