Page 13 - Chiron Calling Autumn 2019

On the 27th and 28th of August 2019 dog trainers from around the UK descended upon the Defence Animal Training Regiment (DATR) for a Working Dog Seminar. Trainers from the Royal Army Veterinary Corps, Metropolitan Police, Medical Detection Dogs, Search and Rescue, Water Leak Detection and Dogs Trust all gave interesting insights into the work that they do and the methods used to train their canines.
Firstly, we heard from LCpl Sykes about Indication Training and Scent Imprinting. He covered the methods currently used by Detection Section at the DATR and the pros and cons of each. Especially interesting was the demonstration by High Assurance Search Dogs (in training) of search intensity on the wall and their drive to find the smallest pieces of Kong.
This was followed by a presentation on Victim Recovery by Sean Turner of the Metropolitan Police. He explained the use of dogs in searching for bodies in different states of decomposition and how the dogs were trained. Some parts were a little gruesome but overall a fantastic presentation.
Next was Mark Doggett and the Medical Detection Dogs, his presentation covered the broad spectrum of diseases/illnesses that their dogs can be trained to detect and how they save lives by becoming early warning systems for their owners; for example, certain dogs can alert their
By Pte Pritchard
owners when they detect signs of low blood sugar before the person can even feel the effects themselves.
Before lunch we heard from Ross Stephenson about two newer specifications of search, Bed Bug and Water Leak Detection. I found this particularly interesting as the concept of Water Leak Detection and how the dogs are trained is completely new.
In the afternoon we were taught about the importance of The Service Decoy from Graham Jones. He explained that in most
'Certain dogs can alert their owners when they detect signs of low blood sugar before the person can even feel the effects themselves'
cases the decoy is more important to the development of the dog and its bite than the actual trainer and that the skill of the decoy can make or break a dog.
The last presentation on the first day was from WO2 Rutherford who educated us on Canine Communication. This proved very thought provoking and helped us as trainers to understand the emotions behind our dogs’ behaviours therefore
aiding us to improve training techniques in the future.
The next day we started with talks from Chris and Zsofi Pritchard on Urban Search Rescue and Lowland Search. They explained how their dogs are utilised by the Fire Service and volunteer organisations in the UK and worldwide at disaster sites or in search of missing people. Their videos from training sessions created an exciting insight into the world of Search and Rescue with a dog capability.
Next I was asked to deliver a presentation on the DATR’s newest classification of MWD; the Explosive Detection Dog. I explained how the capability was created, the use of gun dogs, how it is utilised within the 1st Military Working Dog Regiment and its potential future application. Once the talk was finished, we moved down to the show field for a demonstration from LCpl Smith and MWD Meg on some of the directional work used within the capability.
After lunch Al Bunyan educated us on the Mechanics of The Mark. He explained a concept about the timing of the mark and whether we are capturing the behaviour or the release. His border collies provided a good insight to the concept through videos and a demonstration he provided.
Lastly, we heard from the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory who spoke about the Chemistry of Odour and the importance of understanding the concept of ‘head space’ with dealing with scent and the training of dogs.
The Working Dog Seminar provided an opportunity for Military and Civilian trainers and handlers to gain insights into each other’s dog training techniques and working environments which we can now hopefully be used to further improve our own training and handling skills.
DATR Working Dog Seminar
CHIRON CALLING 11